Sandinista Popular Army The Sandinista Popular Army ( or People ' s Army ; " " , EPS ) was the military established in 1979 by the new Sandinista government to replace the National Guard , following the overthow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle . In post - Sandinista Nicaragua , it has been remolded into the National Army of Nicaragua . Joaquín Cuadra was chief of staff , serving Defense Minister Humberto Ortega . A draft , called the Patriotic Military Service ( ) , ( SMP ) was instituted in 1983 . It later became Obligatory Military Service ( Servicio Militar Obligatorio ) ( SMO ) . The special forces " Tropas Pablo Ubeda " initially came under the Ministry of Interior and then the BLI ' S were Created . History . Sandinista Guerrilla Movement , 1961 - 79 . The FSLN was officially founded in Honduras on the symbolic date of July 26 , 1961 , the eighth anniversary of the launching of the Cuban revolution by Fidel Castro Ruz . The FSLN operated at first in the mountainous region that forms the border between Honduras and Nicaragua . Early successes were few , however , and the hardships and sheer effort of surviving led to discontent and desertions . Between 1970 and 1974 , the FSLN struggled to broaden its bases of support by conducting guerrilla operations in the countryside while recruiting new supporters in the cities . Its rural guerrilla tactics were patterned after those of Castro ' s forces , and FSLN forces were trained in Cuba . For many observers , the FSLN first became a force to be reckoned with when it executed a spectacular raid and hostagetaking at a reception for the United States ambassador in Managua in December 1974 ( see The End of the Anastasio Somoza Debayle Era , ch . 1 ) . The Anastasio Somoza Debayle administration was forced to accede to humiliating FSLN demands for ransom and political freedom for fourteen FSLN prisoners . The National Guard followed with a major counteroffensive that reduced armed resistance in the countryside . The FSLN remained on the defensive until 1977 , but the guard ' s harsh reprisals caused popular feeling to swing even more toward the Sandinistas . The seizure of the National Palace by a small group of Sandinistas in August 1978 sparked a mass uprising in the following month . The uprising was a turning point in the struggle to overthrow Anastasio Somoza Debayle . The FSLN no longer was fighting alone but rather was organizing and controlling a national insurrection of citizens eager to join the anti - Somoza movement . Hard - core Sandinista guerrillas numbered perhaps 2 , 000 to 3 , 000 ; untrained popular militias and foreign supporters added several thousand more to this total . Although the " first offensive " of September 1978 declined toward the end of the year , fighting did not completely stop . The FSLN mounted its " final offensive " in May 1979 , capturing a number of cities in June , and launching a three - pronged assault against Managua in early July . When Anastasio Somoza Debayle , strongly urged by the United States , resigned on July 16 and fled the country , the National Guard collapsed two days later . Sandinista People ' s Army 1979 - 90 Sandinista ranks had ballooned during the final weeks of the insurrection with the addition of thousands of untrained and undisciplined volunteers . These self - recruits with access to weapons were the source of considerable crime and violence . By late 1979 , the situation was clearly deteriorating , as petty crime mounted and some Sandinistas abused their authority for personal gain . To end the chaotic situation , FSLN combatants were regrouped into a conventional army framework . At its core were 1 , 300 experienced guerrilla fighters . Most of the remainder were members of the popular militias and others who had played some role in the defeat of Somoza . Cuban military personnel helped to set up basic and more advanced training programs and to advise the regional commands . The new army , known as the EPS , was placed under the command of Humberto Ortega , one of the nine FSLN commanders and brother of Daniel José Ortega Saavedra , the Sandinista junta coordinator . The Sandinistas announced initially that their goal was to build a well - equipped professional military of some 25 , 000 . Their primary missions were to deter attacks led by the United States , prevent a counterrevolutionary uprising , and mobilize internal support for the FSLN . The strength of the EPS increased steadily during the Contra war in the 1980s . At the time the peace accords for the Contra War went into effect in 1990 , the EPS ' s activeduty members numbered more than 80 , 000 . Supplemented by reservists and militia , the Nicaragua armed forces had an overall fighting strength of more than 125 , 000 . The build up of the regular army depended at first on voluntary enlistments , but later in 1983 a universal conscription system , known as Patriotic Military Service , was adopted . Males between the ages