Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) dates itself to 5 February 1915, when Venustiano Carranza created a Military Aviation Arm for his revolutionary army; it sent Mexico’s only unit ever to fight overseas, Escuadrón 201, to the Philippines in 1945, has spent most of the century since flying against rebels and drug crops at home, and in 2026 it guards one of the largest countries in the Americas with nine ageing F-5s, three of them flying, while it waits for new transports, helicopters and a fighter decision that keeps slipping.
The Mexican Air Force story: aviators of the revolution, Escuadrón 201 in the Philippines and three F-5s on guard
1913–1929: aviators of the revolution, and an air force that made its own aircraft
Mexican military flying began in the middle of a civil war. In 1912 President Francisco Madero sent five young men — the brothers Alberto and Gustavo Salinas, Juan Pablo and Eduardo Aldasoro, and Horacio Ruiz — to the Moisant school in New York. After Madero’s murder, the Huerta regime formed an Auxiliary Aerial Militia Squadron in April 1913, while the rebels hired their own flyers: on 10 May 1913 the Constitutionalists’ Didier Masson and Joaquín Bauche Alcalde dropped improvised bombs on federal gunboats at Guaymas, missing them but driving them out of the harbour. On 5 February 1915 Venustiano Carranza decreed the Arma de Aviación Militar, the date the air force still keeps. Short of foreign aircraft during the First World War, Mexico built its own in the National Aviation Workshops (TNCA), and in the 1920s the American ace Ralph O’Neill reorganised the service, bought 35 Avro 504s and is credited with the name Fuerza Aérea Mexicana.
1929–1945: rebellions at home and Escuadrón 201 in the Philippines
The young air force’s wars were internal. American-supplied DH-4Bs helped crush the de la Huerta rebellion of 1923–24; aircraft flew against the Yaqui in Sonora in 1926–27 and in the Cristero War of 1926–29. When General José Gonzalo Escobar rose on 3 March 1929, Washington sold the government twelve O2U-2M Corsairs and other types, and the rebellion ended at Jiménez, Chihuahua, that month; a further revolt by Saturnino Cedillo in 1938 met a mixed force of 17 aircraft. After U-boats sank Mexican tankers in May 1942, Mexico declared war, and in 1944–45 it trained and sent the 300-strong Mexican Expeditionary Air Force to the Philippines. Its Escuadrón 201 flew P-47D Thunderbolts with the US Fifth Air Force over Luzon and Formosa from June to August 1945. Mexican sources count five pilots killed in operations there; the squadron remains the only Mexican unit ever to fight abroad.
1945–1994: jets arrive late, and the F-5 arrives small
Peace made the air force a small, frugal service. Jets came late: 15 to 17 ex-Canadian Vampires in 1960–61, which had no ejection seats and were gone within a decade, and T-33s that stayed until 13 July 2007. Pilatus PC-7s arrived from 1978–79 and became the backbone of training and light attack, with 88 delivered according to Wikipedia. The one modern fighter purchase came in 1982: ten F-5E and two F-5F Tiger IIs, the first of which reached Santa Lucía on 10 August 1982. Infodefensa reports that 26 had been planned, but the 1985 earthquake and budget constraints ended that, and a later offer of 20 surplus Taiwanese F-5s foundered on Chinese pressure. On 16 September 1995 an F-5E collided with three T-33s during the Independence Day flypast, killing ten people according to Wikipedia’s account, and parade flypasts have been more cautious ever since.
1994–2018: Chiapas, helicopters and the long war on drugs
The Zapatista rising of 1 January 1994 in Chiapas turned the air force towards helicopters. Almost every available Bell 212 and MD 530 was sent south, and the air force bought armed MD 530MG Defenders and its first UH-60L Black Hawks for a new 216th Special Operations Squadron. Armed PC-7s were also used against the Zapatistas; according to Wikipedia’s PC-7 article, the Swiss government regarded that as a breach of the training-only terms of sale and stopped further sales. From 2006 the war against the cartels made the air force a counter-narcotics service: crop spraying, troop lift and surveillance. It has paid for it. On 1 May 2015 a Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación rocket-propelled grenade brought down an EC725 Cougar in Jalisco; first reports gave six soldiers killed, later reporting nine. The air force’s account of 2024 lists 1,173 eradication operations and 1,842 reconnaissance flights.
