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Mexican Military

Components Mexican Air Force Mexican Army Mexican Navy Ranks Air Force ranks and insignia Army ranks and insignia Navy ranks and insignia History Military History of Mexico Awards Military decorations of Mexico

The Mexican military forces are composed of the Mexican Army (which includes the Mexican Air Force as a subordinate entity) and the Mexican Navy (including marines).

Contents 1 Organization 1.1 The Army 1.2 The Air Force 1.3 The Navy 1.4 Independent forces 1.5 Leadership 2 Size and Scope 3 Mission 4 Conscription 4.1 The lottery 4.2 The Cartilla 4.3 Officers 4.4 Career soldiers 5 Limitations 6 Military Law 7 Secrecy 8 Activities outside Mexico 8.1 United Nations peacekeeping 8.2 Disaster Relief 8.2.1 Hurricane Katrina relief 9 Equipment 9.1 Infantry light weapons 9.2 Infantry support weapons 9.3 Wheeled combat vehicles 9.4 Tracked combat vehicles 9.5 Artillery 10 See also 11 External links 12 References

Main article: Mexican Army

There are three main components of the Army: a national headquarters, territorial commands, and independent units. The Minister of Defense commands the Army by means of a very centralized system and a large number of general officers. The Army uses a modified continental staff system in its headquarters. The Army is the largest branch of Mexico's armed services.

At present there are 12 "Military Regions," which are further broken down into 44 subordinate "Military Zones." In both cases, a numbering system is used for designation. There is no set number of zones within a region, and these can therefore be tailored to meet operational needs, with a corresponding increase or decrease in troop strength. Today the army consists of 230,000 combat-ready deployable ground troops.

Main article: Mexican Air Force

As mentioned earlier, the Air Force national headquarters is embedded in the Army headquarters in Mexico City. It also follows the continental staff system, with the usual A1, A2, A3, and A4 sections. The tactical forces form what is loosely called an Air Division, but it is dispersed in four regions—Northeast, Northwest, Central, and Southern. The Air Force maintains a total of 18 air bases, and has the additional capability of opening temporary forward operating bases in austere conditions for some of the rotary wing and light fixed-wing assets.

Main article: Mexican Navy

The Ministry of the Navy, the Navy’s national headquarters, is located in Veracruz City, and is smaller than the Army’s headquarters. The “Junta (or Council) of Admirals” plays a unique consultative and advisory role within the headquarters, an indication of the institutional importance placed on seniority and “year groups” that go back to the admirals’ days as cadets in the naval college. They are a very tightly knit group, and great importance is placed on consultation among the factions within these year groups.

The Navy’s operational forces are organized as two independent groups: the Gulf (East) Force and the Pacific (West) Force. Each group has its own headquarters, a destroyer group, an auxiliary vessel group, a Marine Infantry Group, and a Special Forces group. The Gulf and Pacific Forces are not mirror images of each other, as independence of organization is permitted. Both are subdivided into regions, with Regions 1, 3, and 5 on the Gulf, and 2, 4, and 6 on the Pacific. Each region is further divided into sectors and zones, so a proliferation of headquarters and senior officers exists. The Navy also has an air arm with troop transport, reconnaissance, and surveillance aircraft.

Recently the Navy has ceded most of its riverine responsibilities (formally handled by the Marines) to the Army, and has reduced the size of the Marine force, putting them back aboard ships where they play a vital role in drug interdiction and boarding of suspect vessels in territorial waters.

The Navy maintains significant infrastructure, including naval dockyards that have the capability of building ships, such as the Holzinger class gunboats. These dockyards have a significant employment and economic impact in the country.

Several other military organizations exist that are independent of the Army and Navy command structures.

Chief among the independent troops is an Army Corps consisting of two mechanized infantry brigades located in Mexico City, with a full complement of combat and support troops. In addition, there are two brigades of the Corps of Military Police, Special Forces units, Presidential Guards (another motorized brigade) and a parachute brigade—all located in Mexico City where they act as a ready reserve and as centers of excellence.

See also: Rurales

Officially, the two components of the Mexican military do not come under a single unified commander at any level below the President, as there is no Minister of Defense. Instead, a Minister who is a serving officer—a four-star general in the case of the Army and an Admiral in the case of the Navy—heads each of the component parts. Each minister serves in a dual capacity: as a full cabinet member reporting to the President, and as the operational commander of his force. But due to political and rank considerations, the navy is subordinated to the army.

