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.
Forty 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 allweather 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 f…
