Mexican Army

Mexican Army Ejército Mexicano
Active	1810 – present
Country	Mexico
Branch	Army/Air force
Size	Active:267,506 Reserve: 76,100 (2011 est.)
Part of	Secretariat of National Defense Mexican Armed Forces
Motto(s)	Por el honor de México, Siempre Leales
Mascot(s)	Golden Eagle
Anniversaries	February 19, Day of the Army. September 13, Día de los Niños Héroes.
Equipment	See: Equipment
Engagements	War of Independence (1810–1821) Spanish reconquest of Mexico (1821–1829) Texas Revolution (1835–1836) Pastry War (1838–1839) Mexican–American War (1846–1848) Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1901) Reform War (1857–1861) French Intervention (1861–1867) Mexican Revolution (1910–1921) Cristero War (1926–1929) World War II (1942–1945) Dirty War (1968–1982) Zapatista Uprising (1994–ongoing) Mexican Drug War (2006–ongoing)

The Mexican Army (Spanish language: Ejército Mexicano ) is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it is also known as the National Defense Army. It was the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, (the Mondragón rifle), in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue weapons, in 1908. The Mexican Army has an active duty force of 192,000 (2011 est.).

Mexico has no foreign nation-state adversaries and little ambition to impose itself upon other nations. It repudiates the use of force to settle disputes and rejects interference by one nation in the affairs of another. Although it has not suffered a major international terrorist incident in recent decades, Mexico considers itself a potential target for international terrorism.

History

Prehispanic Origins

Main article: Aztec warfare

Aztec warriors as shown in the 16th century Florentine Codex. Note that each warrior is brandishing a Maquahuitl.

This page from the Codex Mendoza shows the gradual improvements to equipment and tlahuiztli as a warrior progresses through the ranks from commoner to porter to warrior to captor, and later as a noble progressing in the warrior societies from the noble warrior to "Eagle warrior" to "Jaguar Warrior" to "Otomitl" to "Shorn One" and finally as "Tlacateccatl".

Tepoztōpīlli from the Armeria Real collection in Madrid

In the prehispanic era, there were many indigenous tribes and highly developed city-states in what is now known as central Mexico. The most advanced and powerful kingdoms were those of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan, which comprised populations of the same ethnic origin and were politically linked by an alliance known as the Triple Alliance; colloquially these three states are known as the Aztec. They had a center for higher education called the Calmecac in Nahuatl, this was where the children of the Aztec priesthood and nobility receive rigorous religious and military training and conveyed the highest knowledge such as: doctrines, divine songs, the science of interpreting codices, calendar skills, memorization of texts, etc. In Aztec society, it was compulsory for all young males, nobles as well as commoners, to join part of the armed forces at the age of 15.

Itzcoatl "Obsidian Serpent" (1381–1440), fourth king of Tenochtitlán, organized the army that defeated the Tepanec of Atzcapotzalco, freeing his people from the their dominion. His reign began with the rise of what would become the largest empire in Mesoamerica. Then Moctezuma Ilhuicamina "The arrow to the sky" (1440–1469) came to extend the domain and the influence of the monarchy of Tenochtitlán. He began to organize trade to the outside regions of the Valley of Mexico. This was the Mexica ruler who organized the alliance with the lordships of Texcoco and Tlacopan to form the Triple Alliance.

The Aztec established the Flower Wars as a form of worship; these, unlike the wars of conquest, were aimed at obtaining prisoners for sacrifice to the sun. Combat orders were given by kings (or Lords) using drums or blowing into a sea snail shell that gave off a sound like a horn. Giving out signals using coats of arms was very common. For combat outside of cities, they would organize several groups, only one of which would be involved in action, while the others remained on the alert. When attacking enemy cities, they usually divided their forces into three equal-sized wings, which simultaneously assaulted different parts of the defences - this enabled the leaders to determine which division of warriors had distinguished themselves the most in combat.

Independence

Main article: Mexican War of Independence

In the early morning of September 16, 1810, the Army of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla initiated the independence movement. Hidalgo was followed by his loyal companions, among them Mariano Abasolo, and a small army equipped with swords, spears, slingshots and sticks. Captain General Ignacio Allende was the military brains of the insurgent army in the first phase of the War of Independence and secured several victories over the Spanish Royal Army. Their troops were about 5,000 strong and were latter joined by squadrons of the Queen's Regiment where its members in turn contributed infantry battalions and cavalry squadrons to the insurrection cause.