Also, the Air Force commander and his staff are embedded in the Army headquarters, and an Air Force officer never has risen to the most trusted senior positions within the hierarchy. This subordination has allowed the Army to use the term “Secretariat of National Defense” (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional or SEDENA) for its organizational structure, as a result, the current chief of the army: General Guillermo Galván Galván and his predecessors have held the title of Minister of Defense (much to the annoyance of the Navy).

The ministers are handpicked by the President, and may or may not serve in that position for the entire 6-year term (sexenio) of the incumbent president. During the single-party rule of the PRI, the selection of ministers was generally a pro-forma exercise, with strict attention being paid to seniority. In the past two sexenios, however, both Presidents Ernesto Zedillo (1994–2000) and Vicente Fox (2000-2006) strayed from the norm and reached down into more junior levels to select what some have described as “more progressive” officers to lead the forces.

Both the Army and Navy are organized on a regional dispersion basis. There are centralized national headquarters in Mexico City and many subordinate regional headquarters. Historically, this has proven to be effective, as the military’s main employment has been on domestic missions. Troops are stationed throughout the country to serve as an ongoing presence of authority and to allow for immediate response to crises. This regional dispersion also has facilitated programs of local recruitment for noncommissioned members, allowing them to stay near their families during their service, an important cultural consideration. Officers, on the other hand, are expected to be more mobile, moving between remote posts and to the center in Mexico City with great frequency. This provides experience and, from an historical context, prevents any senior officer from staying too long in one location, developing local allegiances and potentially becoming too powerful.

According to a report by the minister of Defence, general Guillermo Galván Galván, at the congress,the army has 181 mil 356 effectives, about 0.16% of the population [1]. Its budget in 1989, was 0.7% of the Gross Internal Product. In 1999, Mexico's military budget had swelled to .9% of GDP,^{[citation needed]} at $4 billion U.S. dollars. However, since the year 2000 with the economic boost that the country has experienced (Mexico has entered the trillion club) the budget was reduced to .5% of the GDP, and currently has annual expenditures of $6.062 billion (2005). Since President Calderon took office in December 2006, he has pushed legislation to increase the budget considerably in order to fight the war on the cartels and the narcotraffic in general which have extended their violence to each corner of the nation.

According to the CIA World Factbook, Mexico's available manpower for military service numbers 2,000,000 (males age 18-49, 2005 est.), with 19,058,337 males fit for military service, and 1,063,233 males reaching military service age annually. Since 2000, females have been allowed to volunteer for military service. Mexico's armed forces currently number about 620,400 with reserves. Many consider Mexico to be the second most powerful nation in north America due to the small size of availability of manpower in Canada and Mexico's increasing military capacities.

Mexico's military is divided into two branches, the National Defense Secretariat (includes Army and Air Force) and the Navy Secretariat (includes Naval Air and Marines).

The Mexican Army works around three preparedness missions, or plans:

• DN1: Preparation of the military forces to repel external aggressions. No military armed force can leave Mexican territory without a declaration of war, and approval of the Congress. The last time this was invoked was in 1942, to send an expeditionary force to the Philippines, after war was declared against Germany and Japan, following the sinking of two Mexican ships by U-boats. In 1990 President Carlos Salinas de Gortari asked the permission of the Congress to send troops to the Gulf War, but it was refused, since there was no declaration of war against Iraq.

• DN2: Preparation of the military forces to protect the internal security of the country. This would include police actions against guerrilla forces, counter-drug operations, and, originally, political control. Up to 1970, the Mexican Army had been used as a repressive force to maintain the virtual dictatorship of the single-party PRI government. The most controversial use of the military had been called "The dirty war" in the 1960s, which included the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre of students and unexpecting bystanders. After 1980 these types of operations had nearly completely ceased (see EZLN).

• DN3: Defense against natural disasters. The Army should always be ready to help the civil population in case of disaster. This include preventive measures. For example, between August and November, military forces are sent to Mexican coastal areas to aid the public in the event of hurricanes or floods. For the Mexican people, the DN3 plan is the most important operation of the Army. The Army provides food, shelter, medicine, and medical services to the people that need them. This also includes reconstruction of roads and communication services. Because calling the implementation DN3 plan is an acceptance of severe problems, the DN3 plan was not invoked in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake that left large areas of Mexico City in ruins, since the authorities did not want to recognize there was an emergency in the capital, while the army was called to the city, it was just a a peacekeeping force. This latter became a severe questioning on the government. Also, the Mexican Army provided aid to the US when the hurricanes Katrina and Rita occurred to help the people in need.

