Aviación Naval Mexicana
Mexican Naval Aviation — the Aeronáutica Naval, one of the three corps of the Mexican Navy — traces its lineage to a Mexican-built floatplane flown at Veracruz in 1918 and today flies some 120 aircraft, from Black Hawks and Panthers to C295 and King Air patrol aircraft, against cartels, smugglers and the hurricanes that strike both coasts.
The Mexican Naval Aviation story: a floatplane at Veracruz, U-boat patrols and Black Hawks against the cartels
1918–1941: floatplanes at Veracruz
Mexican naval aviation began, by the account of the English Wikipedia, in 1918, when Carlos Santa Ana successfully tested a Mexican-made float biplane in the port of Veracruz. It was a false dawn. In 1926 a squadron of floatplanes was designed and built for the Navy, but there were no naval aviators to fly them; the first, Carlos Castillo Bretón, qualified in 1927 after training in the United States and Mexico. For the next fifteen years the arm was more idea than force: Wikipedia counts seven naval officers qualified as pilots between 1927 and 1943, some of whom left to join the Mexican Air Force. The Navy itself, in the law that governs it today, treats the Aeronáutica Naval as one of its three corps, beside the General Corps and the Marine Infantry.
1942–1945: the U-boat war and the school at Las Bajadas
The Second World War gave the arm a mission. German U-boats sank the Mexican tankers Potrero del Llano on 13 May 1942 and Faja de Oro a week later, and Mexico declared war on the Axis that month. In 1943 the Navy set up its Naval Aviation School at Las Bajadas, outside Veracruz, using aircraft handed over by the air force, and, according to Wikipedia, flew them on patrols over the Gulf of Mexico looking for submarines before they were returned to training. No Mexican naval aircraft is credited with an attack on a U-boat in the sources checked. Las Bajadas became, and remains, the largest and oldest naval air base in the country; in 1974 the Veracruz Naval Air Station took over the old airport buildings there.
1946–1999: search, rescue and a Russian shopping list
After the war the Aeronáutica Naval settled into the work it still does most: search and rescue, coastal patrol and help for the population after storms and earthquakes. Its fleet stayed small and second-hand until the 1990s, when the Navy went shopping in unusual places. Wikipedia lists Russian Mi-2 and Mi-8 helicopters and Antonov An-32B transports, French, American and German helicopters, and Finnish L-90 Redigo trainers. In 1999 it started building kit aircraft and light helicopters at Las Bajadas. The result was one of the most varied inventories of any navy in the hemisphere, spread across bases on two coasts: the Gulf fleet’s stations from Tampico to Isla Mujeres, the Pacific fleet’s from Guaymas and La Paz to Tapachula.
2000–2016: Hawkeyes, Panthers and Black Hawks
The 2000s brought real capability. Three former Israeli E-2C Hawkeye radar aircraft were bought, the first rolled out in January 2004, to watch the sea approaches. Eurocopter developed the AS565 MBe Panther, with folding rotors and Arriel 2N engines, initially for the Mexican Navy, to fly from its patrol ships. In August 2011 the Navy received three navalised UH-60M Black Hawks, and in March 2014 it ordered two T-6C+ Texan II trainers. Fixed-wing patrol was rebuilt around CASA aircraft: Wikipedia’s inventory, drawn from FlightGlobal, lists seven C-212s and six CN-235s, and the C295 article counts four C295Ms and two C295Ws at Tapachula.
2006 to today: the war on the cartels
In the federal campaign against the drug cartels since 2006, Navy helicopters have flown marines and support into some of the most prominent operations. The cost has been real. On 15 July 2022, the day marines arrested the drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero in Sinaloa, a Navy Black Hawk crashed at Los Mochis and 14 of the 15 people on board were killed; Wikipedia records that the Navy did not link the crash to the arrest, while an unnamed US official told CBS News that it was linked to the operation. In January 2023, when security forces captured Ovidio Guzmán López in Culiacán, the government acknowledged that Navy aircraft took part, and Zona Militar reported that military and civil aircraft were hit by cartel gunfire.
2017–2026: hurricanes, a crash and a quieter fleet
The other half of the job is weather. When Hurricane Otis devastated Acapulco in October 2023, the army and Navy sent 8,000 troops; Wikipedia records that the Navy alone delivered 4,000 grocery packages and 156,450 litres of water, and that 10 of the military’s 11 medical evacuations were by air. In 2023 the Aeronáutica Naval had about 120 aircraft in 18 squadrons, according to Wikipedia’s FlightGlobal-based figures, with Mi-17s, Panthers and Black Hawks as the helicopter core and King Air 350s for maritime surveillance. Since 2024 it has served under a new Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, and the reformed naval law of November 2025 keeps it as one of the Navy’s three corps. No major new aircraft delivery for 2024–2026 was confirmed in the sources reachable for this page.
