Mexico has been developing and producing its own weapons systems since the early 20th century, going through stages of building its own aircraft, armored vehicles and ships, although its defense industry has weakened over time and is not as strong today as it used to be.
Over the past decade, a certain revival has begun under the leadership of the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) and the General Directorate of the Defense Industry (DGIM).
In the field of small arms, DGIM has moved from licensed production of foreign weapons to the development and production of its own models. The 5.56mm FX-05 Xihucoatl assault rifle was developed in 2005 to replace the 7.62mm Heckler & Koch G3 rifles, which are in service with most units of the Mexican army. In appearance, the FX-05 rifle is similar to the H&K G36 (which led to an investigation by H&K of possible patent infringement), but in reality it is an original project.
An initial budget of 100 million Mexican pesos ($ 9 million) in 2006 called for the development, testing and production of 30,000 new rifles. To date, 60,000 units have already been manufactured and plans include the production of another 120,000 rifles by 2018. However, the budgetary constraints associated with the fall in oil prices mean that these plans are unlikely to come true.
The main improvements of the FX-05 compared to the G3 rifle are associated with the wide use of polymer materials that lighten the weapon, a modular buttstock for easy handling and a transparent magazine are also integrated, so the owner can always see how many cartridges are left. The rifle is equipped with Picatinny rails for attaching attachments and accessories, including a reflex sight, a front grip and a tactical flashlight.
Although the rifle is an achievement of the Mexican defense industry, it is clear that there are problems with reliability, mainly the short barrel life, which according to some sources does not exceed a few hundred shots. This is most likely due to the use of low-quality steel in production. DGIM is also developing a 40mm grenade launcher for the FX-05 rifle to replace existing M203 grenade launchers used with G3 rifles.
Armored platforms
The SEDENA Secretariat issued a task to DGIM for the development of a lightweight protected vehicle, which entrusted the designation DN-XI. In 2012, it was announced that the goal was to produce 1,000 of these machines.
The DN-XI armored cab, mounted on a Ford F-550 Super Duty chassis, can withstand 7.62mm bullets. It has a turret for a light / heavy machine gun or automatic grenade launcher; the armored car can accommodate a group of eight infantrymen.
A new $ 6.3 million dedicated assembly line in Mexico City with an estimated production capacity of up to 200 machines has been set up by DGIM. However, budgetary problems have made it possible to manufacture only 100 vehicles to date. DN-XI is much cheaper than special patrol armored vehicles, but does not have the same level of protection, it is too heavy and does not have sufficient off-road capability. For installation on an armored vehicle DN-XI, the SEDENA Directorate developed a remotely controlled combat module SARAF-BALAM 1.
DGIM also developed the Kitam armored car, shown in 2014, which is based on the Dodge chassis, and the Cimarron shown in 2015 based on the Mercedes Unimog U5000 chassis with an armored cab installed. It is not clear whether the serial production of these machines will begin.
Shipbuilding ambitions
Since the 90s, the Mexican Navy shipyard ASTIMAR has been building ships for the Mexican Navy Secretariat and announced its ambitious plans to build 62 new ships in 2013. This project includes the construction of four new coastal patrol ships - an improved version of the Oaxas class, 20 Tenochtitlan class ships based on the Damen Stan Patrol 4207 series and 16 Polaris II speedboats, a locally produced Dockstavarvet IC16M variant.
Once again, budget constraints forced the program to be cut significantly, but ASTIMAR managed to complete the construction of five Tenochtitlan-class vessels and two Polaris II vessels, while two coastal patrol vessels are in the final stages of construction. The new Oaxas-class patrol ships feature several modifications and improvements over the first four ships of this class, including a bulb nose, a new fire control system and a 57-mm BAE Systems Bofors MKZ artillery mount instead of the 76-mm Oto Melara Super Rapid mount, which was installed on previous ships of this class.
The Mexican Navy is also installing a locally-developed SCONTA remote-controlled combat module with a 12.7 mm machine gun on Polaris I (Dockstavarvet CB9QH) high-speed boats.
Private initiative
The drone industry in Mexico has received a significant boost over the past ten years. While several companies are currently developing and making one-off production of surveillance drones, only Hydra Technologies has successfully serialized and sold several of its systems.
The first customer of Hydra was the Mexican police, who have received the S4 Ehecatl, E1 Gavilan and G1 Guerrero drones since 2008. If the command of the fleet initially showed interest in the S4 drone, whose operating costs turned out to be significantly less than the operating costs of foreign competing systems, then, ultimately, it was decided to develop their own family of UAVs and for this they turned to the American company Arcturus for help.
The Mexican Air Force operates an undisclosed number of S4 systems, as well as their larger modification, the S45 Balaam, which has a flight duration of 12 hours compared to the S4 drone's 8 hours and carries a large payload. Although Hydra has tried to develop its own on-board equipment, its UAVs are mainly sold with optical reconnaissance stations of the TASE series of Cloud Cap Technologies.
Output
Mexico still has a long way to go if it intends to become a regional defense player. However, its capabilities have not only been restored in the past ten years, but have also expanded significantly.
If we talk about the distant possibilities, then the export of defense products developed and manufactured by Mexico is inexorably becoming a reality. The ASTIMAR shipyard is promoting its projects to other Latin American countries, and Hydra Technologies is slowly trying to attract foreign interest to its drones.
However, the lack of a well-defined government policy regarding the promotion of domestic defense products on the international market is a deterrent, and Mexico may need to look closely at some South American countries that produce defense products, such as Colombia, which has turned its local industry into a successful exporter.
