View source for Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic

{{Short description|Combined military forces of the Dominican Republic}}
{{Infobox national military
| name = Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic
| native_name = {{lang|es|Fuerzas Armadas de la República Dominicana}}
| image = Emblem of the Dominican Armed Forces.svg
| alt = 
| caption = Emblem of the Dominican Armed Forces
| image2 = Bandera de las Fuerzas Armadas (Engalanada en los bordes).svg
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = Banner of the Dominican Armed Forces
| motto = ''Todo por la Patria'' <br> ("All for the homeland")
| founded = {{start date and age|df=y|1844|02|27}}
| current_form = {{start date and age|df=y|1944|11|06}}
| disbanded = 
| branches = {{tree list}}
*[[File:Bandera del Ejército Nacional de la República Dominicana (definitivo).svg|25px]] [[Dominican Army| Army]]
*[[File:Naval Jack of the Dominican Republic.svg|25px]] [[Dominican Navy|Navy]]
*[[File:Air Force Ensign of the Dominican Republic.svg|25px]] [[Dominican Air Force|Air Force]]
{{tree list/end}}
| headquarters = Ministry of Defense Building, [[Flag Square of Santo Domingo|Flag Square]] <br/> [[Santo Domingo]], [[Dominican Republic]]
| flying_hours = 
| website = {{URL|https://www.mide.gob.do/}}
<!-- Leadership -->| commander-in-chief = [[Luis Abinader]]
| commander-in-chief_title = [[President of the Dominican Republic|Commander-in-chief]]
| chief minister = 
| chief minister_title = 
| minister = Lt. General Carlos Antonio F. Onofre
| minister_title = [[Minister of Defence (Dominican Republic)|Minister of Defence]]
| active = 89,000<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://mide.gob.do/quienes-somos/ | title=¿Quiénes Somos? }}</ref>
| reserve = 189,000<ref name="auto"/>
| deployed = <!-- Financial -->
| amount = $1.1 billion (2025)<ref>Yasmin Mercedes, “Inversión militar se elevó…”, RDE Digital, 14 Jan 2025, https://rdedigital.com/inversion-militar-se-elevo-de-rd33221-millones-a-rd63900-millones-desde-2020/</ref>
| percent_GDP = 0.72% (2024)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/military-spending-by-country | title=Military Spending by Country 2024 }}</ref>
| domestic_suppliers = 
| foreign_suppliers = {{ubl|{{BEL}}|{{BRA}}|{{CZE}}|{{FRA}}|{{ISR}}|{{ESP}}|{{USA}}}} <hr>'''Former''':<br>{{TWN}}
| imports = 
| exports = <!-- Related articles -->
| history = [[Dominican War of Independence]]<br />[[Dominican Restoration War]]<br />[[World War II]]<br />[[Dominican Civil War]]<br />[[Iraqi Freedom|2003 invasion of Iraq]]
| ranks = [[Military ranks of the Dominican Republic]]
}}

The '''Dominican Armed Forces''' ({{langx|es|Fuerzas Armadas Dominicanas}}), also referred as '''Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inicio |url=https://mide.gob.do/ |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=Ministerio de Defensa de República Dominicana |language=es}}</ref> ({{langx|es|Fuerzas Armadas de la República Dominicana}}), are the [[Military|military forces]] of the [[Dominican Republic]]. These are made up of three [[Military branch|branches]]: the [[Dominican Army|Army]], the [[Dominican Navy|Navy]] and the [[Dominican Air Force|Air Force]]. The [[president (government title)|president of the Republic]] is the [[commander in chief]] of the Dominican Armed Forces and the '''Ministry of Defense of the Dominican Republic''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''Ministerio de Defensa de la República Dominicana'') is the chief managing body of the armed forces.

As a [[Ministry of defence|Ministry]], its origin comes from the [[Constitution of the Dominican Republic|Dominican Constitution of 1844]], as the Secretary of State for War and [[Dominican Navy|Navy]]. Its ministerial [[headquarters]] is located in [[Santo Domingo]], in the [[Flag Square of Santo Domingo|Plaza de la Bandera]]. The primary missions of the Armed Forces of the [[Dominican Republic]] are to defend the nation and protect the territorial integrity of the country.

The Armed Forces of [[Dominican Republic]] are the strongest army in the [[Caribbean]] after [[Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces|Cuba]]. The [[Dominican Army|Army]], consists of six [[infantry]] brigades, an air cavalry squadron and a combat service support brigade. The [[Dominican Air Force|Air Force]] operates two main bases, one in southern region near [[Santo Domingo]] and one in the northern region of the country, the air force operates approximately 75 aircraft including helicopters. The [[Dominican Navy|Navy]] maintains three ageing vessels which were donated from the [[United States]], around 25 [[Patrol Craft|patrol crafts]] and interceptor boats and two helicopters.

