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CRET
CHAPTER IV
MILITARY SITUATION
Costa Rica is incapable of offering effective
civil disturbances or revolutionary incursions
military resistance to any but the smallest
from without, the government-or the opposi-
and most ineffectual of invading forces. Im-
tion-is expected to gain possession of all do-
mediate and substantial assistance would be
mestic commercial aircraft in the country at
required to resist an invading enemy of size
the time of the outbreak of hostilities and to
and skill. Technically speaking there is no
use them, as well as all the civil air facilities
Costa Rican army. A civil guard performs
of the country, for the duration. For the most
internal security and police functions. This
part these would consist of DC-3's.
body is entirely dependent upon foreign
There are about 138,000 men of military
sources for equipment.
age-16 to 39-about 100,000 of whom could
The present size of the Civil Guard is about
be considered physically fit for military duty.
1,000; there are also 100 traffic police, 60 de-
It is presumed that up to 15,000 of these men
tectives, and 450 treasury or customs guards.
could be called up by the Republic in case of
The Civil Guard maintains three sections of
war or an emergency but it is improbable that
200 men each in San José and a section of 50
many of them would be useful from a military
to 80 men in each of the six provinces. Weap-
point of view.
ons and equipment are not standardized.
The only contribution of which the Costa
Because of the many shipments of arms into
Rican Civil Guard is capable in the event of a
and out of the country in recent months, no
struggle in which Costa Rica found itself allied
definite estimates of the amount of arms and
with the US against the USSR-and no other
ammunition in the possession of the Civil
alignment in the event of an East-West war is
Guard are possible. It is believed, however,
anticipated at this time-would be the polic-
that the Civil Guard has at least 30 cannon
ing of the country. As an instrument to pre-
and 6 mortars and approximately 160 machine
vent sabotage of airfields and to guard the
guns, 4,000 rifles, and 1,600 revolvers.
country's railway system-the only transcon-
tinental railroad between Panama and Gua-
Costa Rica has no navy.
temala-it would be of definite utility even
Costa Rica has no air force. Plans to or-
though it is not sufficiently organized or effi-
ganize an air force failed to materialize, al-
cient to frustrate a well-planned sabotage at-
though four aircraft were actually purchased.
tempt by experts trained in clandestine demo-
The government has disposed of two of the air-
lition. It would, it is believed, be capable of
craft and currently retains one Lockheed F-38
suppressing pro-Russian work-stoppages and
and one North American T-6. These aircraft
demonstrations provided the purpose of such
are maintained by TACA (civil airline). Sev-
demonstrations was sufficiently clear to be
eral Costa Rican citizens who are private pilots
readily distinguishable from matters of domes-
are allowed to fly these aircraft. In event of
tic politics.
21
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"ocrText": "CRET\nCHAPTER IV\nMILITARY SITUATION\nCosta Rica is incapable of offering effective\ncivil disturbances or revolutionary incursions\nmilitary resistance to any but the smallest\nfrom without, the government-or the opposi-\nand most ineffectual of invading forces. Im-\ntion-is expected to gain possession of all do-\nmediate and substantial assistance would be\nmestic commercial aircraft in the country at\nrequired to resist an invading enemy of size\nthe time of the outbreak of hostilities and to\nand skill. Technically speaking there is no\nuse them, as well as all the civil air facilities\nCosta Rican army. A civil guard performs\nof the country, for the duration. For the most\ninternal security and police functions. This\npart these would consist of DC-3's.\nbody is entirely dependent upon foreign\nThere are about 138,000 men of military\nsources for equipment.\nage-16 to 39-about 100,000 of whom could\nThe present size of the Civil Guard is about\nbe considered physically fit for military duty.\n1,000; there are also 100 traffic police, 60 de-\nIt is presumed that up to 15,000 of these men\ntectives, and 450 treasury or customs guards.\ncould be called up by the Republic in case of\nThe Civil Guard maintains three sections of\nwar or an emergency but it is improbable that\n200 men each in San José and a section of 50\nmany of them would be useful from a military\nto 80 men in each of the six provinces. Weap-\npoint of view.\nons and equipment are not standardized.\nThe only contribution of which the Costa\nBecause of the many shipments of arms into\nRican Civil Guard is capable in the event of a\nand out of the country in recent months, no\nstruggle in which Costa Rica found itself allied\ndefinite estimates of the amount of arms and\nwith the US against the USSR-and no other\nammunition in the possession of the Civil\nalignment in the event of an East-West war is\nGuard are possible. It is believed, however,\nanticipated at this time-would be the polic-\nthat the Civil Guard has at least 30 cannon\ning of the country. As an instrument to pre-\nand 6 mortars and approximately 160 machine\nvent sabotage of airfields and to guard the\nguns, 4,000 rifles, and 1,600 revolvers.\ncountry's railway system-the only transcon-\ntinental railroad between Panama and Gua-\nCosta Rica has no navy.\ntemala-it would be of definite utility even\nCosta Rica has no air force. Plans to or-\nthough it is not sufficiently organized or effi-\nganize an air force failed to materialize, al-\ncient to frustrate a well-planned sabotage at-\nthough four aircraft were actually purchased.\ntempt by experts trained in clandestine demo-\nThe government has disposed of two of the air-\nlition. It would, it is believed, be capable of\ncraft and currently retains one Lockheed F-38\nsuppressing pro-Russian work-stoppages and\nand one North American T-6. These aircraft\ndemonstrations provided the purpose of such\nare maintained by TACA (civil airline). Sev-\ndemonstrations was sufficiently clear to be\neral Costa Rican citizens who are private pilots\nreadily distinguishable from matters of domes-\nare allowed to fly these aircraft. In event of\ntic politics.\n21"
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