General

The defence of Puerto Rico is the responsibility of the United States as part of the Treaty of Paris (1898).

A branch of the Air National Guard is stationed in Puerto Rico, known as the Puerto Rico Air National Guard (PRANG). It had formerly been equipped with aircraft such as the F-104 Starfighter, A-7 Corsair II, F-16, but the PRANG currently flies only C-130 Hercules airplanes. The Puerto Rico National Guard also incorporates a significant Army component. They perform missions equivalent to those of the National Guard of each of the 50 US states, including defensive, disaster-relief and control of civil breach-of-peace (riots, etc).

The coastal defence of Puerto Rico is the responsibility of the US Navy from ships at sea, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The United States Coast Guard has a significant presence in Puerto Rico. Located on what was formerly Ramey Air Force Base. The Coast Guard maintains what is now referred to as "Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen". HH-65C helicopters operate out of Borinquen performing search-and-rescue as well as law-enforcement missions. On a continual basis, Coast Guard fixed-wing airplanes, such as the C-130 Hercules search-and-rescue plane, stationed primarily in Florida fly to Puerto Rico to support these missions.

Through the years, the US had conducted several military training exercises in Puerto Rico, the largest of these being Operation Springboard and Operation Readex. These exercises included thousands of personnel and involve air, sea and land operations, and include training with live ammunition.

On top of training exercises, the US used Puerto Rico as a base to rehearse and launch military operations in Latin America and throughout the world. Operations launched from Puerto Rico include the 1954 intervention in Guatemala; the 1965 invasion of the Dominican Republic; the 1983 invasion of Grenada; the 1989 invasion of Panama; support of Salvadoran military; preparation for operation Desert Storm and Desert Fox in Iraq; and preparation for the war in Yugoslavia.

Overview

Military branches :
no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force

Manpower fit for military service :
males age 16-49: 699,784
females age 16-49: 790,482 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually :
male: 30,422
female: 29,396 (2009 est.)

Military - note :
defence is the responsibility of the US