AZMEX ARMED FORCES EXTRA 27-12-13

AZMEX ARMED FORCES EXTRA 27 DEC 2013

Note: It has been several years since we have been able to get reliable info on status of Mexican Armed Forces. Especially the desertion numbers from the Army in particular. Also effectively suppressed for a few years now, is the information on arms recovered.

But there has been enough information found to show that Mexico has imported tens of thousands of firearms from the USA the past few years. Via U.S. govt. channels. Difficult to go anywhere in Mexico without seeing the AR15/M16/M4 platform. Also substantial imports of arms from Europe, mostly Italy. As usual, formal arms exports have an extensive and detailed paper trail.
Unable to get any estimate of how many of them end up with the drug gangs.

There has been some recent info on the increase in size of the armed forces over the past decade or so. Some claim the forces, primarily the army have nearly doubled in size since the 1960's.


Mexican 2012 arms imports, but have not cross referenced with State of Origin export reports:
http://www.un-register.org/SmallArms/CountrySummary.aspx?type=0&CoI=MX

(Syrian Arab Republic? Someone might want to get a better look at that one )

POLICY
Militia and Justice / Military training and internal security
Jesus Aranda
Fri, 27 Dec 2013 8:49

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2013/12/27/milicia-y-justicia-adiestramiento-militar-y-la-seguridad-interior-450.html

In 2011 military exercises at the National Training Camp Santa Gertrudis , Chihuahua.
Yazmin Cortes Ortega Photo

The increasing involvement of the military in combating drug trafficking has impacted negatively on the preparation, training and equipping the Army, Air Force and Navy of Mexico in recent years . It seems a minor issue, but it is not, because the reason for a military force is to defend the sovereignty and national territory.

This distortion is evidenced by the fact that in recent years , the Navy of Mexico nearly quadrupled the number of operations of " upholding the rule of law " from 12,744 in 2007 to 45,703 in 2012 .

This involvement of the Navy in public security tasks not go unnoticed to the naval command, which established that even when our country has a foreign policy based on mutual respect, non-intervention and self-determination of peoples , that does "not inhibits the possibility to experience a foreign armed aggression directly or indirectly . "

Therefore, the Navy established in its Sector Plan 2013-2018 , " the institution must be prepared to defend the country in our field of competence which is the sea."

The Ministry of National Defense, SEDENA ( Department of Defense ) a similar situation happens in its Sectorial Plan for the next six years , the agency said that " due to increased levels of insecurity and widespread violence in some parts of the country, by the presence of various criminal groups , and in recent years they depoyed permanently, the largest number of operating units in support roles " to the authorities responsible for public safety.

" This caused the training , both designed for Exterior Defense missions to interrupt social character ."

Accordingly, the Department of Defense admitted , " military training focused on the mission of ensuring internal security ."

The immediate consequence of betting all the marbles on homeland security left important to national security in important areas lags.

One of the most affected sectors is the Mexican Air Force and the coverage of the national airspace.

According to official figures , in December 2012 the national airspace coverage/control was only 32 percent and the goal for 2018 is to increase that coverage to 72 percent .

The Department of Defense provides that, to have sufficient budgetary resources, in this period will need to purchase for Integrated Air Surveillance System ( SIVA ) a Command and Control Center five long-range radars , a aircraft equipped with air to air radar, three unmanned aircraft, three aircraft with ISR sensors and modernizing three surveillance aircraft .

The Department of Defense believes that in the next three years needs to renew its terrestrial fleet with more than three thousand vehicles , and that 66 percent of the vehicles are older than 10 years of service which increases fuel consumption and maintenance costs and repair.

55 per cent of the 346 aircraft available to the Mexican Air Force are more than 21 years old , also 204 are operational, and 142 are out of service. The Department of Defense considers to reverse the situation and ensure the safety of the national airspace it must acquire 91 helicopters, and 81 aircraft for a total of 172 aircraft , in addition to the three drones already mentioned above.

The issue is not only a matter of resources , it is a matter of political will and that the current government is clear about the rationale of its armed forces , who understands the importance of the latter have the equipment and training necessary to fulfill their constitutional mission .

Or, to keep the same course charted in 2006 by Felipe Calderón , in the sense of favoring the work of the armed forces in public security work ... whatever it takes .

@ jaranda24