Tweet
The Mexican army has never been that powerful and when it attacked the USA in 1998, that move took everyone by surprise as it was not expected that the Mexican Army could even attempt such a move.
This move was facilitated by the presence of the Division Cuba and rag tag soviet air units. When the Cubans favored the leaving of Soviets ground forces, they did the same with Soviet pilots and all of them ended up in Mexico with a number of viable tanks (T-72 and T-80) and some combat aircrafts that were organized into descent air squadrons composed by a few Mig-29, Mig-21 and Su-25.
However, this would have still remained insufficient if Mexico had not slightly expended its armed forces capability prior to the more global conflict.
- While ERC-90 is the backbone of its armored force, they are not the only "tanks" available. In the early 1990's, the old fleet of M3 Stuart had been sent to Brazil where they were modified by Bernardini to X1A2 standards.
- The somewhat important fleet of AMX-VCI acquired at this time is suplemented with a few hundreds Panhard VCR and VBL bought when the BDX contract failed. Moroever, older or rarer vehicule types such as V150 Commando, M5 Half Track and M8 Greyhound remain in front line service.
- The army still rides on older M151 but several thousands of the newer Hummer where acquired prior to the conflict and are now turned on the US Army (That, of course, depends on Hummer acquisition date by the Mexican army but I have not been able to find it. If anyone knows).
- The artillery remains very weak (with no more than 100 medium and light howitzers) except for a large number of light mortars but it was boosted, nonetheless, by the acquisition of hundreds of brandt mortars (120mm) and a few Milan from France.
- The Air force was equally boosted through the acquisition of a dozen more Northrop F5 from an undisclosed source and by the modernization of the T33 fleet refited through the "Boeing Skyfox" program. While still very small, the Skyfox seriously boosted Mexican ground attack capability. With the addition of the Soviet aircrafts, Mexico had over 60 Jet aircrafts when its forces entered the USA: 8 Mig-29, 11 Mig-21, 20 Northrop F5, 8 Su-25 and 22 Skyfox. This would normally have been no match for the USAF but with the general choas that had followed the nuclear exchange, it had become a serious threat.
- The navy, despite acquiring the two Bronstein-class frigates and a few additional Serviola type OPV remains an outdated force organized around two FRAM modified destroyers, almost 20 Auk-class Seagoing Minesweeper and a large number of light boats.
Finally, when the war started in Europe, the Rural Defense Force was mobilized and when the Army was sent to the offensive, it largely took over internal security missions.
An idea.
This move was facilitated by the presence of the Division Cuba and rag tag soviet air units. When the Cubans favored the leaving of Soviets ground forces, they did the same with Soviet pilots and all of them ended up in Mexico with a number of viable tanks (T-72 and T-80) and some combat aircrafts that were organized into descent air squadrons composed by a few Mig-29, Mig-21 and Su-25.
However, this would have still remained insufficient if Mexico had not slightly expended its armed forces capability prior to the more global conflict.
- While ERC-90 is the backbone of its armored force, they are not the only "tanks" available. In the early 1990's, the old fleet of M3 Stuart had been sent to Brazil where they were modified by Bernardini to X1A2 standards.
- The somewhat important fleet of AMX-VCI acquired at this time is suplemented with a few hundreds Panhard VCR and VBL bought when the BDX contract failed. Moroever, older or rarer vehicule types such as V150 Commando, M5 Half Track and M8 Greyhound remain in front line service.
- The army still rides on older M151 but several thousands of the newer Hummer where acquired prior to the conflict and are now turned on the US Army (That, of course, depends on Hummer acquisition date by the Mexican army but I have not been able to find it. If anyone knows).
- The artillery remains very weak (with no more than 100 medium and light howitzers) except for a large number of light mortars but it was boosted, nonetheless, by the acquisition of hundreds of brandt mortars (120mm) and a few Milan from France.
- The Air force was equally boosted through the acquisition of a dozen more Northrop F5 from an undisclosed source and by the modernization of the T33 fleet refited through the "Boeing Skyfox" program. While still very small, the Skyfox seriously boosted Mexican ground attack capability. With the addition of the Soviet aircrafts, Mexico had over 60 Jet aircrafts when its forces entered the USA: 8 Mig-29, 11 Mig-21, 20 Northrop F5, 8 Su-25 and 22 Skyfox. This would normally have been no match for the USAF but with the general choas that had followed the nuclear exchange, it had become a serious threat.
- The navy, despite acquiring the two Bronstein-class frigates and a few additional Serviola type OPV remains an outdated force organized around two FRAM modified destroyers, almost 20 Auk-class Seagoing Minesweeper and a large number of light boats.
Finally, when the war started in Europe, the Rural Defense Force was mobilized and when the Army was sent to the offensive, it largely took over internal security missions.
An idea.
Comment