2018–2024: an airport at Santa Lucía, and a fleet that shrinks
Under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018–2024) the armed forces took on civilian work on a new scale, and the air force’s main base was its most visible victim and beneficiary. Construction of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport began on BAM 1 Santa Lucía, the air force’s home since 1952, on 17 October 2019; it opened on 21 March 2022 with two new civil runways while the military kept its own. The government sold its Boeing 787 presidential aircraft to Tajikistan in 2023 for 92 million dollars, and in December 2023 the air force lent its three Boeing 737-800s to the new state airline, Mexicana de Aviación. Meanwhile the fleet aged: Infodefensa, using defence ministry data, counts 352 aircraft in 2019 and 333 in 2023, with operational availability falling from 63 to 58 per cent, and no fighter replacement after seven years without equipment investment.
2024–2026: transports first, fighters later
Since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024 the air force has opened BAM 20 at Tulum (10 February 2025), recovered its 737s from Mexicana and launched its first substantial purchases in years: two C-130J-30 Super Hercules, the first in Latin America, with delivery from November 2028; seven UH-60M Black Hawks and three H225M helicopters; and six long-range drones, with the MQ-9A among the candidates. The F-5 question is still open. In April 2026 the commander, General Román Carmona Landa, spoke of buying twelve new combat aircraft by 2028, naming the F-16, Gripen, FA-50 and M-346; in June the defence secretary, General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, put transports and helicopters first and called the fighter replacement a medium- to long-term matter. Until then three flying F-5s, backed by T-6Cs, King Airs and helicopters, are the whole of Mexico’s air defence, a gap Infodefensa has described as leaving Mexico behind the rest of the region.
The Mexican Air Force in numbers
Serviço
- Nome nativo
- Fuerza Aérea MexicanaThe Spanish name, abbreviated FAM, as used by SEDENA and Spanish Wikipedia. Spanish is the language of government; Mexico’s indigenous languages are recognised as national languages, but no official indigenous-language name was found. English Wikipedia titles the article Mexican Air Force
- Fundada
- 5 February 1915Venustiano Carranza decreed the Arma de Aviación Militar on 5 February 1915. Military flying had begun in 1913, and the air force became a separate service within SEDENA on 10 February 1944, the date of the annual Air Force Day
- Parte de
- Secretariat of National Defence (SEDENA)The air force and the army share one ministry; the navy and its aviation sit under the separate Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR). The National Guard’s operational command was transferred to SEDENA by the 2022 reforms, according to Wikipedia
- Sede
- Mexico CityA new headquarters at Campo Militar Conjunto No. 1-J (Predio Reforma) was inaugurated on 30 June 2026, beside the army and National Guard commands
- Comandante
- Gen. Román Carmona LandaIn command since 1 June 2025, according to Infodefensa
- Secretary of National Defence
- Gen. Ricardo Trevilla TrejoIn office since 1 October 2024 under President Claudia Sheinbaum
Força
- Pessoal
- About 10,500–30,500President Sheinbaum gave 1,445 women and 9,093 men (10,538) on 10 February 2025; English and Spanish Wikipedia give 30,517 and 30,516, a figure that probably counts all personnel assigned to air force units. The difference was not explained in the sources checked
- Aeronave
- 333209 fixed-wing aircraft, 117 helicopters and seven drones (February 2025). Infodefensa, using defence ministry data, puts operational availability at 57.93 per cent in 2023
- Aeronaves de combate
-
- F-5E/F Tiger II — 9, of which 3 operational (2025)
- PC-7 — armed trainer and light attack, about 63 listed
The F-5s serve with Escuadrón Aéreo 401; replacement by about twelve new combat aircraft has been discussed but not funded
- Treinadores
-
- T-6C+ Texan II — 56 listed
- Grob G 120TP — 24 listed (25 contracted)
- SF.260 — 24 listed
Figures from English Wikipedia; the official fleet count by type was not published in the sources checked
- Transporte
-
- C-130/L-100-30 Hercules — about 3, retiring by 2029
- C-27J Spartan — 4
- C295 — 8 bought, one written off in 2025
- Boeing 737-800 — 3, back from Mexicana from 2025