The Mexican Naval Aviation in numbers
Servicio
- Nombre nativo
- Aeronáutica Naval de MéxicoThe Ley Orgánica de la Armada de México names it simply the Aeronáutica Naval, one of the Navy’s three corps
- Fundado
- 1918First successful test of a Mexican-made float biplane at Veracruz by Carlos Santa Ana; first naval pilot qualified in 1927; Naval Aviation School 1943
- Parte de
- Mexican Navy (Armada de México)A corps of the Navy under the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR), which by law organises, administers and operates the naval aviation service
- Secretary of the Navy
- Adm. Raymundo Pedro Morales ÁngelesSince 2024, succeeding Adm. José Rafael Ojeda Durán
- Organización
- Naval air bases and naval air squadronsArts. 21–23 of the naval organic law; the bases are split between the Gulf of Mexico fleet (Tuxpan) and the Pacific fleet (Manzanillo)
Fortaleza
- Aviones Total
- About 120–130About 120 in 2023 (Wikipedia, from FlightGlobal; 68 fixed-wing and 54 helicopters in its count); about 130 in 2020 per the Mexican Navy article
- Helicópteros
-
- Mil Mi-17 — 22
- Eurocopter AS565 MBe Panther — 14
- Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk — 9
- MD Explorer — 6
- EC725 Caracal — 3
- Schweizer 333 — 10
Counts from Wikipedia’s FlightGlobal-based inventory, 2023
- Patrulla marítima
-
- CASA C-212 — 7
- CASA CN-235 — 6
- Airbus C295M/C295W — 4 + 2
- Beechcraft King Air 350 — 5
- Bombardier Dash 8 — 2
C295 counts from the C295 article; the others from the naval aviation article’s inventory
- Zapatos de deporte
-
- Zlín Z 242 — 26
- Zlín Z 143 — 2
- Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan II — 2–13
Two T-6C+ ordered in March 2014 per the T-6 article; the naval aviation article’s inventory lists 13
- Personal
- No total for the naval aviation was found on a reachable page
- aeronaves no tripuladas
- None confirmed in the naval aviationA Marine Infantry plan reported in September 2026 foresees 762 bomber drones and 381 loitering munitions for the marines, outside the Aeronáutica Naval
Infraestructura
- Largest base
- Las Bajadas, VeracruzThe largest and oldest naval air base in Mexico, on Veracruz International Airport
- bases aéreas navales
- About 18 listedGulf: Tuxpan, Tampico, La Pesca, Las Bajadas, Campeche, Chetumal, Isla Mujeres. Pacific: Manzanillo, Guaymas, La Paz, Lázaro Cárdenas, Acapulco, Salina Cruz, Tapachula, Teacapán, Isla Socorro, Isla María Madre. Plus Mexico City
- Formación de pilotos
- School of Naval Aviation, La PazFounded at Las Bajadas in 1943; now part of the Centre for Naval Aeronautical Studies at La Paz
- Ayuda en caso de desastre
- Both coastsAfter Hurricane Otis in October 2023 the Navy delivered 4,000 grocery packages and 156,450 litres of water; 10 of the military’s 11 medical evacuations were by air
- Escuadrones
- About 18Nine fixed-wing and nine helicopter squadrons in 2023, per Wikipedia
How the Mexican Naval Aviation is organised
One of the Mexican Navy’s three corps, organised by law in naval air bases and naval air squadrons, split between the Gulf of Mexico fleet and the Pacific fleet. About 120 aircraft in some 18 squadrons, nine fixed-wing and nine helicopter by Wikipedia’s FlightGlobal-based count, with Mi-17s, Panthers and Black Hawks as the helicopter core and CASA, Airbus and King Air aircraft on maritime patrol. The Mexican Air Force belongs to the Secretariat of National Defence and is not counted here, nor are the drones the Marine Infantry plans.
Secretariat of the Navy
The Aeronáutica Naval is one of the three corps of the Mexican Navy, beside the General Corps and the Marine Infantry, under the Secretariat of the Navy, which by law organises, administers and operates the naval aviation service. The Navy is run by a serving admiral as cabinet secretary: Adm. Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles since 2024, according to Wikipedia. A separate commander of the naval aviation could not be confirmed on a reachable official page.
