Title:

Brief History:

The Mexican Air Force was born in 1915, during the Mexican revolutionary period. Before that, aerial reconnaissance and dropping bombs on ships had been undertaken by the different revolutionary factions.

The first naval air combat on the American continent occurred in 1914 in Mexico. The Air Service, later to be known as the Mexican Air Force, participated in many campaigns throughout the 1920's and 1930's, supporting the army in putting down many rebel factions and armed bandits.

During World War II the air force undertook anti-submarine patrols and fielded a fighter Squadron that was trained in the United States. The 201st Mexican fighter squadron of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force fought in the liberation of the Philippines in 1945. In the post-war period the air force went through a number of changes, being re-equipped with the majority of the lend-lease aircraft it had received during the war years.

In recent years the Air Force has under-gone a major reorganisation to meet its needs in the war against the drug cartels and to support the government and population in humanitarian roles, not only in Mexico but other countries as well.

T-33A serial JE-042 (photo, Sr.Mardonio Islas Perez)	Mi-17 (photo, Santiago A. Flores)

National Markings:

Main Marking		Fin Flash
The Main Marking is the red-white-green triangle, which is displayed on the majority of the FAM aircraft in 6 positions, fuselage and wings. On helicopters it is displayed on both sides of the fuselage. Some aircraft and helicopters carry the inscription on both sides of the top of the fuselage: FUERZA AEREA MEXICANA. The rudder markings, consisting of green-white-red stripes, is always carried. The majority of the tactical aircraft, including some transports are painted in overall Olive Drab green.

PC-7 serial 572 (photo, Santiago A. Flores)	F-5F serial 4502 (photo, Ing.Enrique Velasco)

Main Headquarters:

Aircraft Inventory:

A pair of F-5Es (photo, Sr. Mardonio Islas Perez)	UH-60 Black Hawk (photo, Sr. Mardonio Islas Perez)

Organisation:

Order of Battle-

Squadron	Type	Base
REGION AEREA DEL CENTRO (RAC)		EAM Colonia Federal, Mexico D.F.
ALA DE COMBATE		BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
1/o. Grupo Aéreo		BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 101	Bell 412, S-70A, CH-53E	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 112	MDD 530F/MG	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 401	F-5E/F	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 402	PC-7	BAM Ixtepex, Oaxaca
Sistema Integral de Vigilancia Aérea		BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Grupo de Detección y Control		BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón de Vigilancia Aérea	EMB-145RS, C-26B, SA2-37A/B	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
ALA DE RECONOCIMIENTO Y TRANSPORTE		BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
2/o. Grupo Aéreo		BAM Pie de la Cuesta, Guerrero
Escuadrón Aéreo 102	Bell 212	BAM Pie de la Cuesta, Guerrero
Escuadrón Aéreo 201	PC-7	BAM Cozumel, Q.R.
Escuadrón Aéreo 202	PC-7	BAM Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
Escuadrón Aéreo 203	PC-7	BAM La Paz, BCS
Escuadrón Aéreo 203/Dest	PC-7	BAM Hermosillo, Sonora
Escuadrón Aéreo 203/Dest	PC-7	EAM Mexicali, BCN
Escuadrón Aéreo 204	PC-7	BAM Pie de la Cuesta, Guerrero
3/o. Grupo Aéreo		BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 301	Arava, CASA 295M	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 302	C-130A/H/K	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 303	Mi-17, Mi-26T	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
Escuadrón Aéreo 502	Boeing 727	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
4/o. Grupo Aéreo		BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
Escuadrón Aéreo 105	Cessna 182S	BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
Escuadrón Aéreo 111	Bell 206B/L	BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
5/o. Grupo Aéreo		BAM Culiacan, Sinaloa
Escuadrón Aéreo 103	Bell 212	BAM Oaxaca, Oaxaca
Escuadrón Aéreo 104	Bell 212, CH-53E	BAM Merida, Yucatan
Escuadrón Aéreo 106	Cessna 182S	BAM El Cipres, BCN
Escuadrón Aéreo 106/Dest	Cessna 182S	EAM Guerrero Negro, BCS
Escuadrón Aéreo 107	Cessna 182S	BAM Hermosillo, Sonora
Escuadrón Aéreo 108	Cessna 182S	BAM Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Escuadrón Aéreo 109	Cessna 182S	BAM Culiacan, Sinaloa
Escuadrón Aéreo 110	Cessna 182S	BAM Chihuahua, Chihuahua
EMAATFA	PC-7	BAM Santa Gertrudis, Chihuahua
COLEGIO DEL AIRE - Escuela Militar de Aviación		BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
Escuadrón Preparatorio	SF-260EU	BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
Escuadrón Primario	F-33C	BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
Escuadrón Avanzado	PC-7	BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
Escadrilla de Instrucción	Stearman PT-13/17	BAM Zapopan, Jalisco
UTAPEF	B-737/757,Learjet 35A,Gulfstream III	EAM Col. Federal, Mexico D.F.
FRACD - Fuerza de Reaccion Aeromovil para Caso de Desastres		BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
	MD-530, S-70A, Mi-8/17/26T, An-32B C-130A/H, B-727	BAM Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico

 

EMAAFTA = Escuela Militar de Aplicacion Aerotactica de la Fuerza Aerea
FRACD = Rapid Air Reaction Force in Case of Disasters

UTAPEF = Unidad de Transporte Aéreo del Poder Ejecutivo Federal

BASES AEREA MILITARES (BAM):

No.	Location
1	Santa Lucia, Estado de Mexico
2	Ixtepec, Oaxaca
3	El Cipres, Baja California Norte
4	Cozumel, Quitana Roo
5	Zapopan, Jalisco
6	Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
7	Pie de la Cuesta, Guerrero
8	Merida, Yucatan
9	La Paz, Baja California Sur
10	Culiacan, Sinaloa
11	Santa Gertrudis, Chihuahua
12*	Tijuana, Baja California Norte
13	Chihuahua, Chihuahua
14	Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
15	Oaxaca, Oaxaca
16*	Cuidad Pemex, Tabasco
17*	Copalar, Chiapas
18	Hermosillo, Sonora
19*	Atlangatepec, Tlaxcala

* = Bases without any permanently stationed squadrons.

ESTACIONES AEREAS MILITARES (EAM):

No.	Location
1	Colonia Federal, Mexico D.F.
2	Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur
3	Torreon, Coahuila
4	Tampico, Veracruz
5	Puerto Vallarta, Sinaloa
6	Irapuato, Guerrero
7	?, Oaxaca
8	Loma Bonita, Oaxaca

Note: EA.105,106,107, 109 and 110 were orginally equipped with the 73 Bell UH-1H Huey helicopters that the US gave to Mexico to fight the drug-cartel, they were replaced later with the Cessna 182S.

Bibliography:

• Web page SEDENA 1999
• Flap International No.334, Julio 2000
• America Vuela (various issues of the year 2000)
• America Vuela No.66 Dec.2000/Jan.2001
• JP-4 Agosto 2000