Guanajuato. At center: the Alhóndiga de Granaditas

The Spaniards saw that it was important to defend the Alhóndiga de Granaditas public granary in Guanajuato, which maintained the flow of water, weapons, food and ammunition to the Spanish Royal Army. The insurgents entered Guanajuato and proceeded to lay siege to the Alhóndiga. The insurgents suffered heavy casualties until Juan Jose de los Reyes, the Pípila, fitted a slab of rock on his back to protect himself from enemy fire and crawled to the large wooden door of the Alhóndiga with a torch in hand to set it on fire. With this stunt, the insurgents managed to bring down the door and enter the building and overrun it. Hidalgo headed to Valladolid (now Morelia), which was captured with little opposition. While the Insurgent Army was, by then, over 60,000 strong, it was mostly formed of poorly armed men with arrows, sticks and tillage tools - it had a few guns, which had been taken from Spanish stocks.

In Aculco, the Royal Spanish forces under the command of Felix Maria Calleja, Count of Calderón, and Don Manuel de Flon (and comprising 200 infantrymen, 500 cavalry and 12 cannons) defeated the insurgents, who lost many men as well as the artillery they had obtained at Battle of Monte de las Cruces. On November 29, 1810, Hidalgo entered Guadalajara, the capital of Nueva Galicia, where he organized his government and the Insurgent Army; he also issued a decree abolishing slavery.

At Calderon Bridge (Puente de Calderón) near the city of Guadalajara Jalisco, insurgents held a hard-fought battle with the royalists. During the fierce fighting, one of the insurgents' ammunition wagons exploded, which led to their defeat. The insurgents lost all their artillery, much of their equipment and the lives of many men.

Constitutional decree for the freedom of the Mexican America

Army of the Three Guarantees enters Mexico city on September 27, 1821.

At the Wells of Baján (Norias de Baján) near Monclova, Coahuila, a former royalist named Ignacio Elizondo, who had joined the insurgent cause, betrayed them and seized Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Ignacio Allende, Juan Aldama, José Mariano Jiménez and the rest of the entourage. They were brought to the city of Chihuahua where they were tried by a military court and executed by firing squad on July 30, 1811. Hidalgo's death resulted in a political vacuum for the insurgents until 1812. Meanwhile, the royalist military commander, General Félix María Calleja, continued to pursue rebel troops. The fighting evolved into guerrilla warfare.

The next major rebel leader was the priest José María Morelos y Pavón, who had formerly led the insurgent movement alongside Hidalgo. Morelos fortified the port of Acapulco and took the city of Chilpancingo. Along the way, Morelos, was joined by Leonardo Bravo, his son Nicholas and his brothers Max, Victor and Miguel Bravo.

Morelos conducted several campaigns in the south, managing to conquer much of the region as he gave orders to the insurgents to promote the writing of the first constitution for the new Mexican nation: the Constitution of Apatzingan, which was drafted in 1814. In 1815, Morelos was apprehended and executed by firing squad. His death concluded the second phase of the Mexican War for Independence. From 1815 to 1820, the independence movement became sluggish; it was briefly reinvigorated by Francisco Javier Mina and Pedro Moreno, who were both quickly apprehended and executed.

It was not until late 1820, when Agustín de Iturbide, one of the most bloodthirsty enemies of the insurgents, established relations with Vicente Guerrero and Guadalupe Victoria, two of the rebel leaders. Guerrero and Victoria supported Iturbide's plan for Mexican independence, El Plan de Iguala and Iturbide was appointed commander of the Ejército Trigarante, or The Army of the Three Guarantees. With this new alliance, they were able to enter Mexico City on September 27, 1821, which concluded the Mexican War for Independence.

Pastry War

Main article: Pastry War

French blockade in 1838

The Pastry War was the first French intervention in Mexico. Following the widespread civil disorder that plagued the early years of the Mexican republic, fighting in the streets destroyed a great deal of personal property. Foreigners whose property was damaged or destroyed by rioters or bandits were usually unable to obtain compensation from the government, and began to appeal to their own governments for help.

In 1838, a French pastry cook, Monsieur Remontel, claimed that his shop in the Tacubaya district of Mexico City had been ruined in 1828 by looting Mexican officers. He appealed to France's King Louis-Philippe (1773–1850). Coming to its citizen's aid, France demanded 600,000 pesos in damages. This amount was extremely high when compared to an average workman's daily pay, which was about one peso. In addition to this amount, Mexico had defaulted on millions of dollars worth of loans from France. Diplomat Baron Deffaudis gave Mexico an ultimatum to pay, or the French would demand satisfaction. When the payment was not forthcoming from president Anastasio Bustamante (1780–1853), the king sent a fleet under Rear Admiral Charles Baudin to declare a blockade of all Mexican ports from Yucatán to the Rio Grande, to bombard the Mexican fortress of San Juan de Ulúa, and to seize the port of Veracruz. Virtually the entire Mexican Navy was captured at Veracruz by December 1838. Mexico declared war on France.

