Mexican Navy

The Mexican Navy (Armada de México or SEMAR) is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order".^[2] The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves,^[3] over 189 ships, and about 130 aircraft.^[4][5] The Navy maintains a constant modernization program in order to upgrade its response capability, although its programs are hindered by a lack of funding due to variable budgets and lack of continuity.

Given Mexico's large area of water (3,149,920 km²) and extensive coastline (11,122 km), the navy's duties are of great importance. Perhaps its most important on-going missions are the war on drugs and protecting PEMEX's oil wells in Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. Another important task of the Mexican Navy is to help people in hurricane relief operations and other natural disasters.

History of the Armada

The Mexican Navy has its origins in the creation of the Ministry of War in 1821. From that year until 1939 it existed jointly with the Army in the organic ministry. Since its declaration of independence from Spain in September 1810, through the mid decades of the 19th century, Mexico found itself in a constant state of war, mostly against Spain which had not recognized its independence. Therefore its priority was to purchase its first fleet from the U.S.A. in order to displace the last remaining Spanish forces from its coasts.^[6]

The Mexican Navy has participated in many naval battles to protect and defend Mexico's interests. Some of the most important battles were:

Attempts by Spain to reconquer Mexico

• Takeover of the San Juan de Ulúa fort (1821–1825)
• The invasion of Cabo Rojo (1829)
• Battle of Mariel

The first French intervention in Mexico (The 'Pastry War') (November 1838 - March 1839)

• An entire Armada was captured at Veracruz

Yucatán Independence (1841—1848)

• Naval Battle of Campeche

The Mexican–American War (1846–48)

The Second French Intervention (1862–1867)

The Mexican Revolution (1910–1919)

• First Battle of Topolobampo
• Second Battle of Topolobampo
• Third Battle of Topolobampo
• Action of 9 April 1914
• Fourth Battle of Topolobampo

Second invasion by the United States (April 9, 1914-November 23, 1914)

• United States occupation of Veracruz

Historical ships

Organization

The President of Mexico is commander in chief of all military forces. Day-to-day control of the Navy lies with the Navy Secretary, currently Mariano Francisco Saynez Mendoza. The Navy has one General Headquarters, two naval forces, 7 regions, 13 zones, and 14 naval sectors.

The Navy is divided into three main forces:

• Fuerza Naval del Golfo y Mar Caribe (Gulf and Caribbean Sea Naval Force)
• Fuerza Naval del Pacífico (Pacific Naval Force)
• Fuerza Aeronaval (Naval Aviation)

Officers are trained at the Mexican Naval Academy, called the "Heroica Escuela Naval Militar" ("Heroic Military Naval School"), located in Antón Lizardo, Veracruz.

Training and Education

The Navy offers several options for graduate studies in their educational institutions:

Heroica Escuela Naval Militar

It is the school where future officers are trained for the General Corps of the Navy. Candidates can enter upon completing high school. Upon completion of studies, graduates obtain the degree of Corbeta Lieutenant and the title of Naval Science Engineer.

Naval Medical School

This school Located in Mexico City, offers a career in medicine. Officers are trained with skills for the prevention and health care of naval personnel. By adopting a professional examination, graduates can obtain the degree of Naval Military Lieutenant Corvette.

Naval Engineering School

In the Naval Engineering School, officers are responsible for the preventive and corrective maintenance of systems and electronic equipment installed on ships and installations of the Mexican Navy. This school offers career of Electronic Engineering and Naval Communications. It is located between the town of Mata Grape and Anton Lizardo, 32 km from the port of Veracruz.

Naval Nursing School

Here the time to achieve a nursing degree lasts eight semesters. Officers are trained with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable them to assist medical personnel in caring for patients in hospitals, sanatoriums, clinics, health sections on land, aboard ships and at The Naval Medical Center.

Naval Aviation School

The Naval Aviation School trains pilots for the Mexican Navy as well as staff from the Federal Preventive Police and Naval personnel from various countries of Central America. This school is located on Veracruz.^[7]

Search, Rescue and Diving School

Located in Acapulco, members of The Navy are trained for marine search, rescue and diving. It also trains state police officers and firefighters.