of seventeen and twenty - six were obligated to perform two years of active service followed by two years of reserve status . Service by women remained voluntary . Mandatory conscription was bitterly resented . Thousands of youths fled the country rather than serve in the armed forces , and antidraft protests were widespread . The unpopularity of the draft was believed to have been a large factor in the Sandinista election defeat in 1990 . Inheriting only the battered remnants of the equipment of Somoza ' s National Guard , the Sandinistas eventually acquired enough Soviet heavy and light tanks and armored personnel carriers ( APCs ) to form five armored battalions . The Soviets and their allies delivered large amounts of other equipment , including 122mm and 155mm howitzers , 122mm multiple rocket launchers , trucks , and tank carriers . A mix of infantry weapons employed by the Sandinista guerrillas was gradually replaced by Soviet AK - 47 assault rifles in the EPS and eventually among combat elements of the militia as well . The Sandinistas upgraded the modest air force left by the National Guard after sending personnel to Cuba and East European countries for pilot and mechanic training . The most important acquisitions were Soviet helicopters for battlefield transport and assault missions . Although pilots were trained and runways constructed in preparation for jet fighters , neither the Soviet Union nor France was willing to extend credits for the purchase of modern MiG or Mirage aircraft . The United States warned that the introduction of sophisticated jet fighters would risk retaliatory strikes because of the potential threat to the Panama Canal . Armed patrol craft and small minesweepers replaced the old patrol boats left by the National Guard , to defend against attacks on harbors and shore installations . Post 1990 . Under an agreement between President - elect Chamorro of the National Opposition Union ( Unión Nacional Opositora — UNO ) and the defeated FSLN party , General Humberto Ortega , former defense minister and commander in chief of the EPS under the Sandinistas , remained at the head of the armed forces . By a law that took effect in April 1990 , the EPS became subordinate to President Chamorro as commander in chief . Chamorro also retained the Ministry of Defense portfolio . Chamorro ' s authority over the EPS was , however , very limited . There were no Ministry of Defense offices and no vice ministers to shape national defense policies or exercise civilian control over the armed forces . Under the Law of Military Organization of the Sandinista Popular Army enacted just before Chamorro ' s election victory , Humberto Ortega retained authority over promotions , military construction , and force deployments . He contracted for weapons procurement and drafted the military budget presented to the government . Only an overall budget had to be submitted to the legislature , thus avoiding a line - item review by the National Assembly . Sandinista officers remained at the head of all general staff directorates and military regions . The chief of the army , Major General Joaquín Cuadra Lacayo , continued in his pre - Chamorro position . Facing domestic pressure to remove Humberto Ortega and the risk of curtailment of United States aid as long as Sandinistas remained in control of the armed forces , Chamorro announced that Ortega would be replaced in 1994 . Ortega challenged her authority to relieve him and reiterated his intention to remain at the head of the EPS until the army reform program was completed in 1997 . The army reform measures were launched with deep cuts in personnel strengths , the abolition of conscription , and disbanding of the militia . The size of the army declined from a peak strength of 97 , 000 troops to an estimated 15 , 200 in 1993 , accomplished by voluntary discharges and forced retirements . Under the Sandinistas , the army general staff embodied numerous branches and directorates — artillery , combat readiness , communications , Frontier Guard s , military construction , intelligence , counterintelligence , training , operations , organization and mobilization , personnel , and logistics . Most of these bodies appear to have been retained , although they have been trimmed and reorganized . The air force and navy were also subordinate to the army general staff . Since 1990 the mission of the EPS has been to ensure the security of the national borders and to deal with internal disturbances . Its primary task has been to prevent disorder and violence wrought by armed bands of former Contra and Sandinista soldiers ( see Internal Security , this ch . ) . In November and December 1992 , the EPS was deployed alongside the National Police to prevent violence during demonstrations by the National Workers ' Front for improved pay and benefits . The EPS and the Frontier Guards also assist the police in narcotics control . A small EPS contingent works alongside demobilized Contras in a