The EPS's inventory of armor—heavy and light tanks, APCs, and reconnaissance vehicles—remains large by Central American standards. However, most of the Soviet T-55 tanks are reportedly in storage because of a lack of funds and personnel to maintain them. The PT-76 light tanks form the primary armor of the mechanized infantry battalion. Only about seventy-five APCs and reconnaissance vehicles are operational, and some of the armored weapons have been sold to other Latin American countries. These are now complemented by the Venezuelan made Tiuna 4X4 armored car. The army retains a considerable supply of 122mm and 152mm towed artillery pieces and multiple rocket launchers. Twelve of its APCs are mounted with Soviet AT-3 (Sagger) antitank guided missiles. The army retains numerous antitank guns and a stock of Soviet shoulder-fired antiaircraft missile launchers. Units Irregular Warfare Battalions (Batallón de Lucha Irregular) Recognizing the need for troops trained for counterinsurgency or anti-guerilla warfare, the SLA began deploying BLIs in 1983, Bli's were special troops that operated in a fastlighting mode or for long period of time, these troops were operating in the deeps of Nicaragua dense jungles, BLIs could have from four to nine 120-man companies, but typically numbered around 700–800 men. It was the need of forming this battalions to try to stop the Contras. Hundreds of men joined or were forced into the militias. They were committed to serve 2 years. 12 BLI'S were raised : Farabundo Martí Francisco Estrada Germán Pomares Ordóñez Juan Gregorio Colindres Juan Pablo Umanzor Miguel Ángel Ortez Pedro Altamirano Ramón Raudales Rufo Marín Santos Lopez Simón Bolívar Sócrates Sandino Light Hunter Battalions (, BLC) The BLCs were another type of counterinsurgency unit, first deployed in early 1986. They were about half the size of the BLIs, at 300-400 men. While BLIs were designed to be able to operate independently, the light hunters worked in conjunction with other units, providing anti-ambush protection for more conventional forces. Reportedly, about 23 BLCs were raised including the following: 4009 5002 Carlos Agüero Crescencio Rosales Cristóbal Vanegas Edgar Munguía Eduardo Contreras Ernesto Cabrera Facundo Picado Gaspar García Laviana Jorge Alberto Martínez José Benito Escobar Laureano Mairena Mario Alemán Mauricio Duarte Modesto Duarte Óscar Benavides Óscar Turcios Chavarría Pedro Aráuz Palacios Ramón Prudencio Serrano Reynerio Antonio Tijerino Ricardo Morales Avilés Rigoberto Cruz Other units of the SPA The SPA ground forces included members of the Frontier Guard, the People's Militia (organized