The navy's mission is to ensure the defense and security of the islands, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of Nicaragua in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

The primary mission was to discourage seaborne Contra attacks and to deter CIA-run operations such as the destruction of diesel storage facilities at Corinto in 1983 and the mining of Nicaraguan harbors in 1984.

The Sandinista navy (Marina de Guerra Sandinista—MGS), which had reached a peak strength of 3,000 personnel in 1990, suffered a sweeping reduction to 800 by 1993.

Unlike many other nations' vessels, which are designed solely for coast guard or environmental monitoring, these two have added a military sensor suite and a deck gun.

The principal bases of the MGS are at the ports of Corinto on the Pacific and Puerto Cabezas on the Caribbean.