Weapons of the Salvadoran Civil War

The Salvadoran Civil War was a military conflict that pitted the guerrilla forces of the left-wing Marxist-oriented Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) against the armed and security forces loyal to the military-led conservative government of El Salvador, between 1979 and 1992. Main combatants comprised:

• The Armed Forces of El Salvador (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas de El Salvador – FAES), which were backed by the United States, Taiwan and Israel, were the official armed defense forces of El Salvador. Subordinated to the Ministry of Defense and Security of the Salvadoran government at the capital San Salvador, the FAES branches were organized as follows:
  • Salvadoran Army (Spanish: Ejército Salvadoreño)
  • Salvadoran Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña)
  • Salvadoran Navy (Spanish: Fuerza Naval de El Salvador)
• Paramilitary security forces:
  • National Guard of El Salvador (Spanish: Guardia Nacional de El Salvador)

• The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (Spanish: Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional), more commonly known by its Spanish acronym FMLN, was an alliance or umbrella organization of five left-wing guerrilla groups created in 1980, which was backed by Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Eastern Bloc countries.

An eclectic variety of weapons was used by both sides in the Salvadoran Civil War. The Salvadoran FAES were equipped with Western-made weapons, mainly American and Israeli in origin, but also included Argentine, Portuguese, French, West German, Yugoslavian and Taiwanese military hardware. During the early phase of the war, the FMLN likewise were largely equipped with Western arms and munitions, though as the war went on, Eastern Bloc weaponry began to play a major role.

Weapons of the Salvadoran FAES

Small arms

Pistols

Colt M1911A1 pistol

• FN35 9mm
• M1911

Battle and assault rifles

M16A1 assault rifle

Galil assault rifle

T65 assault rifle

• Heckler & Koch G3: Originally the standard service rifle of the Salvadoran Army before being replaced by the M-16A1/A2. The first G3s were of West German origin; however, when the U.S. began increasing small arms deliveries to El Salvador, they purchased surplus rifles from Portugal and gave them as military aid.
• M16A1/A2: The M16A1/A2 was initially issued to elite units before being issued to the rest of the army when it became the standard rifle. The first large-scale delivery occurred in 1981 with 11,868 units delivered. A total of 32,374 M16A1/A2 rifles were delivered between 1980 and 1993. The U.S. began to replace the G3 rifles in the hands of the Salvadorian Army in 1981 with the delivery of 11,868 AR-15A1 R613 (M16A1); followed by another 20,743 M16s purchased with FMS funds for El Salvador in 1982. Many of these "new" rifles were actually leftovers from Vietnam. Eventually, another 45,160 AR-15A1 R613 followed, to include more than 500 CAR-15A1 R639 (XM177E2 Commando – typified as M16A2 for El Salvador) to equip the Mechanized Infantry and officer Corps and hundreds of CAR-15A1 R653 (M16A1) Carbines starting in 1985, and even brand-new M16s supplied by Springfield Armory.
• CAR-15: Colt Automatic Rifle-15 Military Weapons System or CAR-15. The CAR-15: Colt Automatic Rifle-15 Military Weapons System or CAR-15 was delivered to all military branches of the Armed Forces of El Salvador and was also used with attached M203 grenade launchers.
• Colt Commando (model 733, note M16A2-style brass deflector and forward assist), the USA military aid to El Salvador included the supply of this Car-15 variant that was used extensively by the Armed Forces of El Salvador. They also were used with attached M203 grenade launchers. The BIRI (immediate reaction infantry battalion) used this variant with the M203 attached.
• IMI Galil
• Heckler & Koch HK33
• T65 assault rifle: Taiwan had extensive diplomatic and military ties with El Salvador. Before and during the civil war, the Republic of China (Taiwan) sold weaponry including the T65 to the former Salvadoran security forces. Taiwan also trained Salvadoran military officers in the civil war; even after the end of the war, Taiwan had continued to give military advice and training to its diplomatic allies including El Salvador until 2018.

