Mexican Naval Infantry
Encyclopedia
The Naval Infantry are the marine corps and amphibious infantry force of the Mexican Navy
. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country, to accomplish these responsibilities the corps is trained and equipped to take on any type of operations from Sea, Air and Land.
The Naval Infantry Corps was reorganized in 2007-2009 into 30 Naval Infantry Battalions (Batallones de Infantería de Marina - BIM), a paratroop battalion, a battalion attached to the Presidential Guard Brigade, two Fast Reaction Forces with six battalions each, and three Special Forces
groups. The Naval Infantry are responsible for port security, protection of the ten-kilometer coastal fringe, and patrolling major waterways.
The Naval Infantry execute the following tasks:
's war on the drug cartels, the Infantería de Marina's role has grown from maritime port security to combating organized crime, drug trafficking, extermination of marijuana fields, drug interdictions at sea, and also participating in arrest of cartel suspects in land based operations.
For the last three years the navy has carried out permanent intense anti-narcotic operations. Such task as the extermination of marijuana fields which mostly takes place in the north-western part of the country is done by first locating the fields by satellite or simply by air reconnaissance, then sending a team of marines to eradicate the cannabis plants. One of its big seizures was in late October 2007, when navy personnel in a joint operation with other agencies seized 23 tons of cocaine in the port city of Manzanillo
, Colima
.
; in a raid, Navy Special Forces rappelled from a helicopter on to the deck of the narco submarine and arrested four smugglers before they could scuttle their vessel. The vessel was found to be loaded with 5.8 tons of cocaine and was towed to Huatulco
, Oaxaca, by a Navy patrol boat.
In addition to being waved at official ceremonies, the flag of the Marines accompanying the forces in the Operations are entrusted, parades and camps of instruction. Moreover, it is waving in the offices of Command Units IM, General Coordinator of Marine and offices of the Secretary of the Navy.
, in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican Armed Forces
.
The development plan of the Ministry of the Navy-Navy Mexico presented by the Executive C. Secretary of the Navy admiral, stated that the Navy of Mexico should be properly organized, equipped and trained to anticipate and neutralize any internal or external threat.
Having defined the Navy in its strategic review the status of Mexico as a coastal state and highlighting the importance of their borders with the United States of America, Belize and Guatemala, identified areas of strategic importance such as the Caribbean and the Yucatán Channel, for their transit of maritime trade is of great importance for the country, without forgetting that it is also an area crowded by tourist cruises that visit Mexican ports and their use as a runner and high rate of drug trafficking activities; The Sonda de Campeche, which is distinguished by its deposits of oil and marine resources and the enormous network of oil and gas pipelines between the production platforms and destinations on the coast, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
and the Gulf area by sea and land considered as a future strategic development of the country, industrial corridor and gateway between the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico; Grijalva Hydroelectric Complex, considered an important center of power generation in the country and the Gulf of California, for their ecological importance and tourist their influence as well as activities of drug trafficking corridor.
To meet the operational requirements of the Navy, it was necessary to create structure of a reaction force with organizational skills: flexibility, multi-tactical use of rapid response, fire power, mobility and economy of forces, in addition to the efforts of support for transport by air, sea and land, to the missions and tasks assigned by the Navy to fulfill its mission.
Therefore, the Amphibious Marine Reaction Force is defined as an organized force, equipped and trained as a component part of a Naval Force to develop operations in the immediate response missions that are assigned. And falls into an operational concept which states that given the need to respond as a projection of naval power, requires that their actions are limited by an autonomous period of time, according to the task units that are integrated to meet mission identified in a variety of operational environments, its capacity to be transported by air, sea and land that are organic to the unit. Therefore, the flexibility of its organizational units can integrate multi-operating in different areas of operations such as Amphibious Combat, urban operations in the jungle night airborne assault vertical river of interdiction raid, in addition to other civic action operations and support to other units when ordered.
Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country, to accomplish these responsibilities the corps is trained and equipped to take on any type of operations from Sea, Air and Land.