With trade cut off, the Mexicans began smuggling imports into Corpus Christi, Texas, and then into Mexico. Fearing that France would blockade Texan ports as well, a battalion of men of the Republic of Texas force began patrolling Corpus Christi Bay to stop Mexican smugglers. One smuggling party abandoned their cargo of about a hundred barrels of flour on the beach at the mouth of the bay, thus giving Flour Bluff its name. The United States, ever watchful of its relations with Mexico, sent the schooner Woodbury to help the French in their blockade. Talks between the French Kingdom and the Texan nation occurred and France agreed not to offend the soil or waters of the Republic of Texas. With the diplomatic intervention of the United Kingdom, eventually President Bustamante promised to pay the 600,000 pesos and the French forces withdrew on 9 March 1839.

U.S. Invasion

Main article: Mexican–American War

Battle of Monterrey

American Occupation of Mexico City

U.S. territorial expansion under Manifest Destiny in the 19th century had reached the banks of the Rio Grande, which prompted Mexican president José Joaquín de Herrera to form an army of 6,000 men to defend the Mexican northern frontier from the expansion of the neighboring country. In 1845, Texas, a former Mexican territory that had broken away from Mexico by rebellion, was annexed into the United States. In response to this, the minister of Mexico in the U.S., Juan N. Almonte called for his Letters of Recognition and returned to Mexico; hostilities promptly ensued. On April 25, 1846, a Mexican force under colonel Anastasio Torrejon surprised and defeated an American squadron at the Rancho de Carricitos in Matamoros in an event that would latter be known as the Thornton Skirmish; this was the pretext that U.S. president James K. Polk used to persuade the U.S. congress into declaring a state of war against Mexico on May 13, 1846. U.S. Army captain John C. Frémont, with about sixty well-armed men, had entered the California territory in December 1845 before the war had been official and was marching slowly to Oregon when he received word that war between Mexico and the U.S. was imminent; thus began a chapter of the war known as the Bear Flag Revolt.

On September 20, 1846, the Americans launched an attack on Monterrey, which fell after 5 days. After this U.S. victory, hostilities were suspended for 7 weeks, allowing Mexican troops to leave the city with their flags displayed in full honors as U.S. soldiers regrouped and regained their losses. In August 1846, Commodore David Conner and his squadron of ships were in Veracruzian waters; he tried, unsuccessfully, to seize the Fort of Alvarado, which was defended by the Mexican Navy. The Americans were forced to relocate to Antón Lizardo. In confronting resistance and fortifications at the port of Veracruz, the U.S. Army and Marines implemented an intense bombardment of the city from March 22–26, 1847, causing about five hundred civilian deaths and significant damage to homes, buildings, and merchandise. General Winfield Scott and Commodore Matthew C. Perry capitalized on this civilian suffering: by refusing to allow the consulates of Spain and France to assist in civilian evacuation, they pressed Mexican Gen. Juan Morales to negotiate surrender.

American commodore Matthew C. Perry, who had already captured the town of Frontera, in Tabasco, tried to seize San Juan Bautista (modern Villahermosa), but he was repelled three times by a Mexican garrison of just under three hundred men. U.S. troops were also sent to the California territories with the intention of seizing it. After squads of U.S. troops occupied the City of Los Angeles, Mexican authorities were forced to move to Sonora; but, by the end of September 1846, commander José María Flores was able to gather 500 Mexicans and managed to defeat the U.S. garrison at Los Angeles and then sent detachments to Santa Barbara and San Diego.

After putting up a fierce defense against the U.S. invasion, the Mexican positions along the state of Chihuahua began to fall. These forces had been organized by general José Antonio de Heredia and governor Ángel Trías Álvarez. The cavalry of the latter made several desperate charges against the U.S. that nearly achieved victory, but his inexperience in fighting was evident and, in the end, all the positions gained were lost.

French Intervention

Main article: French intervention in Mexico

The Battle of Puebla

The French intervention was an invasion by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain. It followed President Benito Juárez's suspension of interest payments to foreign countries on July 17, 1861, which angered Mexico's major creditors: Spain, France and Britain.

Napoleon III of France was the instigator: His foreign policy was based on a commitment to free trade. For him, a friendly government in Mexico provided an opportunity to expand free trade by ensuring European access to important markets, and preventing monopoly by the United States. Napoleon also needed the silver that could be mined in Mexico to finance his empire. Napoleon built a coalition with Spain and Britain at a time the U.S. was engaged in a full-scale civil war. The U.S. protested, but could not intervene directly until its civil war was over in 1865.

Monument to Ignacio Zaragoza.

The three powers signed the Treaty of London on October 31, to unite their efforts to receive payments from Mexico. On December 8, the Spanish fleet and troops from Spanish-controlled Cuba arrived at Mexico's main Gulf port, Veracruz. When the British and Spanish discovered that the French planned to invade Mexico, they withdrew.

