Uruguay Navy Nations // South America

OVERVIEW The Uruguayan navy consists of an oceangoing force, a naval air arm and a single naval infantry battalion. Naval operations are supported by the Prefectura Naval, a paramilitary coast guard organization established in 1981, which operates its own small fleet of patrol craft. Maintenance, modernization and acquisition are issues for the navy. Two ex-Portuguese vessels are almost 50 years old. Most of the naval units are concentrated in the estuary of the Rio de la Plata.   PERSONNEL...