Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic

Capital: Santo Domingo

48,492 square km

Second largest economy in the Caribbean

Share a border with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola. Influx of Haitian refugees.

The Dominican Republic gained independence from Haiti in 1844.

The U.S. invaded the Dominican Republic in 1916 and occupied it until 1924.

The U.S. invaded and occupied the Dominican Republic again from 1965-1966.

There has been a draw down in military forces since the Cubans have drawn down their numbers after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The military of the Dominican Republic seems to have been deliberately built up by the U.S. to counter the Cuban military in the Caribbean. Also used to control the drug trade in the area and also to help turn back the influx of Haitian refugees seeking asylum in the U.S.. Much of the weaponry and equipment has been “donated” by the U.S. over the years. The U.S. seems to have used the Dominican Republic as an extension of the U.S. military in so called Latin America.

Over 30 airports and airstrips throughout the nation.
Cuerpo Especializado en Seguridad Aeroportuaria y de la Aviacion Civil (CESAC)

Cuerpo Especializado de Seguridad de Portuaria (CESEP)- Specialized Port Security Corps

Cuerpo Especializado de Seguridad Turistica (CESTUR)- Specialized Tourist Safety Corp

Cuerpo Especializado para la Seguridad del Metro (CESMET)- Specialized Metro Safety Corp

Servicio Nacional de Proteccion Ambiental (SENPA)- National Environmental Protection

Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Comunicaciones (MOPC)- Ministry of Public Works and Communications

Cuerpo Especializado de Seguridad Fronteriza (CESFRONT)-
Border Guard

Second largest military in the Caribbean

Around 44,000 total military personnel

Fuerza Aerea Republica Dominicana (FARD)-Dominican Republic Air Force
Also called Fuerza Aerea Dominicana (FAD)

5,500 personnel

2 Air Bases

35 aircraft

Base Aerea de San Isidro (near Santo Domingo)

Base Aerea de Puerto Plato (near Puerto Plato)

EMB 314 Super Tucano trainer/light attack aircraft (8)

CASA C212 Aviocar transport aircraft (3)

ENAER T-35 Pilan trainer aircraft. Made in Chile. (5)

Dauphin helicopter

UH-1 helicopters (11)
OH-58 Kiowa helicopters (10)
OH-6 Cayuse helicopter
Schweizer 333 helicopters (3)

The A37 Dragonfly aircraft were retired in 2001

Comando de Fuerzas Especiales- Special Forces unit belonging to the Air Force of the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Air Force personnel

Air Defense
HMMWV or URO VAMTAC with twin .30 cal machine guns?

Yugoslavian made M55 20mm anti-aircraft gun

One EL/M-2106NG three dimensional (3D) air defense radar.

Hispano-Suiza HS-404 20mm anti-aircraft guns (4)?

Bofors L/70 towed 40mm anti-aircraft guns ?

Armada de Republica Dominicana

About 4,000 personnel

Naval Ensign

Naval Jack

2 main naval bases

Over 25 vessels (mostly patrol and interceptor craft)

Base Naval “27 de Febrero” in Santo Domingo. Includes a Naval Academy.

Base Naval de Las Calderas located in the Peravia Province. The largest of the two naval bases. Includes the Naval Shipyard Astilleros Navales Bahia Las Calderas (ANABALCA)

Ex U.S. Coast Guard cutter vessel (1)
PA 301

Ex U.S. Coast Guard White Class Buoy Tender (2)
PM-203
PM-204

Ex U.S. Coast Guard Point Class Cutters
GC-101
GC-105
GC-110

Seaward Class patrol boats (4)
GC-103

GC-104
GC-106
GC-108

Swiftships 110' Class patrol boats (2)
GC-107

GC-109

Swiftships 35 meter patrol boat
GC-112

Damen Stan Patrol 1500 Class patrol boats
LR-151
LR-153
LR-154

Interceptor Nor-Tec 4300 Class (4)
LR-155
LR-156
LR-157
LR-158

Defender Class speed boats (8)
LI-159
LI-161
LI-162
LI-163
LI-164
LI-165
LI-166
LI-167

Auxiliary Vessels
Tug Boats (3)
RM-1
RM-2
RM-3

Dredger (1)
BD-12

Oil Fuel Barge (1)
BC-1

Landing Craft, Utility (1)
LD-31

Floating Dock (1)
DF-1

Naval Commandos?

Batallon de Infanteria de Marina
Naval Infantry
Black beret

Naval Commandos?

Naval Auxiliary Corps

Ejercito Nacional Dominicano (ERD)

Army

24,000 active duty personnel
Includes six infantry battalions and the Presidential Guard regiment

M-41 light tanks (Retired from service?)

AML-90 armored reconnaissance vehicles? (22)?

V-150 Commando armored vehicles (8)

M3 half track armored vehicles (25)

M3 Scout Cars

RM-79 armored vehicles. Dominican made.

HMMWV utility vehicles (8)

URO VAMTAC Spanish made 4x4 wheeled light armored utility vehicles. Similar to HMMWV in appearance. (60)

Carolina Growler- 4x4 wheeled utility vehicles. Rebuilt M151 Mutt. (80)

Carolina Wolverine- 4x4 wheeled (30)

Land Rovers

M35 2 ½ ton cargo trucks

AMX-13 light tanks. Retired from service?

OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters with night vision cameras (9)

Robinson R22 pelatihan helicopters (4)

Robinson R44 utility helicopters (2)

Bofors M/45 towed 105mm anti-tank guns

M3 37mm towed anti-tank guns

AT4 anti-tank rocket launchers?

M40 106mm recoilless rifles

M203 under barrel grenade launchers

M2HB Browning .50 cal machine guns
M1919 Browning .30 cal machine guns

FN-MAG machine guns

FN Minimi

M-60 machine guns
M-16 assault rifles

M-14 assault rifles

Galil assault rifles

M-4 carbines

FN P90

HK MP-5 sub-machine guns
SPAS-15 shotguns

Browning Hi Power pistols

Jericho 941 pistols

Brazilian made Taurus PT92 pistols

Cristobal M2 and Cristobal M1962- .30 cal carbines made in the Dominican Republic. Produced in the 1960's.

ECIA 120mm mortars

M-29 81mm mortars

M2 60mm mortars

M-30 4.2 inch mortars

Artillery

Reinosa 105mm howitzers (12)

M-101 105mm howitzers (4)

Special Forces
Cazadores (Hunters)
Green beret

Comandos Operaciones Especiales

Presidential Guard

Orange beret

Comando Especial Contraterrorista

Defender Proteger Servir (DEPROSER)
Anti-narcotics unit of the military.

Servicio Militar Voluntario (SMV)- Voluntary Military Service

Policia Nacional

National police force of around 32,000

Unidad SWAT

Unidad Lince (Lynx Unit) special motorized police unit.

Direccion Central Antinarcoticos (DICAN)
Part of the Polica Nacional

Direccion Central de Invesigaciones (DICRIM)
Central Criminal Investigation Direction. Branch of the Policia Nacional.

Direccion Central de Asuntos Internos (DICAI)
Central Directorate of Internal Affairs

Direccion Central de Inteligencia Delictiva (DINTEL)

Direcion Nacional de Control de Drogas (DNCD)

Intelligence

Direccion Nacional de Inteligencia (DNI)- National Directorate of Intelligence