Two C-130J-30s are on order, first due in November 2028
- Helicópteros
-
- UH-60L/M Black Hawk — 18–26
- Mi-17 — 18–19
- H225M (EC725) — 12–16
- Bell 206, 407, 412 and MD 530 — about 60
Sources disagree on Black Hawk and Cougar numbers; see the fleet table
- Budget 2026
- About 10 billion pesos5.14 billion pesos for investment and 4.86 billion for operations in the 2026 budget proposal, roughly 540 million US dollars
Infraestrutura
- bases aéreas
- 20 military air bases (BAM 1–20)From BAM 1 Santa Lucía to BAM 20 Tulum, opened on 10 February 2025
- Estações aéreas
- 10 military air stations (EAM)Smaller detachments at civil airports
- Air regions
- 4North-west, north-east, central and south-east
- Airspace surveillance
- CenaviThe National Centre for Airspace Surveillance and Protection, staffed by 106 people from several services, says illicit flights fell 86 per cent between 2018 and 2024
- Shared airport
- Felipe Ángeles International AirportOpened on 21 March 2022 on BAM 1 Santa Lucía, with two 4,500 m civil runways beside the 3,500 m military runway; SEDENA operates it
- Equipe de exibição
- Águilas Aztecas (Aztec Eagles)Six T-6C Texan IIs of Escuadrón Aéreo 402, presented on 10 February 2025
How the Mexican Air Force is organised
A service of the Secretariat of National Defence, which it shares with the army, with four air regions, 20 military air bases and 10 air stations. Its only fighters are the F-5E/F Tiger IIs of Escuadrón Aéreo 401: nine airframes, three of them operational in 2025 according to the commander, backed in the airspace-surveillance role by T-6Cs, King Airs, EMB 145 radar aircraft and helicopters. SEDENA does not publish its order of battle, and the Wikipedia tables that place squadrons at bases disagree with one another.
Mexican Air Force
A service of the Secretariat of National Defence (SEDENA), which it shares with the army, organised in four air regions — north-west, north-east, central and south-east. Infodefensa reported that Gen. Román Carmona Landa took command on 1 June 2025; the Secretary of National Defence since 1 October 2024 is Gen. Ricardo Trevilla Trejo. A new headquarters at Campo Militar Conjunto No. 1-J was inaugurated on 30 June 2026, beside the army and National Guard commands.
Escuadrón Aéreo 401
Mexico’s only supersonic unit, flying the F-5E/F Tiger II since the first two of twelve arrived on 10 August 1982. In 2025 the commander gave nine airframes, three of them operational and being upgraded. Infodefensa places the F-5s at Santa Lucía; English Wikipedia’s base table gives Ixtepec. A replacement has been discussed but not funded.
Air Surveillance Squadrons and Escuadrón Aéreo 701
Among the aircraft that Cenavi, the National Centre for Airspace Surveillance and Protection, lists for its work are one EMB 145 AEW&C and two EMB 145MP patrol aircraft and two King Air 350s; Wikipedia places EMB 145s and C-26s with the 1st Air Surveillance Squadron at Ixtepec and the 3rd at Hermosillo, though its tables disagree. The Cessna Citations of Escuadrón Aéreo 701 fly interception and surveillance and played clandestine flights in the Jaguar 2025 exercise at Mérida.
Escuadrones Aéreos 301, 302 and 502
301 flies the C295, seven left after 3201 was lost in a gear-up landing on 9 September 2025; 302 the C-130 and L-100-30 Hercules and the C-27J, which flew aid to the Los Angeles fires in January 2025; 502 the three Boeing 737-800s back from Mexicana from 2025. Two C-130J-30s are on order, the first due in November 2028. The High Command Special Air Transport Unit flies presidential and VIP aircraft from BAM 19, according to English Wikipedia.
Escuadrones Aéreos 101 and 303
101 flies the H225M (EC725) Caracal and 303 the Mi-17, which Wikipedia places at Santa Lucía; sanctions on Russia forced the Mi-17s to be overhauled through Western suppliers. The UH-60M fleet, 18 according to Infodefensa and 26 according to English Wikipedia, is the largest in Latin America; seven more UH-60Ms were announced and three H225Ms sought in February 2026.
Colegio del Aire and Escuadrones Aéreos 402 and 201
The Air College at Zapopan, there since 1959 according to Spanish Wikipedia, trains pilots on the Grob G 120TP, SF.260, PC-7 and F33C. Escuadrón 402’s T-6Cs form the Águilas Aztecas display team at Ixtepec, according to Infodefensa, and Wikipedia places Escuadrón 201, the number of the squadron that fought in the Philippines in 1945, at Cozumel with T-6C+ Texan IIs.
