Argentine Marine Corps

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The Argentine Marine Corps, in Spanish Infantería de Marina Armada Republica Argentina, or IMARA, The Naval Infantry of the Argentine Armada, also Commando of the Infantry of Marina of Argentine Navy, (COIM), is one of the four operational commands of the Navy.

1 History
2 Battles and interventions
3 Fleet Marine Force (FAIF)
4 Southern Marine Force (FAIA)
5 River Operations Unit
6 Marine Security Forces
7 Auxiliary Units
8 Current Deployments
9 Weapons and Vehicles
10 See also
11 References
12 External links

[edit] History

The Marines trace their origins in Spanish Marine Corps, at the time of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. After the Argentine War of Independence, it was under joint administration administration of the Argentine Army and the Argentine Navy. A 1946 law placed the marines solely under the jurisdiction of the Navy.

[edit] Battles and interventions

An Argentine Marines LVTP-7 amphibious vehicle patrolling Port Stanley during the Falklands War in 1982

Under Spanish dominion:

Reconquest of the Falklands Islands in 1767.
Falklands Crisis (1770)
Defense of the East Coast 1776.
British invasions of the Río de la Plata 1806 and 1807.

During independence:

seizure of Martin Garcia Island in 1814.
Landing in Monterey, California, now part of the United States (1817 - 1818): Forces commanded by Hipólito Bouchard, 200 men of which 130 were armed with guns and 70 with lances, disembarked to one league from the fort of Monterrey, in a hidden creek from the heights. The resistance of the fort was very weak, and after one hour battle the Argentine flag was raised.

Argentine confederation:

War of Costa Bravo (1842), against the forces under the control of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Argentina-Brazil War. (1820's)
Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (1845)
War of the Triple Alliance. (1845)

Argentine Republic

Dirty War (1976 to 1983)
Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur) (1982) : Falklands and South Georgia invasions and Battle of Mount Tumbledown, .
Gulf War. (1990)
UN Peacekeeper, observers/peace missions in Cyprus, Western Sahara, the Balkans and Haiti.

[edit] Fleet Marine Force (FAIF)

The FMF was formerly called the Brigada de IM No. 1.

2nd Marine Corps Battalion
1st Amphibious Vehicles Battalion
Amphibious Engineers Battalion
Command and Logistical Support Battalion
1st Communications Battalion
1st Field Artillery Battalion
Anti-aircraft artillery Battalion
Amphibious Commandos Group (APCA)

[edit] Southern Marine Force (FAIA)

The SMF was formerly called the Fuerza de IM No. 1.

4th Marine Corps Battalion
5th Marine Corps Battalion
Naval Detachment Río Grande

[edit] River Operations Unit

3rd Marine Corps Battalion

ERC-90 Recon. Vehicle

[edit] Marine Security Forces

Navy General Staff Security Battalion
Puerto Belgrano Naval Base Security Battalion

[edit] Auxiliary Units

The Marine Corps also maintains 15 Security Companies at Naval and Naval Air Bases.

[edit] Current Deployments

IMARA has two Infantry Coompanies deployed in Haiti and Cyprus under the auspices of MINUSTAH and UNFICYP respectively in joint operations with the Argentine Army and Argentine Air Force. A small platoon was also deployed in Kosovo, attached to Argentine Engineers Coy, which was in turn attached to the Italian Brigade.

Several Marine Officers and NCO's are routinely deployed as military observers for the UN.