Structure

Mexican Naval Infantry

The Mexican Naval Infantry Corps was reorganized in 2007-2009 into 30 Naval Infantry Battalions (Batallones de Infantería de Marina - BIM), a paratroop battalion, a battalion attached to the Presidential Guard Brigade, two Fast Reaction Forces with six battalions each, and three Special Forces groups.^[8] The Naval Infantry are responsible for port security, protection of the ten-kilometer coastal fringe, and patrolling major waterways.

Search and Rescue units

In 2008, the Mexican Navy created its new search and rescue system, allocated in strategic ports at Pacific and Gulf of Mexico ports, to provide assistance to any ships which are in jeopardy or at risk due to mechanical failure, weather conditions or life risk to the crew. To provide such support, the Navy has ordered Coast Guard Defender class ships (2 per station, and one 47-Foot Motor Lifeboat coastal guard ships). Other stations will be provided only with Defender class boats.^[9]

Modernization and budget

The annual Navy's budget is in a 1 to 3 proportion of the national budget relative to the Army & Air Force. For the year 2007, the Army got three billion dollars budget, versus one billion dollars for the Navy. The Navy has a reputation for being a well-run and well-organized outfit. This reputation allows for a close relationship with the U.S. Navy, as evidenced by the procurement of numerous former USN ships.

Ships

The Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Francisco Saynez Mendoza, announced on October 1, 2007, detailed plans to upgrade and modernize the country's naval capabilities. On the following day, La Jornada newspaper from Mexico City, disclosed the Mexican Navy plans, which are among others, to build six oceanic patrol vessels (OPV) with length of 86 meters, 1680 tons and each housing a Eurocopter Panther helicopter as well as small high speed interception boats. The budget for this project is above $200 million USD.

Another project is to build 12 CB 90 HMN high speed (50 knots) interception boats under license from a Swedish boat company to the Mexican Navy. Also, a number of fully equipped planes for surveillance and maritime patrol are being considered. Combinations of options and development are being defined.

Shipbuilding

The Mexican Navy depends upon their naval shipyards for construction and repairs of their ships. There are 5 shipyards located in the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean:

• Gulf of Mexico
  • Naval shipyard 1 (ASTIMAR 1) - Tampico, Tamaulipas
  • Naval shipyard 3 (ASTIMAR 3) - Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz

• Pacific Ocean
  • Naval shipyard 6 (ASTIMAR 6) - Guaymas, Sonora
  • Naval shipyard 18 (ASTIMAR 18) - Acapulco, Guerrero
  • Naval shipyard 20 (ASTIMAR 20) - Salina Cruz, Oaxaca

Missiles

The Mexican Navy initiated studies to develop and construct its first missile, according to a May 2005 interview with the undersecretary of the Navy, Armando Sanchez, the missile was to have an average range of 12 to 15 kilometers and be able to target enemy ships and aircraft. The undersecretary added that they already had the solid propellant, and the basic design of the missile. All aspects relative to their fuselage were solved as well as the launch platforms. The Mexican Navy was developing the computer software to direct the missile to its target. In July 2008, the project was reported to be 80% complete. Despite this effort, the missile development was canceled in 2009 due to "problems with the propulsion system".^[10]

Radar modernization

In 2009, the Mexican Navy will begin operating a batch of new MPQ-64 Sentinel radars in the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico. The radar network was installed in 2007 for a trial phase while military personnel were trained to get familiar with the system. The new installations will work together with combat surface vessels that patrol the area.^[11][12]

Present fleet

Destroyers

• Quetzalcoatl Class Ex US-Navy Gearing-FRAM II class.
  • ARM Netzahualcoyotl (D-102) (1982) - present
• Manuel Azueta Class
  • ARM Manuel Azueta (D-111) (1973) - present

Frigates

• Bravo Class
  • ARM Bravo (F-201) (1993) - Present
  • ARM Galeana (F-202) (1993) - Present
• Allende Class frigate
  • ARM Allende (F-211) (1997) - Present
  • ARM Abasolo (F-212) (1997)- Present
  • ARM Victoria (F-213) (2000) - Present
  • ARM Mina (F-214) (2002) - Present

Amphibious ships

• Panuco Class
  • ARM Rio Panuco (A-01)
  • ARM Manzanillo (A-02) (1971) - present
• Papaloapan Class
  • ARM Papaloapan (A-411) (2001) - Present
  • ARM Usumacinta (A-412) (2001) - Present
• Montes Azules Class
  • ARM Montes Azules BAL-01 (2011)

