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El Salvador Capabilities
The Army
By far the dominant service in size and importance, the
Salvdoran Army in 1988 had a total strength of 43,000 members,
including conscripts. For territorial control, it divided the
country into six military zones and fourteen subordinate military
regions. The principal combat units consisted of twenty-two
medium and fourteen light Antiterrorist Infantry Battalions
(Batallones de Infanteria Antiterrorista--BIATs) organized into
six infantry brigades, nine cadre infantry regiments (up to forty
battalions), one mechanized cavalry regiment (two battalions),
one artillery brigade (three battalions), one engineer battalion,
six independent immediate-reaction counterinsurgency battalions
(1,100 to 1,400 men), and seven detachments
(destacamentos). The army also had one paratrooper
battalion and one antiaircraft artillery battalion that were
under air force control. The usual service units--such as
medical, military police, and ordnance--supported the combat
forces. Each brigade also had a long-range reconnaissance patrol
for small-unit reconnaissance and combat patrolling. Army
equipment in the late 1980s included light tanks, armored
personnel carriers, howitzers, mortars, and recoilless rifles
(see
table 7, Appendix).
Military Detachment Number Four (Destacamento Militar Número
Cuatro-DM4), which was responsible for security in Morazan
Department, typified the army's command organization. In 1987 DM4
consisted of four battalions, each of which was organized into
four companies. A company had four platoons--actually called
sections (secciones)--of about thirty-four members each.
Its zone of responsibility was divided among its four platoons,
each of which contained two patrols (patrullas). The
patrols operated independently, although two or more of the
companies often cooperated in an operation.
Data as of November 1988
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