Ejército del Perú

The Peruvian Army, also known as Ejército del Perú, is the land‑based branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces and is responsible for the defence of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Its primary mission includes conducting military operations to deter and repel external threats, as well as supporting civil authorities in maintaining internal order when required. The army carries out training, readiness, and deployment activities across Peru’s diverse geography, which spans coastal deserts, high‑altitude Andes, and Amazonian rainforest. In addition to combat roles, it contributes to national development projects, disaster relief efforts, and humanitarian assistance missions. The institution operates under the authority of the Ministry of Defense and is subordinate to the civilian‑led Joint Command of the Armed Forces.

The army’s headquarters is located in Lima, Peru, from where strategic planning and administrative functions are directed. As the largest service branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces, it fields a significant portion of the nation’s military manpower and material resources. Its force structure is organized into several divisions, brigades, and specialized units that are distributed across the country’s military regions. This organizational layout enables the army to respond rapidly to contingencies ranging from conventional warfare to internal security operations.

The Peruvian Army has developed particular expertise in mountain and jungle warfare, reflecting the operational demands posed by the Andes and the Amazon basin. Units receive specialized training in high‑altitude survival, riverine operations, and counter‑insurgency tactics, which have been refined through decades of internal conflict and anti‑narcotics missions. Beyond combat, the army maintains engineering, medical, and logistics capabilities that support disaster response, infrastructure projects, and United Nations peacekeeping deployments. Its participation in multinational exercises and peacekeeping missions underscores its role as a contributor to regional stability and international cooperation.

The institution is formally under the civilian authority of the Minister of Defense, with the Commander General of the Army serving as its senior military officer. Administrative oversight, budgeting, and policy direction are exercised through the Ministry of Defense and the Joint Command of the Armed Forces. In August 2022, the Peruvian Army was among several Latin American military and police institutions targeted by the hacking group Guacamaya, which exploited Microsoft vulnerabilities to exfiltrate terabytes of internal documents and emails. The leaked material revealed operational details, surveillance activities, and allegations of institutional corruption, while the group stated its actions were motivated by transparency goals and a desire to highlight environmental and human‑rights concerns.