The subsequent French invasion resulted in the Second Mexican Empire, which was supported by the Roman Catholic clergy, many conservative elements of the upper class, and some indigenous communities. The presidential terms of Benito Juárez (1858–71) were interrupted by the rule of the Habsburg monarchy in Mexico (1864–67). Conservatives, and many in the Mexican nobility, tried to revive the monarchical form of government (see: First Mexican Empire) when they helped to bring to Mexico an archduke from the Royal House of Austria, Maximilian Ferdinand, or Maximilian I of Mexico (who married Charlotte of Belgium, also known as Carlota of Mexico), with the military support of France. France had various interests in this Mexican affair, such as seeking reconciliation with Austria, which had been defeated during the Franco-Austrian War, counterbalancing the growing U.S. power by developing a powerful Catholic neighbouring empire, and exploiting the rich mines in the north-west of the country.

Mexican Republican forces

In 1861, the Mexican Republican Army comprised ten regular line battalions each of eight companies, and six line cavalry regiments, each of two squadrons. With six batteries of field artillery plus engineers, train and garrison units, the regular army numbered about 12,000 men. Auxiliary forces, comprising state militias and National Guards, provided a further 25 infantry battalions and 25 cavalry squadrons plus some garrison and artillery units. The National Guard of the Federal District of Mexico City amounted to six infantry battalions plus one each of cavalry and artillery. The newly raised corps of Rurales, created on 5 May 1861 as a mounted gendarmerie, numbered 2,200 and served as dispersed units of light cavalry against the French.

While opposed by substantial forces of French regular troops plus Mexican Imperial forces and contingents of foreign volunteers, the Republican Army remained in being as an effective force after the fall of Mexico City in 1863. By 1865 Liberal opposition was being led by a core of 50,000 regular Mexican troops and state National Guards, augmented by approximately 10,000 guerrillas.

Diaz era

Following the French withdrawal and the overthrow of the Imperial regime of Maximilian, the Mexican Republic was re-established in 1867. In 1872, Porfirio Diaz, a leading general of the anti-Maximilianist forces, became president. He was to retain power until 1910, with only one short break. During this period of extended rule, Diaz relied essentially on military power to remain in office. He accordingly undertook a series of reforms intended to modernize the Mexican Army, while at the same time terminating the historic pattern of local commanders attempting to seize power using irregulars or provincial forces. Generals of the Federal Army were frequently transferred, the large officer corps was kept loyal through opportunities for graft, an efficient mounted police force of rurales took over responsibility for public order, and the army itself was reduced in size. By 1910, the army numbered about 25,000 men, largely conscripts of Indian origin officered by 4,000 white middle-class officers. While generally well equipped, the Federal Army under Diaz was too small in numbers to offer effective opposition to the revolutionary forces led by Francisco Madero.

Post-revolutionary period

Mexican soldiers on parade in Mexico's independence day parade in 2009, Mexico DF.

The ending of the Diaz regime saw a resurgence of numerous local forces led by revolutionary generals. In 1920, more than 80,000 Mexicans were under arms, with only a minority forming part of regular forces obedient to a central authority. During the 1920s, the new government demobilized the revolutionary bands, reopened the Colegio Militar (Military Academy), established the Escuela Superior de Guerra (Staff College), and raised the salaries and improved the conditions of service of the rank and file of the regular army. In spite of an abortive general's revolt in 1927, the result was a professional army obedient to the central government. During the 1930s, the political role of the officer corps was reduced by the governing Revolutionary Party and a workers' militia was established, outnumbering the regular army by two to one. By the end of World War II, the Mexican Army had become a strictly professional force focussed on national defense rather than political involvement.

Recent History: Mexican Drug War

Main article: Mexican Drug War

Although violence between drug cartels has been occurring long before the war began, the government held a generally passive stance regarding cartel violence during the 1990s and the early years of the 21st century. That changed on December 11, 2006, when newly elected President Felipe Calderón sent 6,500 federal troops to the state of Michoacán to end drug violence there. This action is regarded as the first major retaliation made against the cartel violence, and is generally viewed as the starting point of the war between the government and the drug cartels. As time progressed, Calderón continued to escalate his anti-drug campaign, in which there are now about 45,000 troops involved along with state and federal police forces.

In recent times, the Mexican military has largely participated in efforts against drug trafficking. The Operaciones contra el narcotrafico (Operations against drug trafficking), for example, describes its purpose in regards to "the performance of the Mexican Army and Air Force in the permanent campaign against the drug trafficking is sustained properly in the faculties that the Executive of the Nation grants to him, the 89 Art. Fracc. VI of the Constitution of the Mexican United States, when indicating that it is faculty of the President of the Republic to have the totality of the permanent Armed Forces, that is of the terrestrial Army, Navy military and the Air Force for the inner and outer security of the federation.