Carbines and semi-automatic rifles

• M1/M2 carbine
• M1 Garand
• M14 rifle

Sniper rifles

Rifle, Cal. 30, M1D with M84 telescope and T-37 flash suppressor

• Steyr SSG 69
• M1D Sniper rifle: 184 units delivered (1980-1993).
• M21 Sniper Weapon System
• M24 Sniper Weapon System

Submachine guns

• Uzi
• FMK M35 High Power
• FMK-PA-3 9mm
• Heckler & Koch MP5
• Heckler & Koch MP5K

Machine guns

HK 21 light machine gun

M2HB heavy machine gun

• Madsen M1934/M1951
• Heckler & Koch HK21
• FN Minimi
• FN MAG
• M60
• M60E2
• M60D
• Browning M1919A4 .30 Cal
• Browning M1919A6 light machine gun
• Browning M2HB .50 Cal

Grenade systems

• Mark 2 "Pineapple" Fragmentation Hand/Rifle Grenade
• M60P1 anti-personnel rifle grenade
• M60 AT anti-tank rifle grenade
• M61 Fragmentation Hand Grenade
• M67 Fragmentation hand grenade
• M26A1 Fragmentation Hand Grenade
• M18 Smoke Hand Grenade
• M34 White Phosphorus Smoke Hand Grenade

Land mine systems

• M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine
• M14 anti-personnel mine
• M26 anti-personnel mine

Anti-tank rocket and grenade launchers

M72 LAW

M79 grenade launcher

M203 grenade launcher

• M20A1 89 mm Super Bazooka
• M72 LAW
• RPG-2: Captured
• RPG-7: Captured
• M79 grenade launcher: 1,704 units delivered (1980–1993)
• M203 grenade launcher: 1,413 units delivered (1980–1993)

Mortars

• M19 60 mm
• Stokes-Brandt M1 81 mm
• M29 81 mm
• M74 120 mm
• UB M-52 120 mm

Recoilless rifles

• M18 57 mm
• M20 75 mm
• M67 90 mm
• M40A1 106 mm

Artillery

• M101A1 105 mm towed field howitzer
• M102 105 mm light towed field howitzer
• Zastava M56 105 mm towed field howitzer: Yugoslav version of the M101 howitzer.
• M114 155 mm towed field howitzer
• M116 75 mm pack howitzer

Anti-aircraft weapons

FIM-43 Redeye canister.

• TCM-20 20 mm mount
• Zastava M55A2 20 mm AA autocannon
• FIM-43 Redeye surface-to-air missile

Vehicles

• M3A1 Light tank
• AMX-13 Light tank
• Panhard AML-90 armoured car
• M114 armored fighting vehicle
• Thyssen Henschel UR-416 armoured car
• VAL M-37B1 Cashuat armoured personnel carrier
• Ford F-250 Astroboy armoured personnel carrier
• Mazinger armoured truck
• M3 Scout Car
• M3A1 Half-track
• Jeep CJ-5
• M151 ¼-ton 4×4 utility truck
• M35A2 2½-ton 6x6 medium cargo truck
• M809 5-ton 6x6 heavy cargo truck
• MAN 630 heavy cargo truck

Helicopters

• Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama II light helicopter
• Aérospatiale SA 316B/C Alouette III light utility helicopter
• Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 light helicopter
• MD 500D Defender light multi-role military helicopter (used in the gunship role)
• Bell UH-1H/M Iroquois (used in the transport and gunship roles)
• Bell 412 Multipurpose Utility helicopter

Aircraft

Dassault MD 450B Ouragan fighter-bomber of the El Salvador Air Force on static display at Ilopango Air Base, San Salvador.

Arava 201 STOL utility transport displayed at the 1975 Paris Air Show prior to delivery to the El Salvador Air Force.