Special Disarmament Brigade to reduce the arsenal of weapons in civilian hands . Organization . Army . As of 1993 , the army ' s strength was estimated at 13 , 500 personnel . The EPS is organized into six regional commands and two military departments subordinate to the general staff . The largest unit is a motorized infantry brigade of four battalions . In addition , there are a mechanized infantry battalion and three artillery battalions . The Irregular Warfare Battalions have been reduced to ten infantry companies . A Special Forces battalion has been formed from airborne and Special Forces personnel . Most of these units are neither fully staffed nor adequately equipped . The army continues to depend on Soviet weapons delivered during the 1980s . Most of these are out - of - date and poorly maintained . The EPS ' s inventory of armor — heavy and light tanks , APCs , and reconnaissance vehicles — remains large by Central American standards . However , most of the Soviet T - 55 tanks are reportedly in storage because of a lack of funds and personnel to maintain them . The PT - 76 light tanks form the primary armor of the mechanized infantry battalion . Only about seventy - five APCs and reconnaissance vehicles are operational , and some of the armored weapons have been sold to other Latin American countries . The army retains a considerable supply of 122mm and 152mm towed artillery pieces and multiple rocket launchers . Twelve of its APCs are mounted with Soviet AT - 3 ( Sagger ) antitank guided missiles . The army retains numerous antitank guns and a stock of Soviet shoulder - fired antiaircraft missile launchers Units . Irregular Warfare Battalion ( " Batallón de Lucha Irregular " ) Recognizing the need for troops trained for counterinsurgency or anti - guerilla warfare , the Sandinistas began deploying BLIs in 1983 , Bli ' s were special troops that operated in a fastlighting mode or for long period of time , these troops were operating in the deeps of Nicaragua dense jungles , Very well trained to adapt in any climate or terrains and expanded their numbers after instituting the draft . BLIs could have from four to nine 120 - man companies , but typically numbered around 700 – 800 men . It was the need of forming this battalions to try to stop the invasion of contras whose base was in Honduras and some in south border of Costa Rica , since the Reagan administration tried to push the Nicaraguan revolution . The Nicaraguan country was forced to defend and prepare the whole country against the attacks of the United States invasion , this is how hundreds of militantes joined or were forced into the militias . BLI ' s in a simple words were special fierce soldier - commandos that were committed to serve 2 years , others stayed for 8 years of service , gaining high combat experience as non army recorded in the Latin American countries , the heavy history of combats were recorded in the North of Nicaragua were dense mountains and jungles are , journalists from around the world were fascinated to be there to report this war . Some of these Bli ' s were between 2 to 8 years of combat experienced soldiers until the contras were disbanded in the period of 1988 / 1989 / 1990 . The world was following up the sandinistas - contras war due to a long civil war like none to compare in the Latin American Countries , in both side of the History they were fierce soldiers , mercenaries , sentinels , devils and angels as people from all nations appointed them . 12 BLI ' S well armed with heavy fire power were created : Light Hunter Battalions ( " " , BLC ) . The BLCs were another type of counterinsurgency unit , first deployed in early 1986 . They were about half the size of the BLIs , at 300 - 400 men . While BLIs were designed to be able to operate independently , the light hunters worked in conjunction with other units , providing anti - ambush protection for more conventional forces . Reportedly , about 23 BLCs were raised including the following : Air Force . When the Sandinistas assumed control in 1979 , the Sandinista Air Force / Air Defense Force ( Fuerza Aérea Sandinista / Defensa Anti - Aérea — FAS / DAA ) inherited only the remnants of the National Guard ' s small air force . Equipment included a few AT - 33A armed jet trainers , Cessna 337s , and some transports , trainers , and helicopters . The time required to train pilots and construct airfields precluded a rapid FAS / DAA buildup . Beginning in 1982 , the Sandinistas received from Libya the Italian - made SF - 260A trainer / tactical support aircraft and the Czech L - 39 Aero Albatros , a subsonic jet trainer that could be missile - armed for close - in air defense . In addition to light and medium transport aircraft , the air force acquired a fleet of helicopters from the Soviet Union that served as a vital asset in the war against the Contras . They included Mi - 8 and Mi - 17 transport helicopters and later the Mi - 24 , followed by its export variant , the Mi - 25 , a modern armored assault helicopter . After Humberto Ortega revealed that Nicaragua had approached France and the Soviet Union for Mirage or MiG fighter planes , the United States warned against introducing modern combat jets to the region . Although Nicaragua began construction of a new airbase with a longer runway and protective revetments , it did not succeed in acquiring new fighter aircraft . A series of radar sites were constructed to give the Sandinistas radar coverage over most of Nicaragua , with the added capability of monitoring aircraft movements in neighboring countries . A Soviet - designed early - warning / ground - control intercept facility gave the air force the potential to control its combat aircraft from command elements on the ground . After 1990 the FAS / DAA was no longer able to maintain its full aircraft inventory without Soviet support . The personnel complement fell from 3 , 000 in 1990 to 1 , 200 in 1993 . Airbases at Bluefields , Montelimar , Puerto Cabezas , Puerto Sandino , and Managua remained operational . Combat aircraft were reduced to a single mixed squadron of Cessna 337s , L - 39s , and SF - 260As . However , the serviceability of all these aircraft was doubtful . In 1992 a number of helicopters and six radar units were sold to Peru . A small fleet of helicopters , transports , and utility / training aircraft was retained . Navy . The " navy " of Somoza ' s National Guard consisted of a few old patrol boats . The Sandinistas acquired more modern vessels , although none was larger than fifty tons . The navy ' s mission was to discourage seaborne Contra attacks and to deter CIA - run operations such as the destruction of diesel storage facilities at Corinto in 1983 and the mining of Nicaraguan harbors in 1984 . The Sandinista navy ( Marina de Guerra Sandinista — MGS ) , which had reached a peak strength of 3 , 000 personnel in 1990 , suffered a sweeping reduction to 800 by 1993 . The commander of the navy is an EPS officer with the rank of major . The principal bases of the MGS are at the ports of Corinto on the Pacific and Puerto Cabezas on the Caribbean . Other installations are at El Bluff near Bluefields and San Juan del Sur on the Pacific . The Sandinistas had acquired eight Soviet minesweeping boats , of which seven remained in 1993 , but none is known to be in operating condition . Three Soviet Zhuk - class patrol boats are believed to be seaworthy , out of seven that remained at the end of 1990 . Also believed to be operational are three North Korean fast patrol boats as well as two Vedette - type boats built in France and armed with Soviet 14 . 2mm machine guns . Sandinista People ' s Militia . Following the example of Cuba , the Nicaraguan government established the Sandinista People ' s Militia ( Milicia Popular Sandinista — MPS ) to augment the regular troops and to gain the services of enthusiastic supporters of the revolution who could not be accommodated in the EPS . The militia represented both a massive political mobilization and the primary means of defending the countryside against the forces of the Nicaraguan Resistance . Individual militias received weekend training in basic infantry weapons and were assigned as guards in sensitive installations or as neighborhood night watches . A typical militia battalion of 700 persons consisted of five infantry companies and various support units . The principal weapons of the MPS were older - model rifles and machine guns and mortars . Militia members displaying aptitude during weekend training sessions were selected for several months of full - time training , followed by up to six months of service in the field . During 1982 and 1983 , the militia had primary responsibility for border defense and thus sustained heavy casualties , while the regular army was concentrated at permanent bases . After the installation of the draft in 1983 enabled the EPS to widen its operations , the main function of the mobilized militia became the protection of rural communities . The FSLN claimed that 250 , 000 persons had received some form of military training , of whom 100 , 000 were mobilized in active units . Before Anastasio Somoza Debayle ' s overthrow , women had constituted up to 40 percent of the ranks of the FSLN and 6 percent of the officers . Six women held the rank of guerrilla commander in the late 1970s . After the Sandinista victory , however , women were gradually shifted to noncombatant roles or to the Sandinista Police . Many women fighters resisted the redeployment , and their role became a national issue . As a compromise , seven all - women reserve battalions were formed , but these were gradually converted into mixed battalions . Women ' s mobilization continued in other forms . Women constituted 50 percent of the Sandinista Defense Committees organized in the neighborhoods and up to 80 percent of Revolutionary Vigilance volunteers , who carried out nighttime patrols in urban neighborhoods and at industrial sites .