PC-7, Texan and light aircraft squadrons
Squadrons that Wikipedia places at La Paz (203, PC-7), Hermosillo (204, T-6; 107, Cessna 182 and PC-6), Apodaca (108, Cessna 182 and 206) and Zapopan (105 and 111, Cessnas and Bells), with Wikipedia’s tables disagreeing on several. Cessnas fly reconnaissance and Bell 407GXs spray drug crops: 3,166 herbicide sorties between September 2023 and July 2024, according to defence ministry data.
What the Mexican Air Force flies today
Cada tipo de cobrança, com link para sua página no Livro das Feras, quando houver. Os números indicam as aeronaves registradas, não as aeronaves disponíveis em um determinado dia.
| Tipo | Papel | Em serviço | Desde | Unidades | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIEm serviço | Interceptor | 9 | 1982 | 9 airframes, 3 operational (commander, 2025). 12 delivered in 1982 (10 F-5E, 2 F-5F); one lost in 1983 and one in the 1995 parade collision. English Wikipedia lists 8; Spanish Wikipedia 10. | ||
| Pilatus PC-7Em serviço | Treinador e ataque leve | 63 | 1979 | English Wikipedia lists 63, 30 used for training. 88 delivered from May 1979 (Wikipedia, citing Pilatus); Infodefensa dates the first to 1978. | ||
| Pilatus PC-9MEm serviço | Treinador | 1 | Contested: English Wikipedia lists one; Spanish Wikipedia says the single survivor was sold to the Irish Air Corps on 17 November 2016. | |||
| Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan IIEm serviço | Treinador avançado | 56 | 2012 | English Wikipedia lists 56. The first six were ordered on 9 January 2012 and six more on 24 October 2013; later batches were not itemised in the sources checked. | ||
| Grob G 120TPEm serviço | Instrutor básico | 24 | 2015 | 25 contracted (with an option for 15 more); delivered February 2015 to February 2016; English Wikipedia lists 24 after one lost in 2025. | ||
| SIAI-Marchetti SF.260Em serviço | Instrutor básico | 24 | English Wikipedia lists 24; delivery dates not confirmed. | |||
| Embraer EMB 145 AEW&C and EMB 145MP (E-99/P-99)Em serviço | Airborne early warning and maritime patrol | 3 | One AEW&C and two maritime patrol aircraft; Mexico was launch customer for the patrol version. | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 350 (incl. ISR) and King Air 90/300Em serviço | Surveillance and light transport | 5 | English Wikipedia lists two King Air 350 surveillance aircraft and three King Air 90/300 transports. | |||
| Cessna Citation I/SP Eagle IIEm serviço | Interception and surveillance | 2 | English Wikipedia lists two. | |||
| Boeing 737-800 (and 737-200)Em serviço | VIP and personnel transport | 3 | Three 737-800s (FAM 3526–3528) of Escuadrón Aéreo 502; one 737-200 was flyable in 2024. | |||
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules (C-130K, L-100-30)Em serviço | Transporte tático | 3 | English Wikipedia lists three. Only one C-130 Mk3 was flyable for the 2024 parade. | |||
| Alenia C-27J SpartanEm serviço | Transporte tático | 4 | 2011 | Four ordered in July 2011 for about 200 million dollars; all delivered by the end of 2012. | ||
| Airbus C295 (C-295M and C-295W)Em serviço | Transporte e busca e salvamento | 7 | 2010 | Eight bought from 2010 (six C-295M, 3201–3206, and two C-295W); 3201 written off after a gear-up landing at Santa Lucía on 9 September 2025. English Wikipedia lists five. | ||
| Pilatus PC-6 Porter, Turbo Commander and Cessna 182/206Em serviço | Light transport and reconnaissance | English Wikipedia lists one PC-6 and two Turbo Commanders; the number of Cessnas was not published. | ||||
| Sikorsky UH-60L/M Black HawkEm serviço | Utility and assault helicopter | 18 | 1994 | Infodefensa (August 2026): 18 UH-60M, the largest fleet in Latin America; English Wikipedia lists 26 UH-60M. Seven more announced in February 2026. | ||
| Mil Mi-17 (Mi-8MT family)Em serviço | helicóptero de transporte | 19 | 19 with Escuadrón Aéreo 303 (Infodefensa, 2026); English Wikipedia lists 18. | |||
| Airbus H225M (EC725) CaracalEm serviço | Transport and search and rescue helicopter | 12 | 2011 | Infodefensa: 12 bought in 2009–10 and delivered 2011–14; English Wikipedia lists 16. Three more sought in 2026. | ||
| Bell 206, 407GX, 412 and UH-1HEm serviço | Utility, training and crop-spraying helicopters | 48 | English Wikipedia lists 22 Bell 206 (nine for training), 17 Bell 407, 8 Bell 412 and one UH-1H. | |||
| MD Helicopters MD 530F/MG DefenderEm serviço | Light attack and scout helicopter | 13 | 1994 | English Wikipedia lists 13. Twelve armed MD 530MGs were bought in 1994. | ||
| Elbit Hermes 450Em serviço | Surveillance drone | 3 | English Wikipedia lists three; the air force counted seven drones in February 2025. |
Sob encomenda
| Tipo | Encomendado | Primeira entrega | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super HerculesSob encomenda | 2 | 2028 | One announced in February 2026 at about 4.63 billion pesos; the defence secretary announced two on 10 July 2026, and Lockheed Martin confirmed the second in September 2026.
