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The Lautaro Special Operations Brigade (Brigada de Operaciones Especiales "Lautaro," BOE) is Chilean Army's special operations forces unit. It is made up of units of special forces operators, land, mountain and paratroopers, tactical divers, and snipers.
The brigade is located in the town of Peldehue [es], in the military camp of the same name (the former Arteaga fortress), in the commune of Colina, north of the city of Santiago de Chile.
To create the brigade, Infantry Regiment No. 22 "Lautaro" and the Group of Armoured Cavalry No. 4 Cuirassiers had to be closed.
Among its reported units are the 1st Parachute Battalion "Pelantaru"; the 1st Commandos Company "Iquique;" the 10th Commandos Company; the 13th Commandos Company "Escorpión;" and the Grupo Especial de Montaña (Special Mountain Group). In 2010 the IISS Military Balance said the Chilean Army had one special operations brigade with four battalions.
Units
- Parachute and Special Forces School (ESC. PAIR. FEs)
- Pelantaru Parachute Battalion (BTN. PARAC. N-1)
- Commando Group N°5 "Lientur" (AGRUCOM)
- Commando Group N°6 "Leucotón" (AGRUCOM)
- Commando Group N°12 "Galvarino" (AGRUCOM)
- Special Forces Group (AFE's)
- Special Mountain Group (AGREM)
- Intelligence Brigade (BRINTEL)
- Telecommunications Platoon (PEL.TEL)
- Administrative Logistics Company (C. L. A)
- Barracks Unit (Military Police - PM)
- Headquarters (GC)
Equipment
The soldiers, often covered in a balaclava, are armed with an M4 Panther carbine with eight magazines as standard – although if they prefer they can use the SIG SG 540 line of rifles or the new IWI Galil ACE – which they often customize with ACOG, Aimpoint CompM2 sights (more common in the military) or AN/PEQ-2 laser; They also carry a flashlight and the standard pistol they use is the Beretta PX4 Storm with 4 magazines of 17 rounds 9×19mm Parabellum. As a submachine gun there is the FAMAE SAF, but they also have the Heckler & Koch MP5 available. As a light machine gun they use the FN Minimi and as a sniper rifle the Barrett M82 stands out, but they have also been seen using the French PGM 338 and Swiss APR 338. In night operations, ATN 6015-4 night visors are added to their helmets.
Cobra Commando Anti-Terrorist Unit (UAT Cobra)
Cobra Company (U.A.T.) and Cobra A.E were an anti-terrorist unit of the former School of Paratroopers and Special Forces (ESPAR and FF. EE) of the Chilean Army. Reorganized around 2006 in the form of a brigade, there is no data to be sure when it was disbanded or whether it was disbanded or not. Official sources consider that it ceased to exist between 1998 and 2000; and that the descendants of the Cobra (UAT) or their evolution in the BOE may be the Groups: (N°12 GALVARINO) or (Special Forces) of the Army.
References
- Statements by the Army Commander in Chief at the annual meeting with the press, Chilean Army, August 31, 2006; accessed December 12, 2008.
- Brigade of Special Operations, Chilean Army, accessed on December 12, 2008.
- "Army opens rapid deployment elite brigade" Archived 2015-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, El Mercurio, December 25, 2006; accessed December 12, 2008.
- Creation of the BOE, Chilean Army, December 26, 2006; Accessed December 12, 2008.
- IISS Military Balance 2010, p.72.
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