The Naval Infantry Corps was reorganized in 2007-2009 into 30 Naval Infantry Battalions (Batallones de Infantería de Marina - BIM), a paratroop battalion, a battalion attached to the Presidential Guard Brigade, two Fast Reaction Forces with six battalions each, and three Special Forces
Fuerzas Especiales
The Fuerzas Especiales , also known as FES , is a special operations unit of the Mexican Navy officially established in late 2001...
groups. The Naval Infantry are responsible for port security, protection of the ten-kilometer coastal fringe, and patrolling major waterways.
Mission
To accomplish the necessary services and tasks, The Naval Infantry's overall responsibilities are to develop amphibious naval capabilities in the areas of operations of the Navy in order to mobilize naval troops immediately and decisively.The Naval Infantry execute the following tasks:
- Command and Control - Planning, preparation and conduct of operations.
- Amphibious assault - To execute amphibious operations as part of a Naval Force.
- Air assault - To run infiltration operations in areas of difficult access.
- Amphibious command - To execute special operations such as: reconnaissance, incursions, urban combat and to support other regular operations.
- Combat Support - To execute operations in support of artillery in the development of amphibious and other regular forces operations
- Reconnaissance - Operations to obtain information to support operational units.
- Immediate Response - To run operations in emergency situations, to help the civilian population.
History
Mexican Drug War
Since the start of President Felipe CalderónFelipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
's war on the drug cartels, the Infantería de Marina's role has grown from maritime port security to combating organized crime, drug trafficking, extermination of marijuana fields, drug interdictions at sea, and also participating in arrest of cartel suspects in land based operations.
For the last three years the navy has carried out permanent intense anti-narcotic operations. Such task as the extermination of marijuana fields which mostly takes place in the north-western part of the country is done by first locating the fields by satellite or simply by air reconnaissance, then sending a team of marines to eradicate the cannabis plants. One of its big seizures was in late October 2007, when navy personnel in a joint operation with other agencies seized 23 tons of cocaine in the port city of Manzanillo
Manzanillo, Colima
The name Manzanillo refers to the city as well as its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Colima. The city, located on the Pacific Ocean, contains Mexico's busiest port. Manzanillo was the third port created by the Spanish in the Pacific during the New Spain period...
, Colima
Colima
Colima is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima....
.
Narco submarine interception
Drug interdiction at sea is also part of the Navy's strategy to combat drug trafficking, this came to light when on July 16, 2008, the Navy intercepted a 10-metre (33 ft) long narco submarine travelling about 200 kilometres (120 mi) off the southwest of the state of OaxacaOaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
; in a raid, Navy Special Forces rappelled from a helicopter on to the deck of the narco submarine and arrested four smugglers before they could scuttle their vessel. The vessel was found to be loaded with 5.8 tons of cocaine and was towed to Huatulco
Huatulco
Huatulco , centered on the town of La Crucecita, is a tourist development in Mexico. It is located on the Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca. Huatulco's tourism industry is centered on its nine bays thus the name Bahias de Huatulco but has since been unofficially shortened to simply Huatulco...
, Oaxaca, by a Navy patrol boat.
Emblem
The shield anchor, crossed with the carabiner has been part of the Naval Infantry since 1823. The shield of the Naval Infantry, as today, is the essence of their integration into the meaning of heraldry, example is the gold trim, which gives nobility, seriousness and elegance, the Admiralty anchor, symbolizing belonged to the Navy, finally crossed muskets, which were the weapons that had our Marines, and strengthening our country as a nation-state, free and sovereign. Together they represent the dedication to serve Mexico by air, from land and from the sea. The color red has always characterized the Marines around the world.Standard
The Iconography of the Marines of Mexico has developed a description of the standard as follows: the center, the Marine Shield with its original colors, scarlet red cloth with gold-colored robes.In addition to being waved at official ceremonies, the flag of the Marines accompanying the forces in the Operations are entrusted, parades and camps of instruction. Moreover, it is waving in the offices of Command Units IM, General Coordinator of Marine and offices of the Secretary of the Navy.
Organization and Role
The overall head of the Naval Infantry is President of Mexico Felipe CalderónFelipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
, in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican Armed Forces
Mexican Armed Forces
The Mexican Armed Forces are composed of the Mexican Army which includes the Mexican Air Force as a subordinate entity and the Mexican Navy which also includes the Mexican Naval Infantry and Naval Aviation...