Organization

Mexican air force cadets march during the Mexican Independence day military parade in Mexico City on 27 July 2012.

The Army is under the authority of the National Defense Secretariat or SEDENA. It has three components: a national headquarters, territorial commands, and independent units. The Minister of Defense commands the Army via a centralized command system and many general officers. The Army uses a modified continental staff system in its headquarters. The Mexican Air Force is a branch of the Mexican Army. Recruitment of personnel happens from ages 18 through 21 if secondary education was finished, 22 if High school was completed. Recruitment after age 22 is impossible in the regular army; only auxiliary posts are available. As of 2009, starting salary for Mexican army recruits was $6,000 Mexian pesos, or about $500 US dollars per month, with an additional lifetime $10,000 peso monthly pension.

The principal units of the Mexican army are nine infantry brigades and a number of independent regiments and infantry battalions. The main maneuver elements of the army are organized in three corps, each consisting of three infantry brigades, all based in and around the Federal District. Distinct from the brigade formations, independent regiments and battalions are assigned to zonal garrisons (45 in total) in each of the country's 12 military regions. Infantry battalions, composed of approximately 300 troops, generally are deployed in each zone, and certain zones are assigned an additional motorized cavalry regiment or an artillery regiment.

Regional command

Cadets of the Heroic Military Academy (Mexico) with a Golden Eagle (September 2004).

Every afternoon, a Mexican Army platoon lowers the monumental flag in Constitution Square or Zocalo

México is divided into twelve Military Regions composed of forty-four subordinate Military Zones [the 2007 ed. of the IISS lists 12 regions, 45 zones]. Operational needs determine how many zones are in each region, with corresponding increases and decreases in troop strength.

Usually on the secretary of defence's recommendation, the senior zone commander is also the commander of the military region containing the military zone. A military zone commander has jurisdiction over every unit operating in his territory, including the Rurales (Rural Defense Force) that occasionally have been a Federal political counterweight to the power of state governors. Zone commanders provide the national defence secretary with socio-political conditions intelligence about rural areas. Moreover, they traditionally have acted in co-ordination with the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) on planning and resources deployment.

Military Region	Headquarter city	States in Region
I	México, D.F.	Distrito Federal, Hidalgo, Estado de México, Morelos
II	Mexicali, Baja California	Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora
III	Mazatlán, Sinaloa	Sinaloa, Durango
IV	Monterrey, Nuevo León	Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas
V	Guadalajara, Jalisco	Aguascalientes, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas
VI	Veracruz, Veracruz	Puebla, Tlaxcala, central and northern Veracruz
VII	Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas	Chiapas, Tabasco
VIII	Ixcotel, Oaxaca	Oaxaca, southern Veracruz
IX	Cumbres de Llano Largo, Guerrero	Guerrero
X	Mérida, Yucatán	Campeche, Quintana Roo, Yucatán
XI	Torreón, Coahuila	Chihuahua, Coahuila
XII	Irapuato, Guanajuato	Guanajuato, Michoacán, Querétaro

Military Zones

Military Zone Location Military Region 1a Tacubaya, D.F. I 2a Tijuana, BC II 3a La Paz, BCS. II 4a Hermosillo, Son. II 5a Chihuahua, Chih. XI 6a Saltillo, Coah. XI 7a Escobedo, N.L. IV 8a Reynosa, Tamps. IV 9a Culiacán, Sin. III 10a Durango, Dgo. III 11a Guadalupe, Zac. V 12a San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. IV 13a Tepic, Nay. V 14a Aguascalientes, Ags. V 15a La Mojonera, Jal. V 16a Sarabia, Gto. XII 17a Querétaro, Qro. XII 18a Pachuca, Hgo. I 19a Tuxpan, Ver. VI 20a Colima, Col. V 21a Morelia, Mich. XII 22a Toluca, Mex. I 23a Panotla, Tlax. VI Military Zone Location Military Region 24a Tehuacán, Pue. VI 25a Puebla, Pue. VI 26a El Lencero, Ver. VI 27a Ticui, Gro. IX 28a Ixcotel, Oax. VIII 29a Minatitlan, Ver. VIII 30a Villahermosa, Tab VII 31a Rancho Nuevo, Chis. VII 32a Valladolid, Yuc. X 33a Campeche, Camp. X 34a Chetumal, Q.R. X 35a Chilpancingo, Gro. IX 36a Tapachula, Chis. VII 37a Santa Lucia, Mex. I 38a Tenosique, Tab. VII 39a Ocosingo, Chis. VII 40a Guerrero Negro, BCS. II 41a Puerto Vallarta, Jal. V 42a Hidalgo del Parral, Chih. XI 43a Apatzingan, Mich. XII 44a Miahuatlan, Oax. VIII 45a Nogales, Son. II

Tactical units

Mexican Paratroopers.