Missile boats

• Huracan Class Ex Israeli Navy Aliya class (Saar 4.5).
  • ARM Huracan (A-301) (2004) - present
  • ARM Tormenta (A-302) (2004) - present

Offshore patrol vessels

• Valle class Ex US-Navy minesweepers. Bought in 1972 and 1973.
  • ARM Juan de la Barrera (P102) - Active
  • ARM Mariano Escobedo (P103) - Active
  • ARM Manuel Doblado (P104) - Active
  • ARM Santos Degollado (P106) - Active
  • ARM Juan N. Álvarez (P108) - Active
  • ARM Manuel Gutiérrez Zamora (P109) - Active
  • ARM Valentín Gómez Farías (P110) - Active
  • ARM Francisco Zarco (P112) - Active
  • ARM Ignacio L. Vallarta (P113) - Active
  • ARM Jesús González Ortega (P114) - Active
  • ARM Mariano Matamoros (P117) - Active

• Uribe class. All the ships of this class were built by Spain in 1982. Similar to Serviola class used by Spanish Navy.
  • ARM Uribe (PO-121) - Active
  • ARM Azueta (PO-122) - Active
  • ARM Baranda (PO-123) - Active
  • ARM Breton (PO-124) - Active
  • ARM Blanco (PO-125) - Active
  • ARM Monasterio (PO-126) - Active
• Holzinger class. This ships were developed in Mexico based on the Uribe class.
  • ARM Holzinger (PO-131) (1991) - Active
  • ARM Godinez (PO-132) (1991) - Active
  • ARM De La Vega (PO-133) (1994) - Active
  • ARM Berriozabal (PO-134) (1994) - Active
• Sierra class corvettes. This class of ships was developed and built in Mexico.
  • ARM Sierra (PO-141) (1999) - Active
  • ARM Juarez (PO-142) (1999) - Out of Service ^[13]
  • ARM Prieto (PO-143) (1999) - Active
  • ARM Romero (PO-144) (1999) - Active
• Durango class. This class of ships was developed and built in Mexico.
  • ARM Durango (PO-151) (2000) - Active
  • ARM Sonora (PO-152) (2000) - Active
  • ARM Guanajuato (PO-153) (2001) - Active
  • ARM Veracruz (PO-154) (2001) - Active
• Oaxaca class. This class of ships was developed and built in Mexico.
  • ARM Oaxaca (PO-161) (2003) - Active
  • ARM Baja California (PO-162) (2003) - Active
  • ARM Independencia (PO-163) (2010) - Active
  • ARM Revolucion (PO-164) (2010) - Active on November 2010

Coastal patrol ships

Azteca class

Designed and built by Vosper Thornycroft with updates by the Mexican Navy Shipyards.

Demócrata class

• ARM Demócrata (PC 240)
• ARM Francisco I. Madero (PC 241)

Cabo class

• ARM Cabo Corrientes
• ARM Cabo Corso
• ARM Cabo Catoche

Punta class

• ARM Punta Morro
• ARM Punta Mastún

Cabo Corrientes class

• ARM Cabo Corrientes (PC-271)
• ARM Cabo Corso (PC-272)
• ARM Cabo Catoche (PC-273)

Other ships

The Mexican Navy includes 60 smaller patrol boats and 32 auxiliary ships. It acquired 40 fast military assault crafts, designated CB 90 HMN, between 1999 and 2001 and obtained a production license in 2002 allowing further units to be manufactured in Mexico.

For the year 2008 budget, the Mexican Congress approved a $15 million USD funds to build only 17 out of 60 combat boats requested. These ships, designated CB 90 HMN, are to increase its fast boat fleet. Additional budgets will be awarded each passing year.^[14] In total, the Mexican Navy has over 189 operational ships.^[4]

Equipment and vehicles

Aircraft

The aircraft quantities are approximate,^[24][25] and estimated to be 68 airplanes and 54 helicopters.^[26][27]

Future acquisitions

See also

• Military of Mexico
  • Mexican Army
  • Mexican Air Force
  • Mexican Naval Aviation

References

External links

• Secretary of the Navy Official site (Spanish)
• Naval Infantry official site (Spanish)