Each year, the Mexican military require all Mexican males who have reached or are reaching the age of 18 within a period of 12 months designated "clase" (Spanish for class, as in a designated generation), to appear at a designated military recruitment center in their local municipality to register in the conscription program by presenting their birth certificate and pictures in a standard size in order to obtain an ID document that at this moment is called "precartilla", consisting on a serial number, the picture, right thumb fingerprint, weapons, personal data including address and current schooling level which finally, after the lottery and a year of service will obtain full status as the so called Cartilla del Servicio Militar Nacional, or simply Cartilla. Then a lottery is held to determine randomly who will be assigned either Army service, Navy service, or be excused from service completely.

The lottery formerly took the form, for example, of all men in attendance standing at attention for hours while each man's name is called, during which a child pulled a ball out of a bag- the color of which will determine each conscriptee's fate. Nowadays the selection is made by a computer program, but the results are still being called as usual: White ball (Army service attendance), Black ball (no service attendance) or Blue ball (navy-marines service attendance); at this moment a seal is applied to the "precartilla" with a legend according to the result obtained in the lottery.

After a year, the "precartilla" is returned to the conscripts with an added page stating you have accomplished service status, the branch of service, regiment, etc., at this moment the document fully acquires status called as Cartilla del Servicio Militar Nacional, or simply Cartilla, with the result recorded at the National Defense Secretariat files. This document is an important identification and its existence is almost always requested by private and public employers. However, this document has recently stopped to be a requirement for getting a passport and, thus, travelling internationally.

Those selected attend weekend military training which consists in basic militar training, use of weapons and tactics; that emphasizes education, history, physical fitness, and discipline for one complete year.

Officer candidates from all three services are trained in a military college, in Mexico City for the Army, in Guadalajara for the Air Force, and in Veracruz for the Navy. Officer candidates who apply generally come from the lower and middle classes, and this therefore is seen as a mechanism for upward social mobility for the less privileged sectors of the population, as military officers are widely respected within the country (though sometimes suffering a small amount of criticism on internal corruption and ineptitude).

Although these military colleges are not universities, they provide significant technical training related to employment after graduation in the various branches of the services. They also place great emphasis on military ethics (patriotism, honor, and loyalty), history, discipline, physical fitness, and the perpetuation of the institution. The Armed Forces provide University education through the War College (Colegio de Guerra) in Mexico City, where officers should attend an obtain a Diplomado del Estado Mayor degree (DEM) in order to be eligible to obtain the status of a General or Admiral rank.

While all Mexican males are required by law to give "military service" for a period of one year, those services are civil and require only a few hours on weekends and do not imply real military training, except for drills. Most conscripted personnel into the military, only have but one practice shooting session by the time their military service has been completed. The 1986 class of the SMN Servicio Militar Nacional (National Military Service) was the last one to be oriented for social purposes. The SMN was recently restructured and the conscripts are receiving a better glimpse of a true Military education. The 1987 class was the first class in many years to receive actual firearm training. The members of the "military service" that remain by recruitment after their mandatory period of service is accomplished, are volunteers that choose the military as their job. Suggestion, SMN could include repair of infrastructure.

Similar to the United States Posse Comitatus Act, Article 129 of the 1917 Mexican Constitution dictates that "No military authority may, in time of peace, perform any functions other than those that are directly connected with military affairs.", but the use of the Army to replace police forces temporarily in specific cases prior to the creation of a federal police, the (Federal Preventative Police) has been hotly debated in the media as well as in congress.

Similar to the Third Amendment to the United States Constitution, Article 16 of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico, "No member of the army shall in time of peace be quartered in private dwellings without the consent of the owner, nor may he impose any obligation whatsoever. In time of war the military may demand lodging, equipment, provisions, and other assistance, in the manner laid down in the respective martial law."

Article 13 of the Mexican Constitution specifically provides that regarding crimes and lacks of discipline, Military Courts will execute jurisdiction only over Military personnel, so in accordance there is a Uniform Code of Military Justice, and Military Tribunals functioning under their specific law. Also, regarding laboral conditions on military personnel, and considering discipline and the chain of command as fundamental in the military, Article 123-B of the 1917 Mexican Constitution dictates that "Military and naval personnel as well as members of the public security corps, and personnel of the foreign service, shall be governed by their own laws."