There is a [[Counterterrorism|counter-terrorist]] group formed by members of the three branches. This group is highly trained in [[Counterterrorism|counter-terrorism]] missions. The armed forces participate fully in counter-[[illegal drug trade]] efforts, for this task, there is a taskforce known as '''DEPROSER''' 24/7 ('''DE'''fender, '''PRO'''teger y '''SER'''vir). They also are active in efforts to control [[contraband]] and [[illegal immigration]] from [[Haiti]] to the [[Dominican Republic]] and from the [[Dominican Republic]] to the [[United States]] (via illegal transportation of immigrants to [[Puerto Rico]]).

==History==

=== War of Independence ===

[[File:Santo domingo 1850.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Brigantine|Brigantine Schooners]] in [[Santo Domingo]] circa 1850]]

[[Haiti]] under their president [[Jean-Pierre Boyer]] had invaded and occupied [[Dominican Republic]] from 1822 to 1844. The military forces of the First Republic's army comprised about 4,000 soldiers organized into seven line [[infantry]] regiments, several loose [[battalion]]s, 6 escudrones [[cavalry]] and 3 [[artillery]] brigades with 2/2 brigades; This army was supplemented with national civic guard militia composed of the provinces, the National Naval Armada, original name of the Navy today; It composed of 10 ships, seven owned and 3 taken in requición and armed by the government: the [[Cibao]] frigate with 20 cannons; the brigantine [[schooner]] San Jose, five guns; the schooner La Libertad, five guns; General schooner Santana 7 guns; the schooner La Merced, five guns; Separation schooner, 3 guns; the schooner February 27, five guns. The requisition taken: the schooner Maria Luisa, 3 guns; the schooner March 30, 3 guns; and the schooner Hope, 3 guns. 674 operated by a man. In addition to the aforementioned military corps expeditionary southern army recruited by [[Pedro Santana|Pedro]] and Ramon Santana in [[Hato Mayor Province|Hato Mayor]] and [[El Seibo]], with a permit issued by the Central Governing Board with the rank of commander in chief of the army existed. These men were skilled in handling machete and spear. His deputy commander was [[Brigadier general|Brigadier General]] [[Antonio Duvergé]]. The other expeditionary army was the Northern Borders created to defend these borders: its commander was [[Major general|Major General]] Francisco A. Salcedo.

The Dominican forces would reach levels of organization and efficiency of considerable notoriety. As an example of this, it would suffice to highlight the fact of the achievement and preservation of [[Dominican War of Independence|National Independence]], with the Dominican victory over repeated Haitian military invasions in the 12-year period that followed the proclamation of Independence; In addition, 55 percent of the National Budget was allocated to it.

===20th century===
[[File:Dominician Anti Terrorism Commandos coming out of helicopter.jpg|thumb|right|250px| 3 Dominican Republic Special Forces operators armed with [[M4 carbine]]s got out of a [[Bell UH-1 Iroquois]] [[military helicopter]] in [[Counterterrorism|counter-terrorist]] and counter-illegal [[Illegal drug trade|drug trade]] operations]]

The events that led to the [[United States]] [[United States Armed Forces|military]] intervention of 1916, brought about the disappearance of any vestige of military structure in the [[Dominican Republic]], setting the intervening forces a military government headed by [[Captain]] William Knapp, who make an interim police force called "Constabulary "equivalent to an" armed police force as a military unit "and he had the task of maintaining internal order and enforce the implementing provisions of the US government. This body, purely police function disappears in 1917, leading to the creation of a National Guard. As a result of this historic event of our recent past, the country inherited a hierarchical and organizational akin to the [[United States Marine Corps|US Marine Corps]] structure, which served as a platform to the transformations that later gave rise to the armed forces we know today, made up of three components, terrestrial one, one naval and one air.

This land component, now called the National Army, inherited by both its organizational structure of the National Guard organized by the US occupation forces, which operated from April 7, 1917, until June 1921, when it becomes Dominican National Police by Executive Order No. 631 of Rear Admiral Thomas Snowden, who was at that time the military governor of [[Santo Domingo]]. After the US military occupation in 1924, [[Horacio Vásquez]] wins the presidential elections of that same year. Among his first decisions, decrees the change of the Dominican National Police in National Brigade, a situation that continues until 17 May 1928, when new turn changes the name of the Army by Law No. 928, but basically inheriting a structure Police, who obeyed schemes imposition of public order demanded by the country at that time and not those of an army in their typical roles.

