Navy of Equatorial Guinea explained

Unit Name:	Navy of Equatorial Guinea
Native Name:	Spanish; Castilian: Marina de guerra French: Marine de guerre Portuguese: Marinha de Guerra
Country:	Equatorial Guinea
Branch:	Navy
Role:	Protection of waters of Equatorial Guinea
Size:	200 active personnel
Command Structure:	Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea
Garrison:	Malabo Bata
Equipment:	1 frigate 1 corvette 1 dock landing ship 10 patrol Craft
Equipment Label:	Equipment
Identification Symbol Label:	Ensign

The Navy of Equatorial Guinea (es|Marina de guerra; fr|Marine de guerre; pt|Marinha de Guerra) is the maritime component of the Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea. Its main functions are anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea and protecting the offshore oil and gas assets of the nation. The Navy has around 200 personnel.^[1] ^[2]

Overview

The Navy safeguards the 296 km maritime border of Equatorial Guinea. Its main purpose is to protect the nation's oil assets and prevent piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. The Russian and American navies have joint exercises with the Equatoguinean navy, besides the Obangame Express exercise in the Gulf of Guinea with 10 other nations. The navy is also used to patrol the Corisco bay islands which are claimed by both Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6] The Navy partially built a 107-m long frigate, the Wele Nzas, in the dry dock in Malabo. The frigate was commissioned on June 3, 2014 by president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and named after the Wele-Nzas Province. The ship was designed in Mykolaiv, Ukraine and built at Varna, Bulgaria. The outfitting was done at Malabo. The Wele Nzas was designated as the flagship of the Navy.^[7]

The United States donated a 68 foot patrol boat, the Isla de Bioko (no longer operational) to the navy in 1988 to patrol its Exclusive Economic Zone. The Equatoguineans rely mainly on foreigners to operate the navy equipment it buys from foreign militaries.^[8]

Ships and boats

Frigates

, procured from Bulgaria and outfitted in Malabo.

Corvettes

Bata (OPV-88). 1,360 tonnes, 76mm gun main armament.

Dock landing ships

Osa, of Salamandra-class. Spanish made, it was delivered by China in 2009.

Patrol boats

Two Shaldag-class fast patrol boats, named Isla de Corisco and Isla de Annobon.
Two Sa'ar 4-class patrol boat. Procured in 2011.- named after Kié-Ntem Province and Litoral Province. Delivered by Israel in 2011
Two Ex-Ukrainian Kalkan-class offshore patrol vehicles.
Two Patrol Vehicle-50M patrol craft, acquired in 2008 from Bulgaria. One is named Estuario del Muni.^[9]

Notes and References

Web site: Equatorial Guinea commissions new frigate . defenceweb.co.za . 13 December 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220170152/http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35203 . 20 December 2016 .
Web site: Equatorial Guinea . defenceweb.co.za . 13 December 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075428/http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30337%3Aequatorial-guinea&catid=119%3Aafrican-militaries . 4 March 2016 .
Web site: GABON’S GROWING NAVY . . 13 December 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160810044910/http://cimsec.org/gabons-growing-navy/13975 . 10 August 2016 .
Web site: Russia, Equatorial Guinea agree on holding joint naval exercises . . 13 December 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220134026/http://tass.com/defense/825816 . 20 December 2016 .
Web site: HOW PEACEFUL IS THE SOUTH ATLANTIC? . . 13 December 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170114030516/http://cimsec.org/21903-2/21903 . 14 January 2017 .
Web site: Obangame Express 2014 Concludes . American Navy . 13 December 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204074244/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80539 . 4 February 2017 .
Web site: HYUNDAI OFFERS GLIMPSE OF UPCOMING PHILIPPINE NAVY FRIGATES . Quwa Defence Analysis Group . 13 December 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220111409/http://quwa.org/2016/10/24/hyundai-offers-glimpse-upcoming-philippine-navy-frigates/ . 20 December 2016 .
Web site: EQUATORIAL GUINEA . state.gov . 13 December 2016 .
Web site: Cameroon acquires new anti-piracy boats . defenceweb.co.za . 13 December 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220164612/http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22595%3Acameroons-navy-acquires-three-anti-piracy-boats&catid=51%3ASea&Itemid=106 . 20 December 2016 .