The Salvadoran Civil War was a military conflict of the Cold War that pitted the guerrilla forces of the left-wing Marxist-oriented Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) against the armed and security forces loyal to the military-led conservative government of El Salvador, between 1979 and 1992. The main combatants were as follows:
The Armed Forces of 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 () Salvadoran Air Force () Salvadoran Navy () Paramilitary security forces: National Guard ()
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (), 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 Armed Forces of El Salvador 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.
Armed Forces of El Salvador equipment Small arms Pistols
FN35 9mmFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), p. 24. Colt.45 M1911A1
Battle and assault rifles
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.Caballero Jurado & Thomas, Central American Wars 1959–89 (1990), pp. 12; 41-42.Thompson, The G3 Battle Rifle (2019), p. 29. 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.François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), p. 4.http://blogs.miis.edu/sand/files/2011/02/elsbrief.pdf Source: Federation of American Scientists, Arms Sales Monitoring Project 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) used this variant with the M203 attached. IMI GalilHaapiseva-Hunter, Israeli foreign policy: South Africa and Central America (1999), p. 115.François, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), p. 14. Heckler & Koch HK33Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). . 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 carbineFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), p. 13. M1 GarandFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), p. 8. M14 rifle
Sniper rifles
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 MP5KFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), p. 9.
Machine guns
Madsen M1934/M1951Smith, Small Arms of the World: a basic manual of Small Arms (1969), p. 342.Peter G. Kokalis, Weapons Tests and Evaluations: The Best of Soldier Of Fortune, Paladin Press, 2001, pp. 15–16. Heckler & Koch HK21 FN Minimi FN MAG M60Caballero Jurado & Thomas, Central American Wars 1959–89 (1990), p. 42.Dockery, The M60 machine gun (2012), p. 62.François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), pp. 32; 69. M60E2 M60D Browning M1919A4 .30 Cal Browning M1919A6 light machine gun Browning M2HB .50 CalFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), pp. 24; 31; 37.
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 minePhysicians for Human Rights (U.S.), Landmines: A Deadly Legacy (1993), pp. 184-187. M14 anti-personnel mine M26 anti-personnel mine
Anti-tank rocket and grenade launchers
M20A1 89 mm Super Bazooka M72 LAW"El Salvador". Military Technology World Defence Almanac: 60. 2005. . RPG-2: CapturedFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), p. 9. RPG-7: Captured M79 grenade launcher: 1,704 units delivered (1980–1993)Rottman, US Grenade Launchers – M79, M203, and M320 (2017), p. 20.François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), p. 19. M203 grenade launcher: 1,413 units delivered (1980–1993)Rottman, US Grenade Launchers – M79, M203, and M320 (2017), p. 37.
Mortars M19 60 mm Stokes-Brandt M1 81 mm M29 81 mmFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), p. 11. M74 120 mm UB M-52 120 mm
Recoilless rifles M18 57 mm M20 75 mm M67 90 mm"El Salvador". Military Technology World Defence Almanac. Bonn: Wehr & Wissen: 60. 2005. 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.François, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), pp. 24; 64. M114 155 mm towed field howitzer M116 75 mm pack howitzerFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), p. 25.
Anti-aircraft weapons
TCM-20 20 mm mount Zastava M55A2 20 mm AA autocannon"El Salvadoran Army index equipment" armyrecognition.comFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), pp. 11; 40. FIM-43 Redeye surface-to-air missileEl Salvador Inventory Jane's Land-Based Air Defense
Vehicles M3A1 Light tankFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), pp. 8-9. AMX-13 Light tank Panhard AML-90 armoured carFoss, Jane's Tank & Combat Vehicle recognition guide (2002), pp. 252-253.Dunstan, Panhard Armoured Car: 1961 Onwards (AML 60, AML 90, Eland), Enthusiasts' Manual (2019), pp. 150-154.François, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), pp. 24-25.François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), pp. 11; 55. M114 armored fighting vehicleFrançois, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), p. 31. Thyssen Henschel UR-416 armoured carFoss, Jane's Tank & Combat Vehicle recognition guide (2002), pp. 260-261.François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), pp. 11; 49. VAL M-37B1 Cashuat armoured personnel carrierCaballero Jurado & Thomas, Central American Wars 1959–89 (1990), pp. 13; 16.François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), pp. 11; 56; 63. Ford F-250 Astroboy armoured personnel carrier Mazinger armoured truckSpencer, Armoured Fighting Vehicles of El Salvador (1995), p. 13.Montes, Mexican and Central American Armor (2001), p. 30.François, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983 (2023), pp. 25; 34; 47. M3 Scout Car M3A1 Half-track Jeep CJ-5 M151A1/A2 ¼-ton 4×4 utility truck M35A2 2½-ton 6x6 medium cargo truckCaballero Jurado & Thomas, Central American Wars 1959–89 (1990), p. 16. M809 5-ton 6x6 heavy cargo truck MAN 630 heavy cargo truck
Helicopters Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama II light helicopterGunston, An Illustrated Guide to Military Helicopters (1981), p. 82. 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)Caballero Jurado & Thomas, Central American Wars 1959–89 (1990), p. 15. Bell UH-1H/M Iroquois (used in the transport and gunship roles)Cooper, Tom. Air Combat Information Group, 1 September 2003. Retrieved: 3 September 2007. Bell 412 Multipurpose Utility helicopter
Aircraft
Fouga CM.170 Magister Jet trainer/light strike aircraft. Dassault MD 450B Ouragan Fighter-bomberEastwood & Roach, Piston Engine Airliner Production List (1991), pp. 169-199. Cessna A-37B Dragonfly ground-attack aircraftLove, Greer and Sewell, A-37/T-37 Dragonfly in action (1991), pp. 26; 37. Douglas AC-47 Spooky Gunship Douglas C-47D Skytrain Military transport aircraft Fairchild C-123K Provider Military transport aircraftBeck, "Database: Fairchild C-123 Provider" (2022), p. 123.François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984-1992 (2023), p. 14. Douglas DC-6B Airliner/transport aircraft IAI Arava 201 STOL utility transport Cessna 0-2A/B Super Skymaster Observation aircraft"Cessna Skymasters used by non-US Air-Forces" , Skymaster.org.uk. Accessed 10 May 2010. Cessna 337A Super Skymaster Utility aircraftTaylor, Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft (1987), p. 67. Cessna 180 Skywagon light utility aircraftHatch, Flight International (1996), p. 40. Cessna T-41 Mescalero trainerHagedorn, Central American and Caribbean Air Forces (1993), pp. 87; 92–93. Beechcraft T-34 Mentor trainerPelletier, Beech Aircraft and their Predecessors (1995), p. 103.
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)
FMLN equipment Small arms Pistols
FEG PA-63 Tokarev TT-33: Included the North Korean Type 68 variant. Makarov PM Colt.45 M1911A1: Captured CZ 52
Battle and assault rifles