This is the 'Lautaro' Special Operations Brigade (BOE), the elite of the Chilean Army

@DefAviation ES 6·28·2024 · 18:50 0

The Chilean Army is one of the best equipped armies of all those in Spanish-speaking America, also in special operations.

Special operations units from Chile, Spain and the United States in joint training
The Rangers of the Portuguese Army: this is the Special Operations Force (FOE)

On October 11, 2006, the Chilean Army incorporated an elite unit into its organizational chart: the "Lautaro" Special Operations Brigade (BOE), which is based in the Peldehue garrison, at north of the city of Santiago, a barracks that previously housed the missing Infantry Regiment No. 22 "Lautaro" (1879-2006). The BOE collects the legacy of the Anti-Terrorist Unit of Cobra Commandos (UAT Cobra), created in 1980 and which was integrated into this brigade after its foundation.

The BOE is under the command of a Brigadier General and is a unit that has acquired great prestige. Let us remember that last year, the BOE trained together with special operations groups from Spain and the United States United in the Estrella Austral 2023 exercise. In recent days, the BOE has trained together with the United States Southern Special Operations Command (SOCSOUTH) in the Pacific Dagger 2024 exercise.

The size of this unit has never been revealed, but as its name indicates, it has the dimensions of a brigade, with the particularity of having very varied units within it to develop all types of missions assigned to you: counterterrorism, special warfare, underwater combat, precision shooting, parachuting, etc.

BOE members receive their training at the Parachute and Special Forces School, founded on April 2, 1965 and which is today part of the Brigade structure. It is there where future members of the BOE have to earn the distinctive garment of this elite unit: the black beret, to which these operational soldiers owe the nickname by which they are known: the "Black Berets".

The BOE has in its structure the Parachute Battalion No. 1 "Pelantaru", under the command of a lieutenant colonel, founded on April 2, 1965 (like the Parachute School) and which is a combined force of paratroopers and commandos. In addition, the BOE has three Command Groups (AGRUCOM): No. 5 "Lientur" (based in Punta Arenas), No. 6 "Leucotón" (based in Iquique) and No. 12 "Galvarino" (based in Peldehue).

Another of the BOE units is the Special Forces Group (AFE), an elite unit whose specialties are similar to those of the US Army Special Forces and which has three Companies:one airborne, one amphibious and one mountain. Like its US counterparts, the AFE has small units capable of infiltrating hostile territory and specialized in dealing with irregular forces.

In addition, the BOE has a Special Mountain Group (AGREM), which brings together operators who have the Andean Hunter specialty, which makes them the elite force of the Chilean Army for operations in high mountain. Finally, the BOE has intelligence, telecommunications, logistics and military police units.

Currently, BOE operators use the American M-4 carbine as their main weapon, also having Swiss SIG SG-540 assault rifles and Israeli IWI Galil ACE assault rifles, all of them of 5.56 mm caliber. His regulation handgun is the Beretta PX4 Storm 9 mm Parabellum caliber pistol. Likewise, the BOE has Heckler & Koch MP5 and FAMAE SAF submachine guns, both 9 mm, and Brügger & Thomet APR 338, PGM 338 and Barrett M-82 precision rifles.

Regarding transportation, the BOE has M1165 and M1097A2 tactical vehicles Humvees in special operations configuration, equipped with wading tubes and 12.7 mm Browning M-2 heavy machine guns, Mk-19 grenade launchers 40 mm and 5.56 mm FN Minimi light machine guns and AT-4 anti-tank weapons.

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Photos: Ejército de Chile / U.S. Air Force.