While as recently as a few decades ago there were restrictions upon mentioning the Army or Army ranks in the media (TV, newspapers etc), Only in the last decade Mexican people has become more aware on the activities of the Army.

Since 1995 the military as a whole has come under much more intense public scrutiny, both domestically and internationally, and the challenges to the leadership to permit greater openness, better fiscal accountability to the public, and more productivity in pursuing new missions will no doubt persist.

The current ministers, General Gerardo Clemente Vega and Admiral Peyrot, are considered by most observers to be progressive and academic in nature and background, although they have not strayed far from the monolithic image usually associated with the Mexican military. The public does not get much insight into whatever internal debates and dialogue may be occurring within the institution, and both services continue to be responsive instead of proactive in terms of public relations.

As Mexican President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces and the proper chain of command and discipline should be maintained in accordance to this position, military personnel executes institutional obedience to the civil leadership and as a consequence maintains a very low profile on political debate and militancy.

As of 2005, intervention in UN peacekeeping operations is being discussed, but with the current political composition of the Congress, it is unlikely to be approved, as according to the Mexican Constitution, no military armed force can leave Mexican territory without a declaration of war.

The Mexican army has travelled mainly to Central American countries to provide aid in disaster relief, and most recently after the Tsunami disaster in Indonesia (only military personnel, but no armed forces).

In September 2005 Mexican army convoys traveled to the U.S. to help in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

Mexican army convoys and a navy ship laden with food, supplies and specialists traveled to the United States including military specialists, doctors, nurses and engineers carrying water treatment plants, mobile kitchens, food and blankets. Unfortunatelly, the convoy was not allowed to get to New Orleans, the US authorities claimed it was due to "security reasons".

The convoy represents the first Mexican military unit to operate on U.S. soil since 1846, when Mexican troops briefly marched into Texas, which had separated from Mexico and joined the United States. There were complaints from Mexican senators because President Vicente Fox did not ask for congressional permission to send troops overseas, as required by law, but the complaints were dismissed because it was a humanitarian mission and no armed forces were involved, but only unarmed military personnel (medical, engineers, etc.).

The Mexican Army makes up about three-fourths of the total military. Army soldiers are armed with license-made Heckler and Koch G3 rifles, currently being replaced by Mexican made FX-05 assault rifle.

HK21E 7.62 machine gun. Made under license from Heckler & Koch

MK 19 grenade launcher 40 mm .

M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and FN Minimi.

M-2 machine gun 12.7 mm .

MILAN anti-tank missiles.

B-300 82 mm light anti-tank rocket.

Blindicide 81 mm light anti-tank rocket.

M40 106 mm recoilless rifle over High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle.

Brandt 60 mm LR Gun-mortar

M1 Mortar and M29 Mortar (75 Mortar of 120 mm and 1,500 Mortars between 60 mm and 81 mm)

High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle with MK 19 grenade launcher, 7.62 mm machine guns, Blindicide 81 mm light anti-tank rocket and 106 mm Recoilless anti-tank gun. (plus 3,638+)

Panhard ERC-90 Lynx 6x6 (119) Mexican ERC-90 are known as Lynx 90. They have a Hispano-Suiza Lynx 90 mm turret. Armour: Steel of 10 mm (maximum). It is the more capable vehicle in the Mexican Army.

Panhard VBL 4x4 (40) light armoured vehicle used as antitank plataform with MILAN - anti-tank missiles and MK 19 grenade launcher 40 mm. Bought new to France in 1985.

Panhard VCR (Véhicle de Combat á Roues) (40) APC. Armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun. 6x6. Amphibious. Armor: steel of 12 mm (maximum). Crew: 3+9.

BDX APC (195) 4x4 Armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun (ex Belgian). Armor: Steel of 12.7 mm (maximum)

LAV-150ST Armoured Fighting Vehicle (26) Built by Cadillac Gage. 4x4. Amphibious.

DN-III APC. (24) Mexican design built (1979) in the Military State Factories (Dirección General de Industria Militar). It is similar to Cadillac Gage Commando LAV-100 and LAV-150. it is a 4x4 whole hull armored. The vehicle is probably based on the base of a US-made Dodge 4x4 truck and is also known as SEDENA 1000. The basic vehicle was armed with only a 7.62 mm machine gun FN MAG on top of a MOWAG-type of turret.

