Ecuadorian military
| Ecuadorian Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador | |
| Founded | 1830 |
| Current form | 2000 |
| Service branches |
Ecuadorian Army Ecuadorian Navy Ecuadorian Air Force |
| Headquarters | Quito |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Rafael Correa |
| Minister of Defense | Fernando Cordero Cueva |
| Chief of Defense | General Leonardo Barreiro |
| Manpower | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Conscription | suspended |
| Available for military service |
7,573,824 (2010 est), age 16–49 |
| Fit for military service |
6,103,748 (2010 est), age 16–49 |
| Reaching military age annually |
299,736 (2010 est) |
| Active personnel | 37,448 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | US$2.3 billion (FY11)List of countries by military expenditures ranked 54th |
| Percent of GDP | 2.74% (FY10)List of countries by military expenditures ranked 37th |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |
 United States France Germany Canada United Kingdom Israel Spain South Africa Russia Chile Mexico Argentina China Venezuela Serbia Brazil Uruguay Belarus
|
The Military of Ecuador is under civilian control. The commander-in-chief is the President of Ecuador, currently Rafael Correa. The military of Ecuador has been involved in border disputes with Peru (Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, Paquisha War, Cenepa War), and has provided Military Observers and troops to the United Nations since 1948.
(Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador) are part of the public forces and have the stated mission of the preservation of the integrity and national sovereignty of the national territory. It also involves participation in the social and economic development of the country and the provision of assistance in the maintenance of internal order. Tasks include fighting organised crime, anti-narcotic operations and illegal immigration. One social development programme applies the provision of teachers for rural schools through an accord with the Ministry of Education. Environmental protection is also a priority, several programmes were implemented: "National Forestation and Ornamentation", "Lonely Tree", "Green Surveillance", "Fire Plan", "Ecuador Forest" and "Arenillas Military Reserve". The Ecuadorian territory is divided into five "Joint Task Force Zones" or Fuerzas de Tarea Conjunta, four on mainland Ecuador, the fifth being the Naval-zone (including the Galapagos Islands). Overseas territories include also the "Pedro Vicente Maldonado" Naval Biological Research Station in the Antarctic.
Ecuador shares a 1,420 km (882 mi) border with Peru. Although marked by many conflicts, relations have improved since the signing of a renewed in 1998. However, along the 590 km (367 mi)-long border with its neighbour Colombia, relations have been strained mainly due to a cross-border raid by Colombian forces on FARC guerrillas. The Armed Forces had logistical shortcomings and were caught off-guard. Their radar did not work, aviation was virtually non-existent and communications were not fully operational. A diplomatic crisis followed in 2008 which some attribute partially to the need for better equipment as well as a new national defence doctrine.
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Wikipedia