The

Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War ( es, guerra civil de El Salvador) was a twelve year period of civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition or ...

was a military conflict that pitted the guerrilla forces of the

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political%20ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically in ...

Marxist-oriented Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) against the armed and security forces loyal to the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distin ...

-led conservative government of

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...

, between 1979 and 1992. Main combatants comprised: * The

Armed Forces of El Salvador The Armed Forces of El Salvador ( es, Fuerza Armada de El Salvador) are the official governmental military forces of El Salvador. The Forces have three branches: the Salvadoran Army, the Salvadoran Air Force and the Navy of El Salvador. Histor ...

( es, Fuerzas Armadas de El Salvador – FAES), which were backed by the United States, Taiwan and Israel, were the official armed defense forces of

. Subordinated to the Ministry of Defense and Security of the Salvadoran government at the capital

San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital ...

, 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 ( es, 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 Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbe ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the count ...

, 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

* FN35 9mm *

M1911 The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for t ...

Battle and assault rifles

Heckler & Koch G3 The Heckler & Koch G3 (''Gewehr'' 3) is a 7.62×51mm NATO, select-fire battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency ...

: 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.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 (immediate reaction infantry battalion) used this variant with the M203 attached. *

IMI Galil The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...

* Heckler & Koch HK33 *

T65 assault rifle The T65 (聯勤 Type 65) is a rifle developed and manufactured by the Combined Logistics Command of the Republic of China Armed Forces in Taiwan. Originally patterned after the Armalite AR-18 that has a short-stroke gas system, the prototype ...

: 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 The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S Army during World War ...

M14 rifle The M14 rifle, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire battle rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO (.308 in) cartridge. It became the standard-issue rifle for the U.S. military in 1959, re ...

Sniper rifles

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

M24 Sniper Weapon System The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) or M24 is the military and police version of the Remington Model 700 rifle, ''M24'' being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. The M24 is re ...

Submachine guns

* Uzi * FMK M35 High Power * FMK-PA-3 9mm *

Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...

Machine guns

* Madsen M1934/M1951 * Heckler & Koch HK21 *

FN Minimi The FN Minimi (short for french: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun/squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. First introduced in the late 1970s, it is now in service in more tha ...

FN MAG The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries and it has been made under licence in several countries, in ...

* M60 * M60E2 * M60D * Browning M1919A4 .30 Cal * Browning M2HB .50 Cal

Grenade systems

* Mark 2 Fragmentation Hand/Rifle Grenade * M61 Fragmentation Hand Grenade * M67 hand grenade * M18 Smoke Hand Grenade * M26A1 Fragmentation Hand Grenade * M34 White Phosphorus Smoke 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 The M72 LAW (light anti-tank weapon, also referred to as the light anti-armor weapon or LAW as well as LAWS: light anti-armor weapons system) is a portable one-shot unguided anti-tank weapon. The solid rocket propulsion unit was developed in th ...

M79 grenade launcher The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40×46mm grenade, which uses what the US Army calls the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vi ...

: 1,704 units delivered (1980–1993) *

M203 grenade launcher The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...

: 1,413 units delivered (1980–1993)

Mortars

* M19 60mm * M29 81mm * M74 120mm * UB M-52 120mm

Recoilless rifles

* M20 75mm * M67 90mm * M40A1 106mm

Artillery

* M101A1 105mm towed field howitzer * M102 105mm light towed field howitzer * M56 105mm towed field howitzer: Yugoslav version of the M101 howitzer. * M114 155mm howitzer

Anti-aircraft weapons

* TCM-20 20mm mount * Zastava M55 A2 20mm *

FIM-43 Redeye The General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye is a man-portable surface-to-air missile system. It uses passive infrared homing to track its target. Production began in 1962 andin anticipation of the Redeye II, which later became the FIM-92 Stingerended in t ...

surface-to-air missile

Vehicles

* Panhard AML-90 armoured car * Thyssen Henschel UR-416 armoured car * VAL M-37B1 Cashuat armoured personnel carrier * Ford F-250 Astroboy armoured personnel carrier * M3 Scout Car * M3A1 Half-track * Jeep CJ-5 *

M151 ¼-ton 4×4 utility truck The Truck, Utility, ¼-Ton, 4×4, M151 or simply M151 was the successor to the Korean War M38 and M38A1 jeep Light Utility Vehicles. The M151 had an integrated body design which offered a little more space than prior jeeps, and featured all- ...

* 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 The Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 is a single-engine, single two-bladed rotor, light helicopter which began as a design entry into the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program as the Hiller YOH-5. The Hiller Model 1100 was not selec ...

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 A utility helicopter is a multi-purpose helicopter capable of fulfilling many different roles. Civil Many civilian helicopters are made for utility work such as agricultural aircraft. Many police and fire departments maintain and operate util ...

Aircraft

706 Dassault Ouragan El Salvador Air Force (7486019052)

IAI Arava 201 FAS-804 4X-IAQ Salvador LBG 07

* Fouga CM.170 Magister

Jet trainer A jet trainer is a jet aircraft for use as a trainer, whether for basic or advanced flight training. Jet trainers are either custom designs or modifications of existing aircraft. With the introduction of military jet-powered aircraft towards the e ...

/light strike aircraft. * Dassault MD 450B Ouragan

Fighter-bomber A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, ...

Cessna A-37B Dragonfly The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is an American light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. The A-37 was introduced during the Vietnam War and remained in pe ...

ground-attack aircraft * Douglas AC-47 Spooky Gunship * Douglas C-47D Skytrain

Military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to maintaining supply l ...

Fairchild C-123K Provider The Fairchild C-123 Provider is an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and then built by Fairchild Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to its USAF service, which included later service with the Air Force Rese ...

Douglas DC-6B The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with th ...

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 aircraft A utility aircraft is a general-purpose light airplane or helicopter, usually used for transporting people, freight or other supplies, but is also used for other duties when more specialized aircraft are not required or available. The term can a ...

* Cessna 180 Skywagon light utility aircraft *

Cessna T-41 Mescalero The Cessna T-41 Mescalero is a military version of the popular Cessna 172, operated by the United States Air Force and Army, as well as the armed forces of various other countries as a pilot-training aircraft. Design and development In 1964, ...

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 A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or pier ...

(LCU) * LCM-8

(LCU)

Weapons of the FMLN