1.er Escuadrón Aéreo Naval de Patrulla Marítima
C-212PM Aviocars at Las Bajadas, the largest and oldest naval air base in Mexico, as listed by Wikipedia’s Veracruz airport article, which gives no citation for its unit list. Across the fleet Wikipedia’s FlightGlobal-based inventory counts seven C-212s, six CN-235s, five King Air 350s and two Dash 8s for patrol.
1.er Escuadrón Aéreo Naval de Alerta Temprana y Reconocimiento
Formed for three ex-Israeli E-2C Hawkeyes, the first rolled out in January 2004, at Las Bajadas. The E-2 article still lists the Navy as an operator, but the type is absent from the 2023 inventory; whether any E-2C still flies in 2026 is unconfirmed.
4th Naval Patrol Air Squadron
Mi-17s at Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, per Wikipedia’s airport article. The Navy’s helicopter core is 22 Mi-17s, 14 AS565 MBe Panthers, a variant developed initially for the Mexican Navy, and eight or nine UH-60M Black Hawks, the first three delivered in August 2011.
4th Naval Air Mobility, Observation and Transport Squadron
Maule MX-7s and kit-built Lancair ESs at Tapachula, per Wikipedia’s airport article. The C295 article separately places the Navy’s four C295Ms and two C295Ws at Tapachula; which squadron flies them was not given.
School of Naval Aviation
Founded at Las Bajadas in 1943 and now part of the Centre for Naval Aeronautical Studies at La Paz; it trains naval pilots, Federal Preventive Police and naval personnel from Central American countries, according to the Mexican Navy article. The Navy’s trainers are 26 Zlín Z 242s and between two and 13 T-6C+ Texan IIs; their assignment to La Paz is not confirmed.
2nd Patrol, Mobility, Shipborne and Transport Naval Air Squadrons
Listed at La Paz by Wikipedia’s airport article with RC695s, Lancair IV-Ps, Mi-8s, Bo 105CBS-5s and An-32Bs; several of these types are absent from the 2023 inventory, so the list may be out of date.
What the Mexican Naval Aviation flies today
Cada tipo está sujeto a cargos, vinculado a su página en el Libro de las Bestias, cuando existe. Las cifras corresponden a aeronaves registradas, no a aeronaves disponibles en un día determinado.
| Tipo | Role | En servicio | Desde | Unidades | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mil Mi-17 (familia Mi-8MT)En servicio | Helicóptero utilitario y de asalto | 22 | Per Wikipedia’s FlightGlobal-based inventory. | |||
| Eurocopter (Airbus) AS565 MBe PantherEn servicio | Shipborne patrol and search and rescue helicopter | 14 | 2005 | Per Wikipedia’s inventory. | ||
| Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkEn servicio | Helicóptero utilitario | 2011 | 8–9. Nine in Wikipedia’s FlightGlobal-based inventory; one was destroyed in the Los Mochis crash of 15 July 2022, and whether the inventory figure predates it is unclear. | |||
| MD Helicopters MD 902 ExplorerEn servicio | Helicóptero utilitario ligero | 6 | ||||
| Eurocopter EC725 Caracal and AS555 FennecEn servicio | Search and rescue, transport and utility | 4 | Three EC725 and one AS555 per Wikipedia’s inventory. | |||
| Schweizer 333 and other training helicoptersEn servicio | Entrenamiento en helicóptero | 10 | Ten Schweizer 333; Wikipedia’s Veracruz airport article also lists MD 500, Robinson R22 and Schweizer 300 at the school. | |||
| Airbus C295M y C295WEn servicio | Transporte y patrulla marítima | 6 | Four C295M and two C295W per the C295 article. | |||
| CASA C-212 Aviocar (C-212PM)En servicio | Patrulla marítima | 7 | The 1st Maritime Patrol Naval Air Squadron at Las Bajadas flies the C-212PM, according to Wikipedia. | |||
| CASA CN-235En servicio | Patrulla marítima y búsqueda y rescate | 6 | ||||
| Beechcraft King Air 350 / Super King Air 350En servicio | Maritime surveillance and utility transport | 9 | Five in the maritime patrol role and four utility transports per Wikipedia’s inventory. | |||
| Bombardier Dash 8En servicio | Patrulla marítima y búsqueda y rescate | 2 | ||||
| Transports and liaison: Learjet 45, Turbo Commander, Cessna 208, Maule MX-7, LancairEn servicio | Liaison, observation and VIP transport | Two Learjet 45, four Turbo Commander and two Cessna 208 per Wikipedia’s inventory; Maule MX-7 and Lancair ES at Tapachula and Lancair IV-P at La Paz per the airport articles, numbers not given. | ||||
| Zlín Z 242 and Z 143En servicio | Entrenador principal | 28 | 26 Z 242 and two Z 143 per Wikipedia’s inventory. | |||
| Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan IIEn servicio | Entrenador avanzado | 2014 | 2–13. The T-6 article records two ordered by the Navy in March 2014; the naval aviation article’s inventory lists 13. The sources do not explain the difference. |
Every type the Mexican Naval Aviation has retired
7 types, from the Floatplanes of 1918–1926 to the Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000. Las cifras máximas corresponden a las aeronaves puestas en servicio durante toda su vida útil, no al número total de efectivos de la flota en una fecha concreta.