The primary units of the Mexican army are six brigades and a number of independent regiments and infantry battalions.

The Brigades, all based in and around the Federal District (encompassing the Mexico City area), are the only real maneuver elements in the army. With their support units, they are believed to account for over 40 percent of the country's ground forces. According to The Military Balance, published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the army has six brigades: one armored, two infantry, one motorized infantry, one airborne, and the Presidential Guard Brigade - the latter includes a reaction group, (grupo de reaccion inmediata y potente, G.R.I.P.), whose members are trained in martial arts such as karate, aikijutsu, tae kwon do, kick boxing, kung fu, judo, and silat; furthermore, they are trained in techniques and tactics in order to protect high-ranking officials and civil servants, such as the President. The Third military police brigade was transferred to the Federal Preventive Police in 2008. The armored brigade is one of two new brigades formed since 1990 as part of a reorganization made possible by an increase in overall strength of about 25,000 troops. The brigade consists of three armored regiments and one of mechanized infantry. Each of the two infantry brigades consists of three infantry battalions and an artillery battalion. The motorized infantry brigade is composed of three motorized infantry regiments. The airborne brigade consists of two army and one air force battalion. The elite Presidential Guard Brigade reports directly to the Office of the President and is responsible for providing military security for the president and for visiting dignitaries. The Presidential Guard consists of three infantry battalions, one special force battalion, and one artillery battalion.

Distinct from the brigade formations are independent regiments (all regiments are battalion sized) and battalions assigned to zonal garrisons. These independent units consist of one armored cavalry regiment, nineteen motorized cavalry regiments, one mechanized infantry regiment, seven artillery regiments, and three artillery and eighteen infantry battalions. Infantry battalions are small, each of approximately 300 troops, and are generally deployed in each zone. Certain zones are also assigned a motorized cavalry regiment or one of the seven artillery regiments. Smaller detachments are often detailed to patrol more inaccessible areas of the countryside, helping to maintain order and resolve disputes.

Special Forces Corps

Mexican Special Forces with Barrett M82 sniper rifles.

The Army has a Special Forces Corps unified command with 3 Special Forces Brigades, a High Command GAFE group, a GAFE group assigned to the Airborne Brigade and several Amphibious Special Forces Groups.

The Special Forces Brigades consist of nine SF battalions. The 1st Brigade has the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions; the 2nd Brigade has the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions; and the 3rd Brigade has the 4th and 9th Battalions and a Rapid Intervention Force group.

The High Command GAFE is a group with no more than 100 members and is specially trained in counter-terrorist tactics. They receive orders directly from the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto.

The Amphibious Special Forces Groups are trained in amphibious warfare, they give the army extended force to the coastal lines.

Special Operations Forces

Name	Headquarters	Structure and purpose
Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (Special Forces Airmobile Group)	Classified
Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando (High Command Airmobil Group Special Forces)	Classified
Grupos Anfibios de Fuerzas Especiales (Amphibious Special Forces Group)	Classified	The Amphibious Special Forces Groups allow the army to extend their operations of ground troops in the coastal and inland waters, in close coordination with the Mexican Navy.

Estado Mayor Presidencial

Seal of the Estado Mayor Presidencial.

The Estado Mayor Presidencial (Presidential Guard) is a specific agency of the Mexican Army that is responsible for the safety and well being of the President in the practice of all of the activities of his office. On March 24, 1985 President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado reformed the regulation of the presidential guard and published it in the Official Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación) on April 4, 1986. In this version the responsibilities of this agency included assisting the President in obtaining general information, planning the President's activities under security and preventive measures for his safety. This regulation was in force during the administrations of Carlos Salinas de Gortari and Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon. On January 16, 2004 during the administration of President Vicente Fox Quesada a new regulation of the Presidential Guard was issued and published by the Official Gazette of the Federation on January 23 of that same year. This ordinance updated the structure, organization and operation of the Presidential guard as a technical military body and administrative unit of the Presidency to facilitate the implementation of the powers of his office.

Paratrooper Corps

• Brigada de Fusileros Paracaidistas (Parachute Rifle Brigade)

Ranks

Main article: Army ranks and insignia of Mexico

	Generales				Jefes				Oficiales
Insignia
Grado	Secretario de la Defensa Nacional	General de División	General de Brigada	General Brigadier	Coronel (Infantry)	Teniente Coronel (Infantry)	Mayor(Infantry)	Capitán Primero (Infantry)	Capitán Segundo (Infantry)	Teniente (Infantry)	Subteniente (Infantry)

Rank badges have a band of colour indicating branch:

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Heroic Cadets Memorial in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City. The monument was designed by architect Enrique Aragón and sculpted by Ernesto Tamaríz at the entrance to Chapultepec Park in 1952.

A Mexican army UH-60 Blackhawk landing in the Zocalo, Mexico City.

