Haitian Navy
| Haitian Navy | |
|---|---|
| Marine Nationale d'Haiti (French) Lamarin Nasyonal d'Ayiti (Haitian Creole) | |
 Emblem of the Haitian Navy | |
| Active | 1860–1915 1970–1995 2017–present |
| Country |  Haiti |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Naval warfare |
| Size | <12 (2025) |
| Part of |  Armed Forces of Haiti |
| Garrison/HQ | Grand Quartier Général Port-au-Prince |
| Anniversaries | September 6 |
| Engagements | Markomannia incident |
| Commanders | |
| President | Transitional Presidential Council |
| Minister of Defense | Jean Michel Moïse |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces |   Lt.Gen. Derby Guerrier (acting) |
| Commander of the Navy | Lt. Naïssa Lindsey Pierre (acting) |
| Notable commanders | Admiral Hammerton Killick |
The Haitian Navy, officially the Haitian National Navy (French: Marine Nationale d'Haiti; Haitian Creole: Lamarin Nasyonal d'Ayiti), also known as the "Marine Haïtienne" or "Lamarin Ayisyèn", is the naval branch of the armed forces of Haiti. The constitutional duty of the Navy is to protect the maritime sovereignty of Haiti: It is to secure and defend Haitian waters that include the Atlantic ocean (northern Haiti) and the Caribbean Sea which embraces the remainder of the Haiti's coastline. The Navy is responsible with securing the lakes inside the country, and land areas under its direct area of command.
Like the rest of the armed forces, it was reinstated by the late-President Jovenel Moïse in 2017 after being disbanded in 1995 by executive order, by President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.[1]
As of July 2025, the Haitian Navy has a strength of a dozen personnel, all officers and non-commissioned officers who graduated from the Escuela Naval Militar of the Argentine Navy. The Colombian Navy will be training 250 recruits[2] starting late 2025.
The acronym "MH", (French: Marine Haïtienne) is used as the ship prefix for all Haitian Navy ships. The acronym "MARNAT" is scheduled to be used for internal administrative use and to identify non-water based vehicles and infrastructure.
History
1860–1915
The Haitian Navy was established in 1860.[3]
By the early 1900s Haiti had the largest fleet of any Caribbean country, though its ships were crewed by foreigners and it mostly consisted of outdated gunboats.[3][4] The largest vessel in the Haitian navy was the Italian cruiser Umbria, which was purchased in 1910 but it sank in less than a year because of the crew's inexperience.[5]
The crown jewel of the Haitian navy, the Crête-à-Pierrot, sunk during the Markomannia incident when the SMS Panther (1901) shot it down after Admiral Hammerton Killick blew the aft magazines to avoid capture. He would die in that attack as he chose to go down with his ship, along with 4 crew members. When the U.S. occupation in 1915, almost all of the navy's ships were sold. After 1915, only two unarmed schooners were kept. They would become part of the Haitian coast guard within the Gendarmerie of Haiti, and later the Garde d'Haïti.[5]
Before 1915 the fleet included the following:[5]
- Ex-Italian cruiser Umbria (1910–1911) renamed Consul Gostrück
- gunboat Crête-à-Pierrot (1896–1902)
- gunboat Liberté (1910–1911)
- gunboat 22 Decebre 1804 (1860–1912)
- gunboat 1804 (1875–1912)
- gunboat Dessalines (1883–1915)
- gunboat Toussaint-Louverture (1886–1915)
- gunboat Capois La Mort (1893–1915)
- gunboat Alexander Petion (1893–1915)
- Two auxiliary schooners
1970–1995
On April 21, 1970,[6] three units — La Crête-à-Pierrot, Vertières (both 100-ton coast cutters) and the Jean-Jacques Dessalines (formally the USS Tonawanda (AN-89)) — mutinied and shelled the Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince. They were driven off by fighter aircraft and then interred themselves in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. The US disarmed the vessels and relocated them initially to Puerto Rico and then back to Haiti. Duvalier celebrated this event by renaming the Coast Guard the "Haitian Navy" (La Marine Haitienne).
In 1973, Duvalier attempted to expand this with the purchase of up to 24 small boats, allegedly to include PT boats, but these plans came to naught.
In 1976, the Haitian Navy purchased five small patrol craft from Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana. The Dessalines was returned to the United States, while the Admiral Killick, Artibonite and the Savannah and the six 83-foot cutters were stricken.
In 1978, the USS Samoset, a Sotoyomo-class tugboat, was acquired and recommissioned as the Henri Christophe. The planned sale of a sister ship fell through.
