Argentine Marines

The Argentine Marine Corps, officially Comando de la Infantería de Marina or COIM ( Marine Infantry Command ), but better known as Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina or IMARA ( Marine Infantry of the Navy of the Argentine Republic ), is the land warfare amphibious branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands.

Argentine Marines have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Navy.

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 of the Argentine Army and the Argentine Navy. A 1946 law placed the marines solely under the jurisdiction of the Navy.

Battles and interventions


Under Spanish dominion:
 * Conquest 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): 200 men commanded by Hipólito Bouchard, 130 of whom were armed with guns and 70 with lances, disembarked one league from the fort of Monterrey, in a creek hidden from the heights.  The fort resisted only very weakly, and after an hour-long battle the Argentine flag was raised.

Argentine confederation:
 * Cisplatine War. (1820s)
 * Uruguayan Civil War (1842), against the forces under the control of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
 * Battle of Vuelta de Obligado (1845)
 * Paraguayan War. (1845)

Argentine Republic


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

Present
IMARA routinely train in joint exercises with similar units of Brazil, Chile and the United States.

Current deployments
IMARA has two Infantry Companies 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 Serbia/UN ProvinceKosovo (NATO KFOR mandate), attached to Argentine Engineers Company, which was in turn attached to the Italian Brigade.

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

Fleet Marine Force (FAIF)
The FMF was formerly called the Brigada de IM No. 1 ( 1st Marine Brigade )
 * 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)

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

River Operations Unit

 * 3rd Marine Corps Battalion

Marine Security Forces

 * Navy General Staff Security Battalion
 * Puerto Belgrano Naval Base Security Battalion
 * 15 Security Companies at Marine and Naval Air Bases.

Weapons and vehicles


3rd Naval Helicopter Sqn. (Bell UH-1H, now in reserve status) was usually attached to the Fleet Marine Force.
 * LVTP-7 Amphibious APC (local name VAO Vehiculo Anfibio a Orugas) (21 units)
 * LARC-V Amphibious Truck (local name VAR Vehiculo Anfibio a Ruedas)
 * ERC-90F1 6x6 "Lynx" Recon. Vehicle (14 units)
 * Panhard VCR/TT 4x4 APC
 * VCR/AA 4x4 AAA
 * VCR/AT wheeled armoured recovery vehicle
 * Agrale Marruá
 * American Motors M35A3 2-1/2 ton cargo truck
 * Mercedes-Benz MB1720 truck
 * M-997/1025 HMMWV
 * Bofors 40 mm L 70 radar guided AAA
 * RBS-70 man-portable SAM
 * AT4 anti-tank weapon
 * M-101 105 mm Howitzer
 * M-56 105 mm Pack Howitzer
 * M-114A1 155 mm Howitzer
 * SOLTAM 81 mm Mortar
 * Mk 19 grenade launcher
 * Browning 12,7 mm HMG
 * FN MAG GPMG
 * M-249 LMG
 * M16A2 AR
 * M4A1 AR
 * Steyr AUG AR