Peru and the Sea

     For a country of its geographic location and economic status, Peru's military history is surprising rich. From the days of the Spanish Armada to its current defense roles in South America and the Pacific, Peru has been key strategically in the region for centuries. Today, we had a chance to tour several displays of Peru's military history in Port Callao - the Abtao Submarine, the Naval Museum, and the Fort of Real Felipe. 
     The first stop was the Abtao Submarine, the first diesel submarine to be possessed by Peru's navy. It was sold to Peru in 1951 by the United States to upgrade its defenses, and was one of the most powerful weapons Peru possessed at the time. Today, it is parked by a small pier, and has been meticulously preserved for future generations, with everything from its crew quarters to its torpedoes on display. Next, we went to the Peru's national Naval Museum; it covers nearly every aspect of Peru's nautical development from the reed and wood rafts of the PreColumbian Indians to modern satellite communications used by its navy. The diversity of the ships and tactics used by Peru's navy (particularly during the 1879 Pacific War) was particularly surprising, since they became the first South American country to use submarines in war.
     Finally, we visited the Fort of Real Felipe, a Spanish colonial fort during the 1600s. Fort Real Felipe was built to defend Callao and Peru in general from pirates that would maraud the coast. After independence was declared and the region more peaceful, however, the fort became less and less useful. Today, it is used as a museum of Peru's military history, and features PreColumbian artifacts, Spanish weapons, and guns and vehicles from Peru's wars in the 19th and 20th centuries. Finally, it also serves as an administrative seat for Callao's government, and continues to to serve its home city in new ways.