After the armed forces were disbanded in 1995, the ships from were handed over to the Haitian Coast Guard, this time within the Haitian National Police.
The Haitian Navy in the late 1980s and early 1990s included the following ships, along with 165 servicemen:[7][8][9]
| Class | Origin | Quantity | Ships | Combat displacement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tugboats | |||||
| Sotoyomo-class tugboat |  United States
|
1 | Henri Christophe (MH 20) | 860 tons | Launched in 1944 and transferred to Haiti in 1978.[8] Removed from service in 1993.[9] |
| Coastal patrol craft | |||||
| 3812-VCF-class patrol boat | United States
|
9 |
|
15 tons | Acquired between 1980 and 1981.[8] Four boats removed from service and used for spare parts in 1991–92 (MH 11, 12, 15, 16).[9] All boats no longer operational after 1995.[8] |
| Swift-class patrol boat | United States
|
3 |
|
33 tons | Acquired in 1976. All removed from service by 1995.[8] |
Organization
Mission
Culture
Haitian Navy Day is September 6, corresponding to the day of Admiral Killick's heroic death in battle against a foreign enemy force.
Budget
Personnel
Officers
NCOs and Enlisted
Training and Formation
Haitian Ambassador to Argentina, Dr. Vilbert Bélizaire, secured scolarships with the Escuela Naval Militar of the Argentine Navy, an initiative in collaboration with the Haitian Ministry of defense with the objective of reinforcing the Haitian Armed Forces. Haitian cadets have attended and graduated from the officer school, the NCO school, and the professionals program,[10][11] as part of a interinstitutional agreement signed between both countries.[12][13] A handful of cadets are still in Argentina receiving military education and training.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
As part of defense cooperation signed between the governments of Haiti and Colombia,[21] the Colombian Navy will be training 250 Haitian sailors. Colombian minister of Defense Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez announce the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti, Lieutenant general Derby Guerrier, will travel with the designated commander of the Haitian Navy to Colombia[22] to assess, observe the training grounds and set the timeline to begin basic training. The training will done on Colombian soil, likely in Barranquilla. The cost of this training will be covered mostly by Colombia, via the Agencia de la Presidencia para la Cooperación Internacional. International partners line the United States, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Dominican Republic, may also contribute to this project. The training is anticipated to cost USD $2.5 million along with the other branches being trained.
Equipment
The Haitian government plans on acquiring ships from Miami, including three 110-foot Island class patrol boat, to reinforce its maritime capacities in the defense of the bay and port of Port-au-Prince, and fight piracy activities along the metropolitan coastline.[23]
A delegation of military officers and staffers of the Ministry of Defense traveled to Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, to attend LAAD Defence & Security 2025. They met Colombian Shipyard COTECMAR, who confirmed they were in talks to provide for Haiti's naval needs.[24]
Uniform
Notable Sailors
References
- ^ Reuter (1995-04-29). "ARISTIDE DISSOLVES ARMY". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ^ Presidencia (19 July 2025). "Colombia entrenará Fuerzas Militares y de Policía de Haití". presidencia.gov.co.
- ^ a b Metz 2001, pp. 470–471.
- ^ Walker 2004, pp. 160–161.
- ^ a b c Smigielski & Jaskula 1986, p. 416.
- ^ "Defend HT – Site-ul Cumparatorilor Online Isteti".
- ^ Sharpe 1989, p. 247.
- ^ a b c d e Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 169.
- ^ a b c Sharpe 1994, p. 273.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (30 March 2023). "Participation de Son Excellence Dr Vilbert Belizaire à la cérémonie de prise de fonction du nouveau Directeur de l'Ecole Navale Militaire Argentine, le Contre Amiral Gustavo Lioi Pombo, en présence du Haut État Major de l'Institution, des Étudiants et des invités. Rappelons que sept (7) étudiants haïtiens sont actuellement en formation dont deux (2) Cadets, un (1) aspirant Sous Officier et quatre (4) professionnels". Facebook.
