Posted on 09/21/2016 5:18:31 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Mexican Air Force has quietly retired its tiny fleet of just eight Northrop F-5E and two F-5F Tiger IIs. These aircraft represented Mexico’s entire fighter force and there seems to be no replacement in the works for them at this point in time.
Mexico purchased 12 Tiger IIs from Northrop in 1982 via a US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program dubbed Peace Aztec. Before the deal was inked, Mexico experienced a turbulent decade trying to purchase a new light fighter. After the US rejected an initial sale of F-5E/Fs to to the country in the early 1970s, the US then went on to spoil Mexico’s acquisition of Israeli Kfir C2s powered by US-built General Electric J79 turbojets. Finally, nearly a decade later, a much smaller sale of just a dozen F-5s finally went through.
The deal cost Mexico $110m and included pilot training and maintenance crew instruction, some spare parts and support, as well as earlier versions of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, an arsenal of Mk82 and Mk83 bombs and rockets and rocket pods. That is a lot of bang for your buck, equalling less than $9m per unit all-in.
Mexico’s F-5s went on to serve steadily for 34 years. Although they were fairly rudimentary fighters, having no beyond-visual-range air-to-air or smart weapons capabilities, they gave Mexico at least some high-performance air defense capacity.
Still, having just a dozen F-5s didn’t really allow Mexico to protect the skies over its entire country in a persistent manner, far from it actually. Although this small inventory of fighters did allow for focused air sovereignty missions over key population centers and during major events. Over the decades Mexico’s F-5s were also heavily involved in counter narcotics operations alongside their T-33/AT-33 stablemates. Today the T-33/AT-33s are also gone, having finally been retired in 2007.
ANDRÉ DU-PONT (MEXICO AIR SPOTTERS)/WIKICOMMONS
A Mexican F-5 loaded with stores.
Mexico’s F-5s may not be highly upgraded like some of those still in service around the world (Brazil’s F-5EMs, for instance), but they are some of youngest F-5E/Fs around, ones that have some enhanced “late-model” features. These include flat “shark” noses, enlarged leading-edge root extensions, and enlarged vertical tail extensions that runs down the spine of the jet. Some slight enhancements—upgraded AN/APQ-159 V-5 radars and GPS navigation systems—were made over the years, particularly when the jets were overhauled in the early 2000s.
It is clear that the remaining 10 F-5s in the Mexican Air Force have seen greatly reduced availability in recent years, with around serviceable five jets at any given time. The types last flight included just three examples and occurred on September 16, 2016, during Mexico's independence celebrations.
A replacement for Mexico’s Tiger IIs has been rumored to be in the works for a long time, under various guises, including second hand F-16s and F/A-18s, but nothing has ever come of it. There was even a supposed plan for the Mexican Navy to acquire Su-27s for surveillance and other duties, but this too never came to fruition.
Now the Mexican Air Force will have to rely on turboprop powered PC-9/7 and T-6C+ light attack trainers for armed air patrols, neither of which are close to substitutes for fast-jets. Not being able to organically supply rudimentary air sovereignty capabilities is a hallmark of a failing state as much as anything else, especially for a country in the western hemisphere and the physical size of Mexico.
Considering the security situation around the world, Mexico blatant lack of any fast-jet capability, even advanced jet trainers armed with cannons and heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, may also impact Mexico’s ability to host large events and even world leaders in the future.
Mexico is unlikely to go to war with anyone so the military is basically a police force.
They should buy the F-20. Northrop might give them a discount for company loyalty.
They are a failed state.
I oppose any technology or military transfers to this country because I do not want it to fall under the influence of the narcocartels.
Sure, the narcocartels can’t fly fighter planes, but they can murder the families of those that can.
No worries. The Clinton Foundation can hook them up with ago of deal on fighter jets with nuke carrying capabilities I’m sure. And if they’re not interested because the gig doesn’t pay enough there’s always pop’eye McCain that has contractors who will sell any weapons to our enemies.
Sweet, the whole western hemisphere is now ripe for conquest. I suggest manifest destiny only north/south instead of east/west.
Once complete, we post up, and the rest if the planet can fo to hell.
According to Wikipedia, there’s a grand total of 1 F-20 Tigershark in a museum in LA.
F-20?...Where?
They would mainly need choppers and cargo planes. Some warthogs and ospreys would make a nice addition for the kinds of missions they have, mainly anti-insurgent.
Mexico had an air force ?
Who knew?
Maybe Mexico’s former president was hoping that North America would become one country and they would just use the US military’s equipment.
im sorry........im LOLOLOL because it never crossed my mind that Mexico had a Air Force.
how come these crudites ( i really mean that even tho’ it’s a cooking term). aren’t over at the base servicing the base & the planes.
Sounds like Mexico & it’s el Presidente needs to get off it’s collective azz
Peter Rowan had a band called Mixican Air Force.
I guess we should have assumed they would rebuild their air force, after we wiped it out in the Mexican War.
Warthogs are not ideal for counterinsurgency and drug-busting; It’s operating costs and loiter time don’t stand when compared with something like Brazil’s Super Tucano or even South Africa’s new AHRLAC pusher-prop.
“They are a failed state.
I oppose any technology or military transfers to this country because I do not want it to fall under the influence of the narcocartels.
Sure, the narcocartels can’t fly fighter planes, but they can murder the families of those that can.”
Good points. Having spent a few weeks there, living with Mexicans rather than a tourist spot, my impression is that the government serves only to oppress the people and serve the narcotels. I watched a policeman repeatedly stop Americans and demand fifty dollars or he would arrest them. Their cops look and are equipped exactly like ours, which is to say they more resemble soldiers than cops. I resent that we are supplying materials for crooks in uniforms. I am sure this level of corruption goes all the way to the top or the cop on the street wouldn’t dare do what he was doing.
My hosts discussed the necessity of paying bribes.
I have to say that much of their failure originates because the US buys drugs that pass through their state. If we really wanted to stop drug use we would go after users as hard as dealers. But, then, we’d be arresting “nice” kids and bankers. That would never fly.
Just have to figure out how to keep the hubcaps on...
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