MaisFirst delivery is planned for November 2028. Mexico will be the first Latin American operator. |
|
| Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkSob encomenda | 7 | Announced by the defence secretary in February 2026; delivery dates not published. | ||
| Airbus H225M CaracalSob encomenda | 3 | To enlarge Escuadrón Aéreo 101; estimated at 172 million dollars. In the acquisition process in February 2026. | ||
| Strategic-range unmanned aircraft (type not chosen)Sob encomenda | 6 | Infodefensa named the MQ-9A Reaper and the Zeus VTOL among the candidates in February 2026; no contract had been reported. |
Every type the Mexican Air Force has retired
11 types, from the Glenn L. Martin pusher "Sonora" to the Bell 212. Os números máximos representam as aeronaves incorporadas à frota ao longo de toda a sua vida útil, e não a força total da frota em uma data específica.
| Tipo | Papel | Pico | Servido | Substituído por | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sino 212 | Utility and assault helicopter | UH-60, Bell 412 | ||||
| Boeing 727 | VIP and personnel transport | 1982–2016 | Boeing 737 | |||
| Lockheed T-33A and AT-33A | Jato de treinamento e ataque leve | 50 | 1961–2007 | 35–50: 15 in 1961 and more than 20 in the 1970s and 1980s (Mexican Air Force article); 50 AT-33A (T-33 article). | ||
| de Havilland Vampire F.3 and T.11 | Mexico’s first jet fighter | 15 | 1961–1970 | T-33 | 15–17: 15 ex-RCAF Mk III according to the Vampire article; 17 according to the Mexican Air Force article. | |
| Glenn L. Martin pusher "Sonora" | Bomber and reconnaissance (Constitutionalist) | 1 | 1913–1913 | Uma aeronave. | ||
| de Havilland DH-4B | Bombardeiro e reconhecimento | 1924– | ||||
| Avro 504K/J and Avro Anáhuac | Treinador | 35 | 35 bought under Ralph O’Neill, later licence-built in Mexico as the Anáhuac. | |||
| Vought O2U-2M Corsair, Corsario Azcárate O2U-4A and V-99M | Observation and light bomber | 53 | 1929– | 12 O2U-2M bought in 1929, 31 licence-built as Corsario Azcárate, 10 V-99M bought in 1937. | ||
| Douglas O-2M | Observation and light bomber | 9 | 1929– | Nine bought in 1929. | ||
| Republic P-47D Thunderbolt | Caça-bombardeiro | 25 | 1945– | 25 P-47D-30-RA for Escuadrón 201 in 1945; post-war numbers not confirmed. | ||
| Trovão T-28A norte-americano | Treinador e ataque leve | 32 | 32 listed by Wikipedia. |
Where the Mexican Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases. Santa Lucía, the air force’s main base since 1952, has shared its site with Felipe Ángeles International Airport since 21 March 2022, and most of the other bases sit on civil airports, from Hermosillo and La Paz to Mérida and Cozumel. BAM 19 in Mexico City stands on Balbuena, where military flying began in 1915. The 11 bases listed are 11 of the 20 military air bases; entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | OACI | Status | Pista | Unidades e aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apodaca Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 14Nuevo León | MMAN | Ativo | 02/202.011 m11/291,538 m |
|
| Cozumel Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 4Quintana Roo | MMCZ | Ativo | 05/233,098 m12/302.700 m |
|
| Hermosillo Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 18Sonora | MMHO | Ativo | 05/232,300 m |
|
| Ixtepec Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 2Oaxaca | MMIT | Ativo | 18/362.330 m |
|
| La Paz Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 9Baja California Sur | MMLP | Ativo | 18/362.500 mconcreto |
|
| Mérida Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 8Yucatán | MMMD | Ativo | 10/283.200 m18/362,300 m |
|
| Mexico City Air Force Base (Air Force Base No. 19), the former Balbuena military airfieldMexico City (Ciudad de México) | MMMX | Ativo | 05L/23R3.900 m05R/23L3,952 m |
|
| Pie de la Cuesta Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 7Guerrero (Acapulco) | Ativo |
|
||
| Santa Lucía Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 1State of Mexico (Estado de México), Zumpango | MMSM | Ativo | 04R/22L3.500 mconcreto |
|
| Tulum Air Force BaseAir Force Base No. 20Quintana Roo | MMTL | Ativo | 12/303.700 mconcreto | |
| Zapopan Air Force Base (Air Force Base No. 5) and Air CollegeJalisco | Ativo |
|
Nenhuma base aérea corresponde a essa busca.