DN-IV Caballo (Horse) APC. (40) Mexican design built in the Military State Factories (Dirección General de Industria Militar). The DN-IV (or DN-4) "Caballo" appeared for the first time in 1983. It is based on the DN-III and is powered by a V-8 diesel engine DINA-Cummins V504. There seem to be at least three models: one with a 7.62 mm machine gun on top of a MOWAG turret, and a second one with a 12.7 mm machine gun in a SAMM turret and a MAG at the rear, the last variant of the DN-III is armed with a 20 mm cannon in an open overhead mount.

DN-V Toro (Bull). APC (70) Mexican design built in the Military State Factories (Dirección General de Industria Militar). It is similar to LAV-150 and it is a 4x4 whole hull armored. The DN-V is 4x4 APC and reconnaissance vehicle. It was developed in 1984 on the basis of the DN-IV 'Caballo'. The 'Toro' has the same DINA-Cumming V-504 V8 diesel engine. There are at least 4 models of the DN-V and they are often used to tow the TDA 120 mm mortar. The vehicle is fitted with Helio FVT 900 turret with 20 mm gun M62A1. The FVT900 is available in several variants incorporating either the GIAT M621 20 mm, or Oerlikon KAA 20 mm cannon with a 7-62 mm co-axial machine gun (optional). One box of 100 rounds of 20 mm and 1000 rounds (five boxes) of 7-62 mm ammunition can be carried within the turret ready for loading and firing. Another versions are mortar carrier, 75 mm howitzer support fire vehicle (with a WW2 era M8 Howitzer) and Lynx 90 mm turret (last two versions only as prototypes).

MOWAG Roland. APC (25) Made in Switzerland. Light vehicle 4x4. Armour: steel of 8 mm. Crew 2+3. Armed with a single man turret with a 7.62 mm machine gun.

Chrysler MAC-1 (Mex-1). (40) The MAC-1 [Lit; medium armoured car No 1] has a combat weight of 8,120 kg and a crew of 4. It is powered by an Chrysler HAT 8-cylinder petrol engine of 163 hp (122 kW), has a maximum road speed of 104 km/h and a range of 377 km. Main armament consists of a 20 mm gun. Secondary armament is a 7.62 mm machine gun. Mexico use this vehicle as Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle. It is know in Mexico as Mex-1.

HW-K 11 (40) APC Made by the German Company Henschel to Mexico during the 1960s (1963-1964. Mexico is the only owner. Armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun on turret. Armour: Steel of 15 mm. Some experimental variants were armed with a Helio turret FVT 900 armed with a 20 mm cannon and co-axial machine gun. The FVT900 is available in several variants incorporating either the GIAT M621 2 mm, or Oerlikon KAA 20 mm cannon with a 7-62 mm co-axial machine gun (optional). One box of 100 rounds of 20 mm and 1000 rounds (five boxes) of 7-62 mm ammunition can be carried within the turret ready for loading and firing

AMX-VCI (385) IFV APC version of AMX-13. Versions with 20 mm gun, 7.62 mm machine gun on turret and mortar carrier. (ex Belgian Army)

105 mm M101 howitzer (80)

OTO Melara Mod 56 105 mm artillery (80)

• Fuerzas Especiales
• Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales
• Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando
• Mexican Air Force
• Mexican military ranks
• Military history of Mexico
• Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas
• Ixtoc-Alfa
• Mexican response to Hurricane Katrina
• Mexican Special Forces
• Army ranks and insignia of Mexico

• (Spanish) National Defense Secretariat.
• (Spanish) Navy Secretariat.
• (Spanish) http://www.fasoc.cl/files/articulo/ART4117e2978fedb.pdf
• (Spanish) Unofficial Military Forum MEXICAN ARMED FORCES
• Photo Album of the Mexican Military from militaryphotos.net
• Photos/MEXICAN ARMY, NATIONAL MARINE AND AIR FORCE
• Video 2006 Mexican Forces Parade

• Entry for Mexico in the CIA World Factbook

• The Mexican Armed Forces in Transition - Jordi Díez & Ian Nicholls [2]

• Sergio Aguayo Quezada (Editor) El Almanaque Mexicano. México: Editorial Hechos Confiables. 2000.

• Christopher F. Foss. (Editor) Jane's Pocket Book of Modern Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles. New York: Collier Books. 1974.

• Christopher F. Foss. Jane's Tank and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. 2000.

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