- ^ InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "Cuatro oficiales de las FFAA de Haití se gradúan en la Escuela Naval de Argentina". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (19 September 2023). "Le lundi 11 septembre 2023, le Ministre de la Défense de la République d'Haïti, Monsieur Enold Joseph et le Ministre de la Défense de la République Argentine, Monsieur Jorge Taiana, ont paraphé un accord interinstitutionnel dans le domaine de l'éducation et de la formation militaire, coopération menée par l'Ambassade depuis l'arrivée de l'Ambassadeur Vilbert Bélizaire à la Mission. Le 13 septembre 2023, la délégation ministérielle a effectué une visite à l'École Navale Militaire argentine, où elle a été accueillie par le Contre-Amiral Marcelo Cristian TARAPOW, Directeur Général d'Éducation de l'École Navale et le Contre-Amiral Gustavo Fabian Lioi Pombo, Directeur de ladite École". Facebook.
- ^ InfoDefensa, Revista Defensa. "Argentina participa en la formación del personal profesional de las FFAA de Haití". Infodefensa - Noticias de defensa, industria, seguridad, armamento, ejércitos y tecnología de la defensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (11 March 2022). "Deux boursiers haïtiens reçus à l'Ambassade d'Haïti et à la Direction Générale de l'Ecole militaire argentin". Facebook.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (14 June 2022). "L'Ambassadeur de la République d'Haiti en Argentine, Dr. Vilbert BELIZAIRE et d'autres diplomates de la Mission ont assisté, à La Plata, ce samedi 11 juin 2022 à la Cérémonie de remise d'uniformes et de couteaux aux cadets de la 1ére année de l'Ecole navale argentine des officiers dont l'haïtienne Thamara Kendia Polo". Facebook.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (28 November 2022). "L'Ambassadeur de la République d'Haïti en Argentine, S.E Dr. Vilbert BELIZAIRE accompagné des Ministres Conseillers M. Jean Claude Cénatus et Mme Olga Médor Ducasse a assisté, à Bahia Blanca, ce vendredi 25 novembre 2022, à la Cérémonie de prise d'uniformes et de prestation de serment au drapeau de la 125ème promotion de l'Ecole Navale des Sous Officiers incorporant l'haïtien Wesmyr MAURICE". Facebook.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (14 June 2023). "Prise d'uniformes et de couteaux des boursiers haïtiens dans les Forces Armées argentine". Facebook.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (6 July 2023). "L'Ambassadeur Vilbert Bélizaire, accompagné des Ministres Conseillers Monsieur Jean Claude Cénatus et Madame Olga Médor Ducasse ainsi que Monsieur Jean Harry Toussaint, Chef de Cabinet du Ministre de la Défense, comme invité d'honneur, a participé à la Commission de quatre Officiers haïtiens dans la Marine argentine, le jeudi 5 juillet 2023. Cette formation rentre dans le cadre de la coopération militaire Haiti-Argentine initiée par l'Ambassadeur depuis son arrivée à la tête de la Mission. Ces diplômés seront au service des Forces Armées dans leurs domaines respectifs". Facebook.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (20 May 2024). "Le jeudi 16 mai 2024 dans la province de Bahia Blanca, Punta Alta, la Ministre Conseiller Madame Olga Medor Ducasse a participé à la cérémonie de graduation de l'un des premiers boursiers de l'État haïtien aux Forces Navales argentines. Monsieur Wesmyr Maurice vient de boucler sa formation à l'École des Sous-Officiers de l'Armée navale avec un diplôme en mécanique et maintenance navale. Cette coopération initiée en mars 2022 sous le leadership de l'Ambassadeur Vilbert Bélizaire commence à donner des résultats positifs". Facebook.
- ^ Ambassade De La Republique Haiti En Argentine (2 June 2025). "Le vendredi 30 mai 2025, Son Excellence Madame Olga Médor DUCASSE , Ambassadeur Extraordinaire et Plénipotentiaire, accompagnée de Monsieur Jean Claude CENATUS, Ministre Conseiller, a participé à la cérémonie de confirmation de charge pour les sous-officiers cadets de l'Ecole Navale Argentine. En cette occasion, un diplome a été décerné à l'étudiante haitienne en quatrième année, Mme Thamara Kendia POLO". Facebook.
- ^ Presidencia de la Republica. "Presidente Petro pidió perdón al pueblo haitiano por participación de colombianos en asesinato del mandatario Jovenel Moïse". www.presidencia.gov.co. Archived from the original on 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
- ^ Varona, Joel Michel (2025-07-21). "Delegación militar haitiana viajará a Colombia - Noticias Prensa Latina". Noticias Prensa Latina - Actualizando minuto a minuto (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "Insécurité : des navires désertent le port, l'État va sécuriser la baie de Port-au-Prince". lenouvelliste.com. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ Cotecmar (April 2, 2025). "Cotecmar continúa su participación en LAAD 2025". X.