Due to its characteristics and missions, organizational structure that demanded presence throughout the country, which was realized with the creation of posts and detachments in different parts of the country and the establishment in some provinces of company size units, many of which still Army retains today. Over the years and already existing National Police created by decree No. 1523 of March 2, 1936, of [[Rafael Trujillo|President Trujillo]], many of these units, posts and detachments became part of it, perfectly adapted to its structure, since These were essentially created to play a policing role. So great was the influence that had the National Guard in Dominican society and very particularly in the rural population, which even today are many Dominicans who often referred to the Armed Forces and unique way to the Army as " The Guard ".

Meanwhile, the [[Dominican Navy|Navy]] has remained since its inception attached to the principles that gave rise, assuming only two name changes since its inception, but gradually evolving the transformation of what was a body created for military purposes, capable of landing and ships with weapons to face possible naval invasions, to be a component mainly responsible for enforcing the provisions on navigation, trade and fishing, as well as international treaties

The [[Dominican Air Force|Air Force]], meanwhile, emerges as an independent component in 1948, under the chairmanship of [[Generalissimo]] [[Rafael Trujillo|Rafael L. Trujillo Molina]], with characteristics of innovation and modernism, which gave mobility, versatility and depth to the [[Armed Forces]] and the complement in the following years would become: a military capacity to project military power in the [[Caribbean]] environment. The situation of this air component has changed significantly after reaching its climax in the 50s, when it was one of the best air force equipped in the region, which was due to the strategic guidelines of a long-lived military dictatorship It made efforts to stay in power and he saw in this component one of its mainstays against any invasion or subversion against the dictatorship.

== Components ==
[[File:Seal of the Dominican Army.svg|thumb|Badge of the Dominican Army]]

===Army of the Dominican Republic===
{{main|Dominican Army}}
The [[Dominican Army]] was founded in 1844. Its basic strength is concentrated in [[light infantry]], which in general can be said to be well equipped with basic [[Battle rifle|combat rifles]] and combat equipment for soldiers. The vehicles, both transport and armored, and the artillery and [[Anti-tank warfare|anti-tank]] pieces that it has in service, are partly in poor condition, obsolete or simply civilian vehicles adapted for military use. Nowadays, tanks and modern armor systems have been included.

[[File:Emblema de la Marina de Guerra Dominicana.svg|thumb|Badge of the Dominican Navy]]

===Navy of the Dominican Republic===
{{main|Dominican Navy}}
The [[Dominican Navy]] was founded in 1844 also with the [[Dominican War of Independence|National Independence]] with 15,000 troops after [[Haiti]] had occupied the eastern part of the [[Hispaniola|island]] for twenty five years. It keeps around 34 ships in operation, mostly coast guards, patrol boats and small speedboats. It also operates dredges, tugboats and patrol boats of height. The [[Dominican Navy|Navy]] has a small air body composed of [[Bell OH-58 Kiowa]] utility helicopters.

The [[Dominican Navy]] operates two main bases, one in the port of [[Santo Domingo]] in the Dominican capital called "''Naval Base 27 de Febrero''" and another in Bahía de las Calderas, in the province of [[Peravia Province|Peravia]], called "''Las Calderas Naval Base''" in the southern part from the country. It also has presence in the commercial ports of the country, comandancias of ports and is divided into three naval areas that in turn have posts and naval detachments.
[[File:Roundel of the Dominican Republic.svg|thumb|Badge of the Dominican Air Force]]

===Air Force of the Dominican Republic===
{{main|Dominican Air Force}}
The [[Dominican Air Force]] was founded in 1948 with 20,000 people. It has two main bases: the base area of [[San Isidro, Dominican Republic|San Isidro]] in the South-Central zone of the country near the capital city [[Santo Domingo]]; and the other operates jointly in the civil facilities belonging to the [[Gregorio Luperón International Airport]], near the city of [[Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic|Puerto Plata]] in the North of the Republic. Until August 2009, the possibility of starting military operations from the [[María Montez International Airport|María Montez airport]], in the city of [[Barahona, Dominican Republic|Barahona]] in the Southwest of the country and from the [[Punta Cana International Airport|Punta Cana airport]] in the extreme east is under study.

