Chilean Armed Forces
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title: "Chilean Armed Forces" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["military-of-chile"] description: "none" topic_path: "history/military" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Armed_Forces" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
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::data[format=table title="Infobox national military"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Chilean Armed Forces |
| native_name | Fuerzas Armadas de Chile |
| image | [[File:Bandera del ministro de Defensa de Chile.svg |
| caption | Flag of Ministry of National Defense of Chile |
| founded | 1810 |
| branches |
| | headquarters | Santiago | | website | | | | commander-in-chief | border|23px Gabriel Boric | | commander-in-chief_title | Commander-in-chief | | minister | [[File:Flag of the Minister of Defence of Chile.svg|border|23px]] Adriana Delpiano | | minister_title | Minister of Defense | | chief_of_staff | [[File:Bandera del ministro de Defensa de Chile.svg|23px]] José Nogueira León | | chief_of_staff_title | Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | | commander_title | | | age | 18 | | active | 80,000 | | reserve | 40,000 | | deployed | | | percent_GDP | 1.9% (2021) | | | domestic_suppliers | FAMAE ENAER ASMAR DTS SISDEF DESA LINKTRONIC Detroit Chile | | foreign_suppliers | Australia Brazil Canada Czech Republic France Germany Israel Italy Poland Sweden Taiwan United Kingdom United States | | exports | | | ranks | Military ranks and insignia of Chile | ::
| name = Chilean Armed Forces | native_name = Fuerzas Armadas de Chile | image = [[File:Bandera del ministro de Defensa de Chile.svg|150px]] | alt = | caption = Flag of Ministry of National Defense of Chile | image2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = | motto = | founded = 1810 | current_form = | disbanded = | branches =
| headquarters = Santiago | flying_hours = | website = | commander-in-chief = border|23px Gabriel Boric | commander-in-chief_title = Commander-in-chief | minister = [[File:Flag of the Minister of Defence of Chile.svg|border|23px]] Adriana Delpiano | minister_title = Minister of Defense | chief_of_staff = [[File:Bandera del ministro de Defensa de Chile.svg|23px]] José Nogueira León | chief_of_staff_title = Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | commander = | commander_title = | age = 18 | conscription = | manpower_data = | manpower_age = | available = | available_f = | fit = | fit_f = | reaching = | reaching_f = | active = 80,000 | ranked = | reserve = 40,000 | deployed = | amount = | percent_GDP = 1.9% (2021)
| domestic_suppliers = FAMAE ENAER ASMAR DTS SISDEF DESA LINKTRONIC Detroit Chile | foreign_suppliers = Australia Brazil Canada Czech Republic France Germany Israel Italy Poland Sweden Taiwan United Kingdom United States | imports = | exports = | history = | ranks = Military ranks and insignia of Chile
The Chilean Armed Forces () is the unified military organization comprising the Chilean Army, Air Force, and Navy. The President of Chile is the commander-in-chief of the military, and formulates policy through the Minister of Defence. In recent years and after several major reequipment programs, the Chilean Armed Forces have become one of the most technologically advanced and professional armed forces in Latin America. The Chilean Army is mostly supplied with equipment from Germany, the United States, Brazil, Israel, France, and Spain.
Structure
Army
Main article: Chilean Army
The current commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army is General de Ejército Sr. Javier Iturriaga del Campo. The 46,350-person army is organized under six military administrative regions and six divisional headquarters. The forces include one special forces brigade, four armoured brigades, one armoured detachment, three motorized brigades, two motorized detachments, four mountain detachments and one aviation brigade. The army operates German Leopard 1 and 2 tanks as its main battle tanks, including 170+ Leopard 2A4 and 115 Leopard 1. The army has approximately 40,000 reservists.
Navy
Main article: Chilean Navy
Admiral Juan Andrés De La Maza Larraín directs the 19,800-person Chilean Navy, including 3,600 Marines. Of the fleet of 66 surface vessels, eight are major combatant ships and they are based in Valparaíso. The navy operates its own aircraft for transport and patrol; there are no fighters or bomber aircraft but they have attack helicopters. The Navy also operates four submarines based in Talcahuano.
Air Force
Main article: Chilean Air Force
General Hugo Rodríguez González heads 11,050-strong Chilean Air Force. Air assets are distributed among five air brigades headquartered in Iquique, Antofagasta, Santiago, Puerto Montt, and Punta Arenas. The Air Force also operates an airbase on King George Island, Antarctica.
Citations
References
References
- "Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product, 1988-2020".
- Bawden, John R. (2016). "'The Pinochet Generation: The Chilean Military in the Twentieth Century'". University of Alabama.
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