The backbone of Chile's Army is its three armored brigades, all equipped with Leopard 2 main battle tanks and supported by Marder infantry fighting vehicles and assorted other armor. The Leopards are armed with a 120 mm gun and decked with a number of upgrades added when they were purchased refurbished from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann of Germany. Its armor protection is among the best around. But the Leopard 2 has been shown to be vulnerable to anti-tank missiles. They are also becoming increasingly vulnerable to rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). In one of the most significant combat tests, Turkey lost more than a dozen Leopard 2 and older M-60 tanks in Syria from 2016 to 2018. Kornet and other anti-tank guided missiles did the job. The losses forced Turkish military officials to rethink their use of armor and to adopt another defensive layer. That came in the form of active protection systems (APS), which can detect an incoming missile and take it down with their own missile. Turkey decided to equip its tanks with a Ukraine-made system. Israel is a pioneer in APS technology, with systems that have already been shown effective in battle. Facing no serious threat and no plans for deployment in world hotspots, APS are unlikely to be part of future upgrades for Chilean Leopards. The Army, it seems, is willing to accept the vulnerability for the time being.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Chile's Army has Latin America's Best Tanks, but Are They Vulnerable?
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Shooting Death of Police Officer Underscores Endless Indigenous Revolt
A 24-year old police officer was slain in an ambush, the latest death in an extended conflict between extremists and carabineros in the south of Chile. A 23-year campaign by indigenous mapuche radicals to reclaim lost ancestral lands is seeing the most violent year so far. This year alone, five police officers have been killed in incidents attributed to mapuche gunmen. Earlier this year, the conflict impacted the whole nation when truckers went on strike for a week and blocked highways to pressure the government. Truckers complain the government is not doing enough to protect them from countless attacks. Mapuches' most common tactic is to burn trucks that belong to logging companies in the disputed territories, sometimes stopping trucks at gunpoint. The first attacks started in 1997, and have only worsened. Every president in that time has failed to bring the crisis under control, which remains one of Chile's biggest security problems. Government programs to buy back land for mapuches have done little to appease the movement's radical elements. Chileans this month voted to draft a new constitution, which may end up providing specific rights to indigenous peoples.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Covid-19 Forces Cancelation of Armed Forces Day Events
For the first time in at least 37 years, Chile's Armed Forces Day went quiet. The traditional military parade in Santiago and smaller ones in other cities were canceled as the nation continued to lock itself down to fight the coronavirus. The Army marked the occasion with a modest ceremony at its academy, with President Sebastian Piñera and other officials in attendance. Masks and other precautions, of course, were plentiful. Chile's military was far from idle, however. Troops and marines continue to be deployed along the country to enforce curfews and other measures designed to combat the pandemic. Chile has one of the highest infection and mortality rates from Covid-19. Armed Forces Day is celebrated on Sept. 19, a day after Independence Day.