Who is stationed where in the Mexican Air Force
Unidades voadoras por base, unidades atuais primeiro. Mexican flying units are air squadrons (escuadrones aéreos) with three-digit numbers, from Escuadrón 401 with the F-5s to Escuadrón 201, which carries the number of the squadron that fought in the Philippines in 1945. SEDENA does not publish a current order of battle; where the Wikipedia tables disagree on a squadron’s base or aircraft, the entry says so. The early units at Balbuena are listed as former.
- Escuadrón Aéreo 401 (Air Squadron 401)Esquadrão de caça · ativo
- Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II
- Escuadrón Aéreo 301 (Air Squadron 301)Esquadrão de transporte · ativo
- Airbus C295M and C295W
- Escuadrón Aéreo 302 (Air Squadron 302)Esquadrão de transporte · ativo
- Lockheed L-100-30 / C-130 Hercules, Leonardo C-27J Spartan
- Escuadrón Aéreo 101 (Air Squadron 101)Esquadrão de helicópteros · ativo
- Airbus H225M (EC725) Caracal
- Escuadrón Aéreo 303 (Air Squadron 303)Esquadrão de helicópteros · ativo
- Mil Mi-17 (Mi-8MTV-1)
- Escuadrón Aéreo 502 (Air Squadron 502)Personnel transport squadron · active
- Boeing 737
- Escuadrón Aéreo 201 (Air Squadron 201)Training and light attack squadron · active
- Beechcraft T-6C+ Texan II, Pilatus PC-7 (earlier)
- Escuadrón Aéreo 402 (Air Squadron 402), Águilas AztecasTraining squadron and display team · active
- Beechcraft T-6C Texan II
- 1st Air Surveillance SquadronAirborne surveillance squadron · active
- Fairchild C-26, Embraer ERJ 145 (EMB 145)
- Colegio del Aire (Air College), including the Military Aviation SchoolAir force college and flying schools · active
- Pilatus PC-7, SIAI-Marchetti SF.260, Beechcraft F33C Bonanza
- Escuadrones Aéreos 105 and 111Light aircraft and helicopter squadrons · active
- Cessna 182 and 206, Bell 206, Bell 212
- Escuadrón Aéreo 102 (Air Squadron 102)Esquadrão de helicópteros · ativo
- Bell 206, Bell 212
- Light aircraft squadron (number disputed: 104, 109 or 114)Reconnaissance and liaison squadron · active
- Cessna 182
- Escuadrón Aéreo 203 (Air Squadron 203)Training and light attack squadron · active
- Pilatus PC-7
- Escuadrón Aéreo 108 (Air Squadron 108)Light aircraft squadron · active
- Cessna 182 and 206
- Air Squadron 102 (as listed)Esquadrão de helicópteros · ativo
- Bell 206, Bell 212
- Escuadrón Aéreo 204 (Air Squadron 204)Training and light attack squadron · active
- Beechcraft T-6 Texan II
- 3rd Air Surveillance SquadronAirborne surveillance squadron · active
- Fairchild C-26 Metroliner, Embraer EMB 145 AEW&C
- Escuadrón Aéreo 107 (Air Squadron 107)Light aircraft squadron · active
- Cessna 182, Pilatus PC-6 Porter
- High Command Special Air Transport Unit (UETAAM)VIP and presidential transport · active
- Boeing 737, Beechcraft King Air, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
- Military Aviation Arm units at Balbuena1915–1959
- Aeronaves militares antigas
Nenhuma unidade corresponde a essa pesquisa.