• Fouga CM.170 Magister Jet trainer/light strike aircraft.
• Dassault MD 450B Ouragan Fighter-bomber
• Cessna A-37B Dragonfly ground-attack aircraft
• Douglas AC-47 Spooky Gunship
• Douglas C-47D Skytrain Military transport aircraft
• Fairchild C-123K Provider Military transport aircraft
• Douglas DC-6B Airliner/transport aircraft
• IAI Arava 201 STOL utility transport
• Cessna 0-2A/B Super Skymaster Observation aircraft
• Cessna 337A Super Skymaster Utility aircraft
• Cessna 180 Skywagon light utility aircraft
• Cessna T-41 Mescalero trainer
• Beechcraft T-34 Mentor trainer

Naval craft

• CG 40ft-type patrol launch
• Camcraft-type small patrol boat
• US Protector-class patrol boat
• US 65ft Commercial Cruiser-class patrol boat
• US Swiftships 65ft class patrol boat
• US Swiftships 77ft class patrol boat
• US Point-class cutter/patrol boat
• US Balsam-class navigation aids tender (served as flagship for the Salvadoran Navy and offshore patrol vessel)
• LCM-6 Landing Craft Utility (LCU)
• LCM-8 Landing Craft Utility (LCU)

Weapons of the FMLN

Small arms

Pistols

Tokarev TT-33 pistol

Makarov PM pistol

• Pa-63
• Tokarev TT-33: Included the North Korean Type 68 variant.
• Makarov PM
• M1911: Captured
• CZ 52

Battle and assault rifles

FN FAL assault rifle

• FN FAL: Most of the FAL rifles used by the guerrillas were traced by their serial numbers to rifles previously sold by Belgium to Cuba during the late Batista and early Castro years.
• Heckler & Koch G3: Captured
• M16A1: The bulk of the M16A1 rifles captured by government forces from the guerrillas were also traced from their serial numbers to shipments sent by the United States to the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) prior to the fall of the Saigon government in 1975.
• AK-47 (Included both the Soviet model and the North Korean Type 58)
• AKM (Variants also used included the Hungarian AK-63, East German MpiKMS-72, Romanian Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965 and the North Korean Type 68)
• Type 56 from China
• T65 assault rifle: Captured
• Heckler & Koch HK33: Captured
• IMI Galil: Captured
• CAR-15: Captured

Carbines and semi-automatic rifles

SKS semi-automatic rifle

• M1 Garand: Captured
• SKS
• Type 63 rifle

Sniper rifles

Dragunov SVD-63 sniper rifle

• Dragunov SVD-63 sniper rifle

Submachine guns

• Sa 23 and 25
• Halcón ML-60
• M3A1 "Grease gun"
• Carl Gustaf m/45: Egyptian-produced version, dubbed the "Port Said".
• Steyr MPi 69
• Star Model Z62
• Uzi

Machine guns

• RPK: Versions used included the Yugoslav and Romanian types.
• RPD
• PKM
• Heckler & Koch HK21: Captured
• M60: Captured
• FN MAG: Captured
• M2HB: Captured

Grenade systems

• F1
• RG-42
• RGD-5
• RKG-3

Explosive devices

• TNT explosive charge

Land mine systems

• "Fan mine" (Spanish: mina abanico): home-made anti-personnel mine, similar in design to the M18 Claymore.
• "Clothespin mine" (Spanish: mina de chuchitos): home-made anti-personnel mine.
• "Foot remover mine" (Spanish: mina de pateos or quita pata): home-made anti-personnel mine.

Anti-tank rocket and grenade launchers

RPG-2 antitank grenade launcher with PG-2 grenade

• RPG-2: Mainly the Chinese Type 56 version
• RPG-7
• RPG-18
• M79 grenade launcher
• M26 grenade launcher

Recoilless rifles

• M67 recoilless rifle: Captured
• SPG-9 73 mm

Anti-aircraft weapons

KBM Kolomna 9K32M Strela-2M (SA-7b) missile and canister.

