Mexico plans to acquire Black Hawk helicopters and heavy transport aircraft in 2023

Mexico plans to acquire new air equipment in 2023. As reported, the Command of the Mexican Air Force (FAM) reactivated the project to acquire a fleet of at least 18 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters.

An investment of around US$652.2 million is expected for these new aircraft, equipped with FLIR vision systems and mounts for artillery pieces not included. The FAM currently has a fleet of 18 Black Hawk aircraft, which were purchased in 2014 and delivered in 2016, with an investment of US$203 million.

The initial data on the purchase of the UH-60M was known from the dissemination of classified documents extracted by Guacamaya Leaks, in which the project of the Mexican Air Force has been revealed, whose commander, General of Aviation Gerardo Vega Rivera, sent a letter to the United States Northern Command to request a quote focused on the purchase of 18 UH-60M.

Vega sent that letter, on June 2, which was answered on June 27 by commanders of the Northern Command in a text to agree on a virtual meeting between military commanders of both countries to review four suggested topics: the participation of a Compañía de México (a military unit made up of 130 elements) to the Joint Preparation Training Center (JRTC), the state that keeps the donation of radars to Mexico, the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas and the request for price and availability for UH-60 helicopters.

This purchase would reactivate the acquisition of military aerial material by the Mexican government, suspended upon the arrival of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose austerity policy initially affected war spending and with it the modernization of all kinds of equipment and weapons.

However, the president of Mexico expanded the mission agenda for the armed forces in an unprecedented way, including aspects not related to military activities, such as the construction of civilian airports, the construction of hotels, police headquarters, and the creation of companies for administer works related to developments from which financial resources are expected to arise to strengthen the militia, its retirees and pensioners and their successors.

HEAVY TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT

On the other hand, FAM also issued a request for quotation to private companies to find out the best price with a view to the acquisition of two heavy air transport aircraft with which it will reactivate its long-range operational capacity, in addition to accessing advanced technology superior to that of its current fleet of Lockheed C-130 Hercules (at most three that are still operational).

The requested quote is part of the project called Strengthening Air Transport Capacity, endorsed and promoted by the commander of the FAM and was issued on the official purchasing site of the Mexican government at the end of last August.

The project seeks to find out the best prices for the purchase of two aircraft that would join the 302 Air Squadron, punished by the aging of its Hercules.

The technical sheet prepared by the FAM does not indicate in a concrete and precise way what type of aircraft is requested. 

It does not mention a brand or construction company as such, but it presents a list of 18 very specific specifications that the required equipment must meet and that, together, exceed what the C-130 offers on the market, for which some experts presume that Mexico may be considering acquiring the Airbus A400M model.

COMMERCIAL AIRLINE

On the other hand, for this 2023, the Sedena foresees the creation of a state airline, under the commercial brand of the bankrupt Mexican airline, which President López Obrador was negotiating towards the end of 2022.

In principle, its fleet will be made up of aircraft in the leasing or rental model, and, in addition, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner presidential plane would be added, which López Obrador has refused to use, considering it an excessive luxury and despite many attempts to selling it has not been possible.

With information from Infodefensa