• Gold: Generals
• Light Brown:
  • General Staff
  • Presidential Guard
• Scarlet: Infantry
• Burgundy: Artillery
• Red-Brown: Quartermaster and Materiel ("Materiales de Guerra")
• Light Orange-Brown: Transportation ("Transportes")
• Green:
  • "Justicia"
  • Military Police
• Blue:
  • Engineers
  • Signals and Communications ("Transmisiones")
• Light Blue: Cavalry
• Light Gray-Blue: Cartography
• Purple:
  • Army Aviation
  • Parachutists
• Gray: Musicians
• Light Gray: Armor
• Very light Gray: Intelligence
• Brownish Gray: Administration and Army Intendancy ("Administracion e Intendencia")
• Yellow:
  • Medical
  • Veterinary

Military Industry

Mexican Army band playing.

A Mexican Army Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter.

Mexican army Humvee on September 16, 2007 parade

Since the start of the 21st century, the Army has been steadily modernising to become competitive with the armies of other American countries and have also taken certain steps to decrease spending and dependency on foreign equipment in order to become more autonomous such as the domestic production of the FX-05 rifle designed in Mexico and the commitment to researching, designing and manufacturing domestic military systems such as military electronics and body armor.

The Mexican Military counts on three of the following departments to fulfill the general tasks of the Army and Air Force:

• Dirección General de Industria Militar (D.G.I.M.) - In charge of the designing, manufacturing and maintenance of vehicles and weapons, such as the assembly of the FX-05 assault rifle and the DN series armored vehicles. On July 19, 2009, SEDENA spent 488 million pesos ($37 million U.S.) to transfer technology to manufacture the G36V German made rifle. Although it is not known if this will be manufactured as a cheaper alternative to the FX-05 meant for the army or if it is to be manufactured for Military police and other law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Police. The FX-05 is planned to become the new standard rifle for the armed forces replacing the Heckler & Koch G3, so it is not yet clear what the G-36 rifles will be used for. As of 2011, D.G.I.M. is in charge of assembling the Oshkosh SandCat, the modified Mexican Army version of the Sandcat is named as the DN-XI and will be presented in the Mexican Independence Day parade on September 2012.

• Dirección General de Fábricas de Vestuario y Equipo (D.G.FA.V.E.) (General Directorate of Clothing and Equipment Manufacturing) - Since its creation, the department has grown from a simple clothing factory to an Industrial complex in charge of the supply and design of the Army/Air Force's uniform, shoes/boots, combat helmet and ballistic vest. Until the mid-2000s, the Mexican army's standard combat uniform color was olive green. The army then switched to all woodland camouflage and Desert Camouflage Uniform. In July 2008, the D.G.FA.V.E. announced plans for creating the country's first digital uniforms, which would consist of Woodland/jungle and Desert camouflage; these uniforms entered service in 2009.

• Granjas Militares (Military farms) - In charge of Agriculture; crop cultivation is a necessity to maintain the health and economy of the Army/Air Force. The Mexican Army has four established SEDENA farms:
  • Granja SEDENA number 1 (San Juan del Río, Querétaro).
  • Granja SEDENA number 2 (Ixtepec, Oaxaca).
  • Granja SEDENA number 3 (Sarabia, Guanajuato).
  • Granja SEDENA number 4 (La Fuente, Aguascalientes).

Modern equipment of the Mexican Army

New Mexican army uniform

Armored vehicles

VCR-TT 6X6 APC on Madero Street in downtown Mexico City after Independence Day celebrations

Mexican army

Mexican Army Vehicle Inventory

Vehicle/System	Type	Versions	Origin
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
ERC-90	Armoured Fighting Vehicle	ERC-90F1 Lynx	France
Armoured Vehicles
Panhard VCR	Armored Personnel Carrier	VCR-TT	France
Véhicule Blindé Léger	Armored all-terrain vehicle	VBL MILAN	France
DN-IV Caballo	Armored Personnel Vehicle	DN-IV	Mexico
DN-V Toro	Armored Personnel Vehicle	DN-V	Mexico
Oshkosh Sand Cat	Armored Personnel Vehicle	Sand Cat - 245 Sandcats were delivered and have Type IV level Armored protection	Mexico/Israel/United States
DN-XI	Armored Personnel Vehicle	The DN-XI is a Mexican modified & designed version of the Oshkosh Sandcat. 100 on order. 1,000 to be acquired by 2018.	Mexico
Tracked Armored Vehicles
AMX-VCI	Infantry fighting vehicle	AMX-VCI DNC-1	France
Sedena-Henschel HWK-11	Infantry fighting vehicle	HWK-11	Mexico/Germany
AMX-55	Armored recovery vehicle	AMX-55D	France
Infantry Transport Vehicles
Humvee	Light Utility Vehicle	HMMWV	United States
Chevrolet Silverado	Light Utility Vehicle	GMT900	Mexico
Ford F-Series	Light Utility Vehicle	F-150	Mexico
Dodge Ram	Light Utility Vehicle	Variants of 4x4 and 6x6	Mexico
Yamaha Rhino	Light Utility Vehicle	Rhino	Mexico
Chevrolet Cheyenne	Light Utility Vehicle	Cheyenne	Mexico
Trucks
M520 Goer	Utility Vehicle	M520	United States
Freightliner Trucks	Utility Vehicle	M2	Mexico
M35 2-1/2 ton cargo truck	Utility Vehicle	M35	United States
DINA S.A.	Utility Vehicle	S-Series / D-Series	Mexico
Mercedes Benz	Utility Vehicle	L-Series	Mexico
Chevrolet	Utility Vehicle	Kodiak	Mexico
Freightliner Trucks	satellite communications	intelligence	United States