| Tipo | Role | Cima | Servido | Reemplazado por | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000 | alerta temprana aérea | 3 | 2004– | Three ex-Israeli aircraft. | ||
| Antonov An-32B | Transporte táctico | 1990– | ||||
| Mil Mi-8 and Mi-2 | helicópteros utilitarios | 1990– | Mi-17 | |||
| MBB Bo 105CBS-5 | Shipborne patrol helicopter | AS565 MBe Panther | ||||
| Valmet L-90 Redigo | Entrenador | 1990– | Zlín Z 242 | |||
| Ex-air force aircraft of the Second World War | Patrol and training | 1943– | ||||
| Floatplanes of 1918–1926 | Experimental and patrol | 1918– |
Where the Mexican Naval Aviation flies from
Los marcadores negros representan bases activas; ninguna de las cuatro que aparecen en el mapa ha cerrado. Las Bajadas, on Veracruz International Airport, is the largest and oldest naval air base in Mexico, home of the Naval Aviation School from 1943; the others mapped share civil airports at Tapachula, La Paz and Campeche. Wikipedia lists about 18 naval air bases on the two coasts, from Tampico and Isla Mujeres on the Gulf to Guaymas and Tapachula on the Pacific. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | OACI | Estado | Pista | Unidades y aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campeche NavalCampeche | MMCP | Activo | 16/342.500 m | |
| La Paz NavalBaja California Sur | MMLP | Activo | 18/362.500 mconcreto |
|
| Las Bajadas NavalVeracruzVeracruz | MMVR | Activo | 01/192.400 m |
|
| Tapachula NavalChiapas | MMTP | Activo | 05/232.000 metros |
|
Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.
Who is stationed where in the Mexican Naval Aviation
Unidades voladoras por base, unidades actuales primero. Mexican naval squadrons are numbered by role and fleet — the 1st Maritime Patrol at Las Bajadas, the 4th Naval Patrol at Tapachula, the 2nd squadrons at La Paz — and the unit lists rest on Wikipedia’s airport articles, not on an official page. Where a squadron’s aircraft are absent from the 2023 inventory, the entry says so.
- 1.er Escuadrón Aéreo Naval de Patrulla MarítimaEscuadrón de patrulla marítima · activo
- CASA C-212PM Aviocar
- 1.er Escuadrón Aéreo Naval de Alerta Temprana y Reconocimientoescuadrón de alerta temprana aerotransportada · activo
- Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000
- 4th Naval Patrol Air SquadronHelicopter patrol squadron · active
- Mil Mi-17
- 4th Naval Air Mobility, Observation and Transport SquadronObservation and transport squadron · active
- Maule MX-7, Lancair ES
- School of Naval Aviation (Centre for Naval Aeronautical Studies)Escuela de vuelo · activa
- Zlín Z 242, Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan II
- 2nd Patrol, Mobility, Shipborne and Transport Naval Air SquadronsPatrol, transport and shipborne helicopter squadrons · active
- Rockwell RC695, Lancair IV-P, Mil Mi-8, MBB Bo 105CBS-5, Antonov An-32B
No se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.
Mexican Naval Aviation milestones, 1914 to today
Carlos Santa Ana successfully tests a Mexican-made float biplane in the port of Veracruz, the start of Mexican naval aviation.
A squadron of floatplanes is designed and built for the Navy, which has no pilots for them.
Carlos Castillo Bretón becomes the first Mexican naval pilot.
13 and 20 May: U-boats sink the tankers Potrero del Llano and Faja de Oro; Mexico declares war on the Axis.