It keeps the following fixed-wing aircraft in operation: 8 [[Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano]], 3 [[CASA C-212 Aviocar]] transport; 6 T35B Pilot training; as well as around 25 helicopters such as [[Bell 206]], [[Bell UH-1 Iroquois]], [[Bell OH-58 Kiowa]], [[Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin|Eurocopter Dauphin]], [[Hughes OH-6 Cayuse|OH-6 Cayuse]] and [[Schweizer S300|Sikorsky S-300]].

==Specialized Security Corps==
[[File:Cuerpo Especializado de Seguridad Aeroportuaria y Aviación Civil.svg|thumb|Specialized Corps for Airport Security and Civil Aviation]]
The Specialized Security Corps are military security agencies dependent on the Ministry of Defense and they are made up of military and civilian personnel specialized in their different areas of function. Overall their duty is to support state institutions, defend national interests in peace and war, and as force multipliers of the Armed Forces as well as the [[Dominican Republic National Police|National Police]].
[[File:Comando Antiterrorismo de las Fuerzas Armadas Dominicanas.svg|thumb|Anti-Terrorist Command of the Dominican Armed Forces]]
*Antiterrorism Command of the Dominican Armed Forces
*National Department of Investigations (DNI)
*Airport Security and Civil Aviation Special Forces (CESAC)
*Specialized Corps of Metro and Cable Car Railway Security (CESMET)
*Specialized Corps of Tourist Security (CESTUR)
*Specialized Corps of Fuel Control (CECCOM)
*Task Force Ciudad Tranquila (FT-CIUTRAN)
*Specialized Port Security Corps (CESEP)
*[[Presidential Security Corps (Dominican Republic)|Presidential Security Corps (CUSEP)]]
*Specialized Border Security Corps (CESFRONT)
*National Special Corps of Environmental and Parks Protection (SENPA)
*Military and Police Commission of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (COMIPOL-MOPC)

== Military training and formation ==
The Higher Institute for Defense "General General Juan Pablo Duarte y Diez" (''INSUDE'') is the agency dependent on the Ministry of Defense of the [[Dominican Republic]] and rector of the graduate schools, academies, technical schools, specialized schools for military training and training that constitute the Education System of the Armed Forces, as stipulated in article 205 of Law 139-13 of the Armed Forces. ''INSUDE'' was created as the Specialized Institute for Higher Studies of the Armed Forces (IEESFA) by Decree 1110-03 of December 2, 2003 and designated with its current name by decree 38-09 of January 17, 2009.

Military training for officers of the Armed Forces is carried out by institutions specialized in each component. The Batalla de las Carreras Military Academy aims to train future officers of the National Army. The academy grants a bachelor's degree in Military Sciences lasting 4 years and 3 months.

The Naval Academy, whose purpose is to train officers of the Navy, grants a bachelor's degree in Naval Sciences with a duration of 4 years.

The Aerial, whose function is to train Air Force officers, offers a bachelor's degree in [[Aeronautics|Aeronautical Sciences]] in three independent modalities: Aviator Mention, Infantry Mention and Aeronautical Maintenance Mention, all three with a duration of 4 years.{{gallery|Battle of Las Carreras Military Academy, Dominican Republic's Army.svg|Army Academy|Academia Naval de la República Dominicana Marina de Guerra.svg|Naval Academy|Academia Aérea de la Republica Dominicana Fuerza Aérea Dominicana.svg|Aerial Academy||align=center|title='''Military academies'''|width=160|height=160}}