Mexican Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
April: the Huerta government forms the Auxiliary Aerial Militia Squadron. 10 May: Didier Masson and Joaquín Bauche Alcalde bomb federal gunboats at Guaymas for the Constitutionalists.
9 April: Gustavo Salinas attacks a ship at sea from the air, credited by Wikipedia as the first such action.
5 February: Venustiano Carranza decrees the Arma de Aviación Militar, the founding date of the air force.
US-supplied DH-4Bs help defeat the de la Huerta rebellion, suppressed by February 1924.
3 March: the Escobar rebellion begins; the government buys 12 O2U-2M Corsairs and other aircraft, and the rebels are beaten at Jiménez in late March.
May: U-boats sink the tankers Potrero del Llano (13 May) and Faja de Oro (20 May); Mexico moves to declare war on 22 May.
10 February: the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana becomes a separate service; in July the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force is formed with about 300 personnel.
June–August: Escuadrón 201 flies P-47Ds over Luzon and Formosa; it parades in Mexico City on 18 November.
24 November: the airfield at Santa Lucía, replacing Balbuena, is inaugurated; it becomes BAM 1.
Vampires and T-33s bring the air force into the jet age.
10 August: the first F-5E and F-5F reach Santa Lucía; 12 are delivered for Escuadrón Aéreo 401.
January: helicopters and armed PC-7s are used against the Zapatista rising in Chiapas; the first UH-60Ls and armed MD 530MGs are bought.
16 September: an F-5E collides with three T-33s in the Independence Day flypast; ten people are killed.
13 July: the last T-33s are retired.
1 May: an EC725 is brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade in Jalisco.
21 March: Felipe Ángeles International Airport opens on BAM 1 Santa Lucía.
10 February: BAM 20 opens at Tulum and the Águilas Aztecas display team is presented. 1 June: General Román Carmona Landa takes command.
30 June: new headquarters inaugurated in Mexico City. July–September: two C-130J-30s ordered for delivery from November 2028.
Every war the Mexican Air Force has fought
Missões e perdas onde constam nos registros, e um espaço em branco honesto onde não constam.
- The Mexican Revolution 1913–1920 Reconnaissance, leaflet-dropping and improvised bombing, on both sides of the civil war
- The de la Huerta rebellion 1923–1924 Reconnaissance and bombing for the Obregón government
- The Yaqui campaign 1926–1927 Air support for the army against the Yaqui people, who demanded by force that earlier land treaties be honoured
- The Cristero War 1926–1929 Reconnaissance and air support for the federal army against Catholic rebels
- The Escobar rebellion 1929 Bombing and reconnaissance for the government against rebel army units
The Mexican Air Force display teams
Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.
Everything people ask about the Mexican Air Force
What is the Mexican Air Force called in Spanish?
When was the Mexican Air Force founded?
What fighter jets does the Mexican Air Force have?
Will Mexico replace the F-5?
What was Escuadrón 201?
Is Santa Lucía still an air base now that it is an airport?
How many aircraft does the Mexican Air Force have?
Did Mexico use the PC-7 in combat?
What happened to the Mexican presidential plane?
Does the Mexican Air Force fight the cartels?
Read the aircraft the Mexican Air Force flew
Cada tipo com uma página no Livro das Feras, primeiro em serviço e depois pelo ano em que deixou a frota.
Todos os fatos foram verificados.
- Infodefensa: Defensa dará prioridad a aviones de transporte y helicópteros antes que nuevos interceptores (19 June 2026)Trevilla on transport priority and a plan to 2050; Carmona Landa on twelve combat aircraft by 2028 and the candidate types.
- Infodefensa: México adquiere un segundo C-130J-30 Super Hercules (27 September 2026)Lockheed Martin confirms the second C-130J-30.
- Infodefensa: México comprará dos C-130J Super Hércules (13 July 2026)Announcement of 10 July 2026; first delivery November 2028.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea Mexicana estrena cuartel general (2026)Headquarters inaugurated 30 June 2026 at Campo Militar Conjunto No. 1-J.
