Ecuador Army

The land branch of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, the Ecuadorian Army (Ejército Ecuatoriano), operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of National Defence and the operational authority of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces. Headquartered in Quito, the army is organized into four territorial divisions: the First Army Division Shyris covering the northern region, the Second Army Division Libertad based in Guayaquil covering the coastal region, the Third Army Division Tarqui headquartered in Cuenca covering the southern border area, and the Fourth Army Division Amazonas based in El Coca covering the eastern Amazonian region. Operational formations include specialized brigades, including the 1st Armored Cavalry Brigade Galapagos, the 9th Special Forces Brigade Patria, the 15th Army Aviation Brigade Paquisha, and several dedicated jungle infantry brigades deployed along eastern border sectors. Garrisons are located in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Machala, and El Coca.

Armored units operate AMX-13 light tanks equipped with 105 mm guns, supported by EE-9 Cascavel, EE-3 Jararaca, Panhard ERC-90, and Panhard AML wheeled armored vehicles. Mechanized and motorized infantry units utilize tracked AMX-VCI and M113 armored personnel carriers, alongside wheeled platforms such as the EE-11 Urutu, BTR-3, Otokar Cobra II, Otokar Ural, MDT David, and up-armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. Artillery units field M101 and OTO Melara Model 56 pack 105 mm howitzers, M198 155 mm towed howitzers, MK F3 self-propelled guns, RM-70 multiple rocket launcher systems, and M29 mortars. Air defense capability relies on towed Oerlikon 35 mm anti-aircraft guns, ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft systems, and shoulder-launched 9K38 Igla and Blowpipe surface-to-air missiles. The 15th Army Aviation Brigade Paquisha maintains rotary-wing platforms including HAL Dhruv, Mi-171, AS350 Ecureuil, AS532 Cougar, and SA 330 Puma helicopters, complemented by fixed-wing transport aircraft such as the C212 Aviocar, IAI Arava, and Beechcraft Super King Air.

Primary missions focus on national sovereignty, border defense, and internal security. Field units conduct active counter-narcotics, counter-gang, and anti-illegal mining operations across border corridors, coastal port zones, and remote jungle locations such as the Amazon region. Historical combat experience includes border conflicts with Peru, specifically the 1981 Paquisha War and the 1995 Cenepa War. Modernization efforts center on foreign procurement and expanding domestic vehicle production. Foreign acquisitions include Otokar Cobra II armored vehicles, MDT David tactical vehicles, and M4A1 carbines. Domestic production initiatives include the Jaguar-1 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, built locally on a modified Mercedes-Benz chassis, the Paramo 4x4 tactical vehicle based on the JAC Frison T8 truck platform, and the Mammoth Mach-V program, which up-armors Agrale Marrua light tactical vehicles for infantry protection in high-risk zones.