• SA-7 Grail surface-to-air missile
• SA-14 Gremlin surface-to-air missile
• SA-16 Gimlet surface-to-air missile
• FIM-43 Redeye surface-to-air missile

See also

• Salvadoran Civil War
• National Guard (Nicaragua)
• Nicaraguan Revolution

References

• Carlos Caballero Jurado & Nigel Thomas, Central American Wars 1959–89, Men-at-Arms series 221, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1990. ISBN 978-0-85045-945-6
• Charles Maisonneuve, AML Panhard – Des hommes, une histoire, Collection Vehicules Militaires, Histoire & Collections, Paris 2020. ISBN 9782352505143 (in French)
• David François, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983, Latin America@War Volume 32, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2023. ISBN 978-1-804514-02-3
• David François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992, Latin America@War Volume 34, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2023. ISBN 978-1-804512-18-0
• David Spencer, Armoured Fighting Vehicles of El Salvador, Museum Ordnance Special Number 7 – English Edition, Darlington Productions, Inc., Mass Market Paperback, 1995. ASIN B000LGYCHA
• Daniel Moran, Wars of National Liberation, Smithsonian History of Warfare series, Harper Paperbacks, 2006. ISBN 0-06-089164-5
• Jane Haapiseva-Hunter, Israeli foreign policy: South Africa and Central America, South End Press, 1999. ISBN 978-0-89608-285-4
• John Pimlott (ed.), Guerrilla Warfare, Bison Books Ltd., London 1985. ISBN 0-86124-225-4
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• Simon Dunstan, Panhard Armoured Car: 1961 Onwards (AML 60, AML 90, Eland), Enthusiasts' Manual, Haynes Publishing UK, Somerset 2019. ISBN 978-1-78521-194-2
• Physicians for Human Rights (U.S.), Landmines: A Deadly Legacy, The Arms Project, Human Rights Watch, New York – Washington – Los Angeles – London 1993. ISBN 1-56432-113-4

Secondary sources

• Bill Gunston, An Illustrated Guide to Military Helicopters, Salamander Books Ltd, London 1981. ISBN 978-0-86101-110-0
• Bob Cashner, The FN FAL Battle Rifle, Weapon series 27, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2013. ISBN 978 1 78096 903 9
• Chris McNab, The SVD Dragunov Rifle, Weapon series 87, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2023. ISBN 9781472855961
• Christopher F. Foss, Jane's Tank & Combat Vehicle recognition guide, HarperCollins Publishers, London 2002. ISBN 0-00-712759-6
• Gordon L. Rottman, The Rocket-propelled Grenade, Weapon series 2, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2010. ISBN 978 1 84908 153 5
• Gordon L. Rottman, The AK-47 Kalashnikov-series assault rifles, Weapon series 8, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2011. ISBN 978 1 84908 461 1
• Gordon L. Rottman, US Grenade Launchers – M79, M203, and M320, Weapon series 57, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2017. ISBN 978 1 4728 1952 9
• Kevin Dockery, The M60 machine gun, Weapon series 20, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2012. ISBN 978 1 84908 844 2
• Leroy Thompson, The G3 Battle Rifle, Weapon series 68, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2019. ISBN 9781472828620
• Joseph E. Smith (ed.) & W. H. B. Smith, Small Arms of the World: a basic manual of Small Arms, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 1969 (9th Revised edition). ISBN 978-0811715669
• Simon D. Beck, "Database: Fairchild C-123 Provider", Aeroplane, February 2022, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 115-131. ISSN 0143-7240
• Terry Love, Don Greer and Joe Sewell, A-37/T-37 Dragonfly in action, Aircraft Number 114, Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., Carrollton, Texas 1991. ISBN 0-89747-239-X
• Tony Eastwood & John Roach, Piston Engine Airliner Production List, The Aviation Hobby Shop, London 1991. ISBN 0 907178 37 5
• Michael Taylor, Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft, Gallery Books, 1987. ISBN 0-8317-2808-6
• Paul F. Hatch, "World Air Forces 1988", Flight International, 3 December 1988, volume 134, issue 4142, pp. 22–87. ISSN 0015-3710

External links

• El Salvador - Appendix A. Tables (military equipment) country-data.com
• El Salvador: Standing Tall
• Weapons of the FMLN by Lawrence J. Whelan
• Weapons of the FMLN-Part Two: The Logistics of an Insurgency By Lawrence J. Whelan