.
The development plan of the Ministry of the Navy-Navy Mexico presented by the Executive C. Secretary of the Navy admiral, stated that the Navy of Mexico should be properly organized, equipped and trained to anticipate and neutralize any internal or external threat.
Having defined the Navy in its strategic review the status of Mexico as a coastal state and highlighting the importance of their borders with the United States of America, Belize and Guatemala, identified areas of strategic importance such as the Caribbean and the Yucatán Channel, for their transit of maritime trade is of great importance for the country, without forgetting that it is also an area crowded by tourist cruises that visit Mexican ports and their use as a runner and high rate of drug trafficking activities; The Sonda de Campeche, which is distinguished by its deposits of oil and marine resources and the enormous network of oil and gas pipelines between the production platforms and destinations on the coast, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Isthmus of Tehuantepec
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and prior to the opening of the Panama Canal was a major shipping route known simply as the Tehuantepec Route...
and the Gulf area by sea and land considered as a future strategic development of the country, industrial corridor and gateway between the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico; Grijalva Hydroelectric Complex, considered an important center of power generation in the country and the Gulf of California, for their ecological importance and tourist their influence as well as activities of drug trafficking corridor.
To meet the operational requirements of the Navy, it was necessary to create structure of a reaction force with organizational skills: flexibility, multi-tactical use of rapid response, fire power, mobility and economy of forces, in addition to the efforts of support for transport by air, sea and land, to the missions and tasks assigned by the Navy to fulfill its mission.
Therefore, the Amphibious Marine Reaction Force is defined as an organized force, equipped and trained as a component part of a Naval Force to develop operations in the immediate response missions that are assigned. And falls into an operational concept which states that given the need to respond as a projection of naval power, requires that their actions are limited by an autonomous period of time, according to the task units that are integrated to meet mission identified in a variety of operational environments, its capacity to be transported by air, sea and land that are organic to the unit. Therefore, the flexibility of its organizational units can integrate multi-operating in different areas of operations such as Amphibious Combat, urban operations in the jungle night airborne assault vertical river of interdiction raid, in addition to other civic action operations and support to other units when ordered.
Structure
After reorganization, the Marine forces were deployed under a new strategic operational concept with specific functions, including in the Navy to the following Marine Corps units:- Two Amphibious Reaction Forces - deployed along the country's coastline, comprising Amphibious Infantry Battalions, Artillery Battalions, Amphibious Commando Battalions, Boat and Vehicle Battalions and Amphibious and Services Battalions.
- Thirty naval infantry battalions, one presidential guard battalion, and one paratrooper battalion.
- Three Special Forces groups
Special Forces Units
- Fuerzas Especiales (FES)Fuerzas EspecialesThe Fuerzas Especiales , also known as FES , is a special operations unit of the Mexican Navy officially established in late 2001...
Special Forces, is a special operations unit of the Navy officially established in late 2001.
Equipment
| Vehicle/System | Status | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Land Vehicles | ||
| BTR-60 BTR-60 The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen first time in public in 1961... /BTR-70 BTR-70 The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier , originally developed during the late 1960s under the industrial designator GAZ-4905. On August 21, 1972, it was accepted into service and would later be exported to the Warsaw Pact and other allies... |
Has diesel engine and it does not have the turret with the 14.5 mm machine gun. Used with a 40 mm Mk 19 grenade launcher Mk 19 grenade launcher The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:... |
|
| Ural-4320 Ural-4320 The Ural-4320 is a general purpose off-road 6x6 truck, produced at the Ural Automotive Plant in Miass, Russia for use in the Russian army. Introduced in 1976, it is still in production today.... |
Off-road 6x6 truck | |
| Carat Wolverine APC | Armoured Vehicle based on the Ford F-Series chassis, In Mexico these vehicles are known as Scorpions. | |
| Renault Sherpa 2 Renault Sherpa 2 The Sherpa Light Scout is one of the six versions of the SHERPA LIGHT family of 4x4 tactical and light armoured vehicles developed by Renault Trucks Defense. Available in unarmoured or armoured variants , the Scout is ideally suited for tactical missions such as scouting, patrol, convoy escort and... |
