Airforces - Typhoon school

MEXICA NMEXICA NMEXICA NMEXICA N

SPYCRAFTSPYCRAFTSPYCRAFT

Mariano

García

and^

José

Quevedo

review

the^ status

of^

Mexico’s

intelligence-gathering

fleet,^

among

the^ most

complex

in^ the

region,

and^

one^ that

operates

manned

and^

unmanned

platforms

in^ a^

variety

of^ roles.

orty years ago, Mexican aerial

intelligence relied upon a handful of

IAI Aravas to monitor radio broadcasts

and a single King Air C90 modified for photo

reconnaissance. It wasn’t until the appearance

of the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional

(EZLN, Zapatista National Liberation Army)

in 1994 that the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana

(FAM, Mexican Air Force) and the Secretaría

de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA, National

Defence Secretariat) began to fill some of

the gaps in its aerial surveillance network.

The need to develop surveillance capabilities

in the wake of the EZLN uprising led to the

introduction of two Schweizer SA2-37A/B

Condors in 1994. These provided the FAM

with its first experience of a dedicated all-

weather surveillance aircraft. The initial step in

developing a robust intelligence, surveillance

and reconnaissance (ISR) force followed in

September 2004 with the activation of the

Sistema Integral de Vigilancia Aérea (SIVA,

Integral System of Air Surveillance).

Radar coverage

When originally fielded it was reported that

the SIVA covered 48% of Mexico’s airspace,

although more realistic figures suggest

it is around 20% or less. The mammoth

responsibility falls on very few aircraft: two

Embraer EMB-145RS/AGS, one EMB-

145AEW&C and four Fairchild C-26B Metros

plus a series of ground-based radars.

Between 2012 and 2015, four new

TPS-78 ground-based radars entered

service and replaced the two old TPS-

63s and single TPS-70 in southern

Mexico, greatly enhancing capabilities.

The SIVA also receives a data feed from 26

primary and secondary civil radars. Civil air

traffic control radar coverage is considered to

cover 100% of Mexico’s higher airspace for

flight levels of 20,000ft (6,096m) and above.

The capability gap lies below this, but effective

and constant coverage of Mexican airspace is

slowly becoming an achievable goal. At some

point, however, the integration of more land-

based radars or airborne early warning and

control (AEW&C) platforms may be considered.

Although its main mission is to monitor

airspace around vital oil rigs in the Gulf of

Mexico, the Armada de México (Mexican

Navy) also operates an unspecified number

(probably four or five) AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel

3D radars, introduced in 2005-06. It is

understood that the Mexican Navy also

contributes to the general airspace ‘picture’,

feeding not only its own information centres

in Veracruz and Mexico City, but also the

SIVA’s command and control (C2) facility.

Both the air force and navy have close ties

with neighbouring entities, including North

American Aerospace Defense Command

(NORAD), with which it reportedly conducts

discreet sporadic ‘surveillance’ drills.

F

Above: EMB-145RS/AGS serial 4112 (c/n 145723,

ex PP-XJM) of the FAM’s Escuadrón de Vigilancia

Aérea. The air force’s two EMB-145RS/AGS

aircraft are probably the most capable ISR

platforms in the FAM inventory. Ivan Cabrero

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #361 APRIL 2018 // 55