=== Table of ranks ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!rowspan=2; width="100"|Level
!rowspan=2; width="150"|Rank
!style="color:#F1FA8A; background-color:#19512F;" width="100"|Army
! style="color:yellow; background-color:black;" width="100" |Navy
!style="color:white; background-color:#1B0D9A;" width="100"|Air Force
|-
| style="background-color:white;"|[[File:Seal of the Dominican Army.svg|center|87x87px]]
| style="background-color:white;"|[[File:Emblema de la Marina de Guerra Dominicana.svg|center|70px]]
|[[File:Roundel of the Dominican Republic.svg|85x85px]]
|-
| rowspan=3|'''[[General officer|General Officers]] or [[Admiral]]s'''
| '''[[Lieutenant general|Lieutenant General]] or [[Admiral]]'''
| [[File:Capona Teniente General Ejercito Nacional.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Almirante Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona teniente general fuerza aerea.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[Major general|Major General]] or'''<br />'''[[Vice admiral|Vice Admiral]]'''
|[[File:Capona Mayor General Ejercito Nacional.svg|center|85px]]
|[[File:Vicealmirante Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
|[[File:Capona mayor general fuerza aerea.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[Brigadier general|Brigadier General]] or'''<br />'''[[Rear admiral|Rear Admiral]]'''
| [[File:Capona General de Brigada Ejercito Nacional.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Contralmirante Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona general de brigada fuerza aerea.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| rowspan=3|'''[[Senior officer|Senior Officers]]'''
| '''[[Colonel]] or'''<br />'''[[Captain]]'''
| [[File:Capona de Coronel Ejercito Nacional.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Capitán de Navío Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona coronel fuerza aerea dominicana.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| ''' [[Lieutenant colonel]] or'''<br />'''[[Commander]]'''
| [[File:Capona de Teniente Coronel Ejercito Nacional.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Capitán de Fragata Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona teniente coronel fuerza aerea.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[Major (rank)|Major]] or'''<br />'''[[Lieutenant commander|Lieutenant Commander]]'''
| [[File:Capona de Mayor Ejercito Nacional.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Capitán de Corbeta Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona mayor fuerza aerea dominicana.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| rowspan=3|'''[[Junior officer|Junior Officers]]'''
| '''[[Captain]] or'''<br />'''[[Lieutenant (navy)|Ship Lieutenant]]'''
| [[File:Capona de Capitan Ejercito Nacional Dominicano.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Teniente de Navío Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona_capitan_fuerza_aerea.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[First lieutenant|First Lieutenant]] or'''<br />'''[[Frigate lieutenant|Frigate Lieutenant]]'''
| [[File:Capona de Primer Teniente Ejercito Nacional Dominicano.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Alferez de Navío Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona primer teniente fuerza aerea.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[Second lieutenant|Second Lieutenant]] or'''<br />'''[[Corvette lieutenant|Corvette Lieutenant]]'''
| [[File:Capona Segundo Teniente Ejercito Nacional Dominicano.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Alferez de Fragata Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Capona segundo teniente fuerza aerea.svg|center|85px]]
|-
|'''[[Non-commissioned officer|Non-Commissioned Officers]]'''
|'''[[Non-commissioned officer|NCO]]'''
|[[File:Capona_sub_teniente_tercero_Ejercito_Dominicano.png|center|161x161px]]
|—
|—
|-
| rowspan=1|'''[[Officer cadet|Cadet Officers]]'''
|  '''[[Cadet]] or'''<br />'''[[Midshipman]]'''
| [[File:Cadete de la Academia Militar de la Republica Dominicana Batalla de las Carreras (Tercer Año).svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Guardiamarina Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|center|120px]]
| [[File:Cadete de la Academia de la Fuerza Aérea Dominicana(Tercer Año).svg|center|85px]]
|-
| rowspan=6|'''[[Non-commissioned officer|NCO's]] and <br /> [[Troop]]'''
| '''[[Sergeant major|Sergeant Major]]'''
| [[File:SargentomayorE.N.svg|center|65px]]
| [[File:Sargentomayormarinadommm.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Sargento Mayor Fuerza Aerea Dominicana Fix.svg|center|100px]]
|-
| '''[[First sergeant]]'''
|            —
|            —
| [[File:Sargento Primero Fuerza Aerea Dominicana.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''Sergeant of Administration and Accounting'''
| [[File:Sargentoaycen.svg|center|65px]]
|  —
| [[File:Sargentoadministracionfuerzaaere_cheposo.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[Sergeant]]'''
|[[File:SargentoE.N.svg|center|81x81px|[[File:SargentoE.N.svg|miniaturadeimagen]]]]
| [[File:Sargentomarinadeguerrchevron.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Sargentofuerzaaereacheposo.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[Private first class|Private First Class]]'''
| [[File:CaboE.N.svg|center|83x83px]]
| [[File:Cabomarinadeguerrachevron.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Cabofuerzaaereacheposo.svg|center|85px]]
|-
| '''[[Private (rank)|Private]] or'''<br />'''[[Sailor]]'''
| [[File:RasoprimeraclaseEN.svg|center|75x75px]]
| [[File:Rasomarinadeguerrachevron.svg|center|85px]]
| [[File:Raso Primera Clase Fuerza Aerea Dominicana.svg|center|85px]]
|}

== See also ==
*[[List of wars involving the Dominican Republic]]
*[[History of the Dominican Republic]]
*[[Dominican National Police]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

*{{CIA World Factbook|year=2003}}

{{Dominican Republic topics}}
{{Military of North America}}

[[Category:Government of the Dominican Republic]]
[[Category:Military of the Dominican Republic| ]]