Armoured vehicle | |
| UNIMOG U-4000 Unimog Unimog is a range of multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog is pronounced in German and is an acronym for the German "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät", Gerät being the German word for machine or device... |
||
| Freightliner M2 Freightliner Trucks Freightliner Trucks is an American manufacturer of heavy duty trucks, chassis and semi-trailer trucks in the United States. The company was founded as Freightliner Inc in 1942 and is now a division of Daimler Trucks North America, a subsidiary of the German Daimler AG... |
4x2 truck | |
| MiniComando Ford Ford F-Series The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150... |
4x4 F-250 series pick up | |
| MiniComando Dodge Dodge Ram The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks... |
4x4 Pick up | |
| Mercedes-Benz G-Class | 4x4 cross-country vehicle | |
| Land Rover Land Rover Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group... |
4x4 | |
| Dodge Ram Dodge Ram The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks... |
Crew cab pick up installed with handle bars and turret to install M2 Browning MG | / |
| F-150 | Crew cab pick up installed with handle bars | / |
| Assault Rifles | ||
| M16 Rifle M16 rifle The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO... |
In service | |
| M4 Carbine M4 Carbine The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,... |
In service | |
| Submachine gun | ||
| Heckler & Koch MP5 Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar.... |
In service | |
| Heckler & Koch UMP Heckler & Koch UMP The UMP is a submachine gun developed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch. The UMP has been adopted by various agencies such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection... |
In service | |
| FN P90 FN P90 The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced... |
In service | |
| Heavy and light machine guns | ||
| M2 Browning machine gun | In service | |
| M249 Squad Automatic Weapon | In service | / |
| CETME Ameli CETME Ameli The Ameli is a 5.56mm light machine gun designed for the Spanish Army by the nationally owned and operated Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales small arms research institute .Development of the weapon began in 1974... |
In service | |
| FN Minimi FN Minimi The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries... |
In service | |
| GAU-19 GAU-19 The GECAL 50, officially designated by the United States military as the GAU-19/A, is an electrically driven Gatling gun that fires the .50 BMG cartridge... |
In service. Used on board of MD902 Helicopter. | |
| Grenade launcher | ||
| CIS 40 AGL 40mm grenade launcher CIS 40 AGL The CIS 40 AGL is a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, developed in the late 1980s and produced by the Singaporean defence firm − Chartered Industries of Singapore... |
In service | |
| Milkor MGL Milkor MGL The MGL is a lightweight 40 mm semi-automatic, 6-shot grenade launcher developed and manufactured in South Africa by Milkor Ltd. The MGL was demonstrated as a concept to the South African Defence Force in 1981. The operating principle was immediately accepted and subjected to a stringent... |
In service | |
| M203 grenade launcher M203 grenade launcher The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was... |
In service | |
| Shotgun | ||
| Remington 1100 Remington 1100 The Remington 1100 is a gas-operated semi-automatic shotgun, popular among sportsmen. The Remington 1100 was the first semiautomatic shotgun to feature significant reduction in felt recoil, light weight and reliability.- History :... |
In service | |
| Sniper rifle | ||
| Heckler & Koch MSG90 Heckler & Koch PSG1 The PSG1 is a semi-automatic rifle designed by the German company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar.-Development:... |
In service | |
| Barrett M82 | In service | |
| Remington 700 Remington 700 The Model 700 series of firearms are bolt-action rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. All are based on the same centerfire bolt action. They often come with a 3, 4 or 5-round internal magazine depending on caliber, some of which have a floor-plate for quick-unloading, and some of which... |
In service | |
| Pistol | ||
| Glock pistol Glock pistol The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or... |
In service | |
| Heckler & Koch USP Heckler & Koch USP The USP is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns.-History:... |
In service | |
| FN Five-seveN | In service. Special Forces | |
| Artillery | ||
| OTO Melara Mod 56 OTO Melara Mod 56 The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian-made 105 mm pack howitzer built and developed by OTO-Melara. It fires the standard US type M1 ammunition.-History:... 105 mm |
In service | |
| Bofors 40 mm | ||
| 51 mm FIROS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) | ||
| 60 mm and 81 mm mortars |