The Naval Aviation School opens at Las Bajadas, Veracruz, with ex-air force aircraft that also patrol the Gulf of Mexico.
The Veracruz Naval Air Station is established on the old airport facilities at Las Bajadas.
Mi-2 and Mi-8 helicopters, An-32B transports and L-90 Redigo trainers join the fleet.
The Navy starts building kit aircraft and light helicopters at Las Bajadas.
January: the first of three ex-Israeli E-2C Hawkeyes is rolled out; AS565 Panthers follow in 2004–2005.
August: three navalised UH-60M Black Hawks are delivered.
25 March: two T-6C+ Texan II trainers ordered. June: Mexico requests five more UH-60Ms.
15 July: a Navy Black Hawk crashes at Los Mochis, Sinaloa, killing 14 of 15 aboard, on the day of Caro Quintero’s arrest.
January: Navy aircraft take part in the Culiacán operation. October: relief flights after Hurricane Otis devastates Acapulco.
Adm. Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles becomes Secretary of the Navy.
7 November: a reform of the Navy’s organic law is published; the Aeronáutica Naval remains one of its three corps.
Todas las guerras que ha librado la Aviación Naval Mexicana
Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.
- Patrullas antisubmarinas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial 1943–1945 Patrols for German submarines with aircraft handed over by the air force
- La guerra contra los cárteles de la droga 2006–present Helicopter transport and support for Navy and marine operations against drug-trafficking organisations, and maritime and air surveillance
Who built the Mexican Naval Aviation fleet
Cada empresa que fabrica los aviones que aparecen en esta página tiene su propia página: la historia, todos los tipos que ha fabricado, las cifras y las demás fuerzas aéreas que los utilizan.
Flota actual y pedidos
Beechcraft, CASA, Eurocóptero, Aerobús, Bombardero, Cessna, Learjet, Helicópteros MD, Maule, Mil, Schweizer, Sikorsky, Zlín
Antigua flota
Antonov, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), Northrop Grumman, Valmet
Everything people ask about the Mexican Naval Aviation
¿Cómo se llama la Aviación Naval Mexicana en español?
¿Qué aeronaves utiliza la Armada mexicana?
¿Cuándo se fundó la aviación naval mexicana?
¿La Aviación Naval Mexicana forma parte de la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana?
Where are Mexico’s naval air bases?
¿Participaron aviones de la armada mexicana en la Segunda Guerra Mundial?
¿Qué le sucedió al helicóptero Black Hawk de la Armada en Los Mochis en 2022?
¿La Armada mexicana sigue utilizando el E-2C Hawkeye?
What does the naval aviation do after hurricanes?
Read the aircraft the Mexican Naval Aviation flew
Cada tipo tiene una página en el Libro de las Bestias, primero en servicio y luego por el año en que abandonó la flota.
Todos los datos, verificados
- Cámara de Diputados: Ley Orgánica de la Armada de México (última reforma publicada en el Diario Oficial el 7 de noviembre de 2025)Art. 61: los cuerpos de la Armada son el Cuerpo General, la Infantería de Marina y la Aeronáutica Naval; Art. 21–23: las unidades operacionales aeronavales se organizan en bases aéreas navales y escuadrones aéreos navales; Art. 11: las fuerzas navales incluyen unidades aeronavales.
- Zona Militar: Medios aéreos de las Fuerzas Armadas de México prestan apoyo en Culiacán (6 de enero de 2023)Reconocimiento oficial de la participación de la fuerza aérea, la Armada y los recursos aéreos federales en la operación de Culiacán del 5 y 6 de enero de 2023 (captura de Ovidio Guzmán López); aeronaves comerciales y militares fueron alcanzadas por disparos.
- Infodefensa: La Infantería de Marina de México proyecta fabricar 762 drones bombarderos y 381 drones kamikaze (14 September 2026)Marine Infantry modernisation plan 2024–2045: 762 bomber drones and 381 loitering munitions planned; not part of the Aeronáutica Naval.
Cifras verificadas el 1 de octubre de 2026. Las páginas de Orden de Batalla se regeneran a partir de un único conjunto de datos; si algún número aquí no coincide con el de una página del Libro de las Bestias, esta página es la más reciente de las dos.
Photographs: Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Jeremy L. Grisham / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Benjamin Randriamanampisoa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Master Sergeant Dave Casey / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Bijay Chaurasia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: James St. John / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: PH1 MARTIN MADDOCK, USN / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: U.S. Navy / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)