Historically, Ecuador depended on a wide variety of foreign suppliers for virtually all of its equipment needs. Only in the 1980s did it begin to develop a modest domestic arms industry as the Directorate of Army Industries manufactured rifle ammunition, uniforms, boots, and other items. In the 1960s and 1970s,
France became a leading supplier and delivered
AMX-13 tanks and various aircraft.
Ecuador also purchased
Type 209 submarines and
Lürssen-Seawolf TNC 45 patrol boats from
West Germany. Various types of
infantry weapons were acquired from
Belgium. Ecuador became a substantial customer for
Israeli arms in the 1970s, purchasing
Arava aircraft,
Gabriel missiles for naval patrol craft, and
Uzi submachine guns. Under technical assistance contracts, Israel serviced Israeli planes in the
Ecuadorian Air Force inventory as well as
Boeing civilian aircraft flown by
TAME and
Ecuatoriana Airlines. Ecuador also reportedly employed Israeli security specialists as consultants in the fight against terrorism. In 1976 Ecuador became the first foreign country to order the
Kfir, an advanced jet fighter equipped with the
General Electric J-79 engine produced in Israel under license. The transaction, which required United States government approval because of the engine technology, was rejected by the administration of President
Jimmy Carter in order to discourage the proliferation of sophisticated military equipment in the
Third World. The action caused an uproar in Israel where the sale was regarded as an important breakthrough in Israel's efforts to develop international markets for the Kfir. In 1981, after the inauguration of President
Ronald Reagan,
Washington removed its objection to the sale. Although the contract called for the purchase of 12 Kfirs and an option to purchase an additional 12, Ecuador acquired only the original group, at a price estimated at US$196 million. Ecuador became a relatively heavy importer of arms in the late 1970s and early 1980s, averaging US$150 million annually and reaching a peak of US$280 million in 1982. These imports declined sharply to an average of US$50 million annually between 1985 and 1987, presumably as a result of a dramatic reduction in oil revenues and the precipitous drop in the value of the
sucre, which made imported arms extremely expensive. Between 1983 and 1987, Ecuador imported an estimated US$460 million of arms, primarily from
Italy, France, the United States, and
Britain. In 1995, during the
Cenepa War against
Peru,
Argentina gave to Ecuador 6,500
tons of
rifles, cannons,
anti-tank rockets, and ammunition in a controversial move. Recent times saw changes in Ecuador's foreign policy, as it decided to look for alternative weapon suppliers. These included its long-term allies
Chile, which since 2008 has provided
Leopard 1 tanks and s. Israel delivered its
unmanned aerial vehicles in 2009, and
Brazil supplied additional military vehicles and
Super Tucano combat aircraft. Countries like
Russia and
China have delivered small quantities of military equipment in the past, but have gained importance in recent years. Since then, Chinese radars, anti-aircraft systems, and infantry weapons have been purchased. In 2009 two additional
Mil Mi-17 helicopters have been ordered from
Russia with further deals planned.
India has delivered
HAL Dhruv helicopters and
South Africa is about to deliver 12
Atlas Cheetah supersonic aircraft. Ecuador's political ally,
Venezuela, has donated military equipment including six
Mirage 50 aircraft. In 2010, the U.S. embassy in Ecuador announced that it had delivered $1.2 million of donated military equipment to the Ecuadorian military. The donations were intended to support operations countering drug smuggling and guerilla activity along the
Colombian border. Although the U.S. has refused to renew their lease on the
Manta military airbase, deliveries included trucks, patrol boats, GPS, night vision, and
M4 carbine rifles. == See also ==