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| Paraguayan Navy | |
|---|---|
| Armada Paraguaya | |
| Founded | Officially since 1811 |
| Country |  Paraguay |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 5400 personnel |
| Part of | Armed Forces of Paraguay |
| Motto(s) | Vencer o Morir (To win or to die) |
| March | Marcha al Mariscal Lopez |
| Anniversaries | 12th of September |
| Engagements | War of the Triple Alliance Chaco War |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Paraguayan Navy | Vice-Admiral Lucio Benitez Escalante [1] |
| Insignia | |
| Naval Jack |  |
The Paraguayan Navy (Spanish : Armada Paraguaya) is the maritime force of the Armed Forces of Paraguay, in charge of the defense of Paraguay's waters despite not having direct access to the sea.
Contents
- Role
- Fleet
- Gunboats
- River patrol ships
- Patrol vessels
- Tugboats
- Other
- Naval aviation
- Ranks
- Commissioned officer ranks
- Other ranks
- See also
- References
- External links
It has gone to war on two occasions: the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, and the Chaco War (1932–1935) against Bolivia.
Although Paraguay is a landlocked country, it has a strong naval tradition by virtue of the fact that it has access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Paraguay–Paraná rivers. The Paraguayan Navy has twelve bases. The main base is the Puerto Sajonia in Asuncion, followed by Bahia Negra, Ciudad del Este, Encarnacion, Salto del Guaira. It also has aviation facilities in Puerto Sajonia. [2]
The Navy has 34 surface ships, some of which have reached centenarian age, due in part to limited use and the vessels floating in fresh water. The main vessels and the flagship of the Paraguay Navy is still the Humaita, which was commissioned prior to Paraguay's involvement in the Chaco War. It has a further four patrol vessels, of which the oldest was commissioned in 1908 and the newest in 1985. The Navy has 17 patrol boats of various drafts, four of which were donated by Taiwan and the United States, while the other 13 were built locally. The rest of the fleet is composed of tugboats, barges, landing craft, transports, and a presidential yacht. The new additions are four Croc-class riverine vessels from Australia, plus 43 locally built riverline patrol vessels constructed from 2006–2009. For air support, one Helibras HB350 helicopter is used to provide SAR, MEDEVAC and utility work [3]