Individual weapons and equipment

FX-05 assault rifle

G3 battle rifle

FN P90 submachine gun

Five-seveN USG pistol

Inventory

Name	Caliber	Type	Origin
Heckler & Koch G3	7.62×51mm NATO	Battle rifle. Made under license from Heckler & Koch	Mexico/Germany
FX-05 Xiuhcoatl	5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle	Mexico
Heckler & Koch HK33	5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle. Made under license from Heckler & Koch	Mexico/Germany
M4	5.56×45mm NATO	Assault rifle	United States
MP5	9×19mm Parabellum	Submachine gun. Made under license from Heckler & Koch	Mexico/Germany
FN P90	5.7×28mm	Submachine gun	Belgium
HK P7	9x19mm Parabellum	Pistol	Mexico/Germany
Beretta 92FS	9×19mm Parabellum	Pistol	Italy
FN Five-seveN	5.7×28mm	Pistol	Belgium
HK PSG1 Morelos Bicentenario	7.62×51mm NATO	Sniper rifle. Made under license from Heckler & Koch	Mexico/Germany
Barrett M82	.50 BMG	Sniper rifle	United States
FN Minimi	5.56×45mm NATO	Machine gun	Belgium
HK21	7.62×51mm NATO	Machine gun. Made under license from Heckler & Koch	Mexico/Germany
M2 Browning machine gun	.50 BMG	Machine gun	United States
M-134 minigun	7.62×51mm NATO	Gatling-type machine gun	United States
Mk 19	40×53mm	Grenade machine gun	United States
Milkor MGL	40×46mm	Grenade launcher	South Africa
M203 grenade launcher	40×46mm	Grenade launcher	United States
Heckler & Koch AG-C/GLM	40×46mm	Grenade launcher	Germany
Mondragón F-08	7×57mm Mauser	automatic rifle used for ceremonial occasions	Mexico
Winchester Model 54	7.62×51mm	Bolt-action rifle	United States
CornerShot		Weapon accessory	Israel/United States
Remington 870	12 gauge	gauge pump action shotgun	United States
Mossberg 500	12 gauge	gauge pump action shotgun	United States

Artillery

Name	Type	Versions	Origin
Self-propelled artillery
DN-V Bufalo	Self-propelled artillery	75mm	Mexico
DN-V PM	Self-propelled artillery	81mm	Mexico
SDN Humvee	Self-propelled artillery	106mm	Mexico
Towed artillery
M101	Towed howitzer	105mm	United States
OTO Melara Mod 56	Towed howitzer	105mm	Italy
M90 Norinco	Towed howitzer	105mm	China
MO-120	Heavy mortar	120mm	France
M29	Medium mortar	81mm	United States
Brandt 60 mm LR Gun-mortar	Light mortar	60mm	France
Mortero	Light mortar	60mm	Mexico
GI2	Towed anti-aircraft artillery	20mm	France

Anti-armor weapons

RPG-29 Rocket propelled grenade

MILAN

Name	Type	Versions	Origin
Light anti-tank weapons
B-300	light anti-tank rocket	82mm	Israel
RL-83 Blindicide	light anti-tank rocket	83mm	Belgium
RPG-7	anti-tank rocket	85mm	Russia
RPG-32	anti-tank rocket	105mm	Russia
RPG-29	anti-tank rocket	105mm	Russia
Anti-armor Recoilless rifles
M40 106 mm recoilless rifle	anti-tank gun	106mm	United States
Anti-tank guided missiles
MILAN	Anti-tank guided missile		European Union

See also

• Federales
• Rurales
• Mexican Navy
• Mexican Air Force

External links

• Photos of the Mexican Army, National Marine and Air Force
• Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional - Fabrica de armas y equipos
• Inventario 2006
• Mexican Army Photos
• Latin American Light Weapons National Inventories
• Military Territorial Division
• Mexican Army Oshkosh Sandcat