- Infodefensa: Brasil condecora al comandante de la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (3 May 2026)Confirms General Román Carmona Landa as commander in 2026.
- Infodefensa: El general Román Carmona Landa es el nuevo comandante de la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (3 June 2025)Took command 1 June 2025; career.
- Infodefensa: Los aviones de combate F-5E/F cumplen 43 años en México (10 August 2025)Arrival 10 August 1982; 12 delivered of 26 planned; nine remain, three operational; Taiwanese offer.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea de México da de baja 19 aeronaves (20 March 2025)Fleet 352 (2019) to 333 (2023); availability 63.14 to 57.93 per cent.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea mexicana pierde un C-295M (10 September 2025)Gear-up landing of 3201 on 9 September 2025; eight C295s bought from 2010.
- Infodefensa: México inaugura la Base Aérea Militar N.º 20 (11 February 2025)BAM 20 Tulum opened 10 February 2025; personnel 10,538; 209 aircraft, 117 helicopters, 7 drones; 2024 operations; Águilas Aztecas.
- Infodefensa: La FAM planea repotenciar los F-5E/F y regresar los Boeing 737 (2025)Nine F-5s with Escuadrón 401, three operational; 737s back to Escuadrón 502; drones.
- Infodefensa: La defensa aérea mexicana se rezaga respecto al resto de la región (2024)Low F-5 availability; cancelled MH-60R purchase.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea logra poner en el aire 80 aeronaves (20 September 2024)Parade of 16 September 2024; one C-130, one C-27J, three F-5s flyable; C-130 retirement from 2027.
- Infodefensa: Nombran a nuevos comandantes en la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (8 January 2025)Command changes at BAM 1, 18 and 20 on 4 January 2025.
- Infodefensa: El secretario de la Defensa ratifica la actualización de equipamiento para la FAM (13 February 2026)C-130J, three H225M, seven UH-60M and six drones.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea Mexicana reincorpora a servicio sus Boeing 737 NG (20 December 2025)737-800s 3526–3528 lent to the state airline from 26 December 2023, returning.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea Mexicana contará en 2026 con 280 millones de dólares (2025)2026 budget: 5.14 billion pesos investment, 4.86 billion operations; C-130J 4.63 billion pesos.
- Infodefensa: México busca tres nuevos H225M Cougar (5 February 2026)Twelve EC725 bought in 2010, delivered 2011–14; three more sought for Escuadrón 101.
- Infodefensa: Nueva cabina y aviónica para los Mi-17 de la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (2026)19 Mi-17 in Escuadrón 303; overhaul of 18 from 2023.
- Infodefensa: Tiene lugar en México el Espectáculo Aéreo Tulum 2026Air show of 23–26 April 2026; F-5s of Escuadrón 401; Águilas Aztecas with T-6Cs of Escuadrón 402.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea Mexicana realiza 3.166 operaciones de aspersión (19 January 2025)3,166 spraying operations, September 2023 to July 2024; aircraft used.
- Infodefensa: México envía un C-130 y un C-27J a Los Ángeles (14 January 2025)L-100-30 3611 and a C-27J left Santa Lucía on 11 January 2025; no C-130s expected in service by 2029.
- Infodefensa: Blindaje del espacio aéreo mexicano redujo 86% los vuelos ilícitos (2025)Cenavi: 106 personnel; aircraft used; 86 per cent fall 2018–2024.
- Infodefensa: La Fuerza Aérea Mexicana estrena nuevos esquemas de pintura en el Desfile Militar 202699 aircraft on 16 September 2026; three F-5s; PC-7 yellow scheme.
- Infodefensa: Un UH-60M Black Hawk sufre un incidente en Durango (31 August 2026)Incident of 28 August 2026; 18 UH-60M in the air force.
- Infodefensa: México y Guatemala ejecutan el ejercicio Jaguar 2025 (11 October 2025)29 September–3 October 2025 at BAM 8; Citation of Escuadrón 701.
- Infodefensa: Amalgam Eagle 2025 (5 November 2025)Exercise of 28–29 October 2025 with NORAD; T-6C, UH-60M, King Air.
Dados verificados em 01/10/2026. As páginas da Ordem de Batalha são geradas a partir de um único conjunto de dados; se algum número aqui divergir de uma página do Livro das Feras, esta página será considerada a mais recente.
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