Mexico

United Mexican States (Mexico)

Mexico is officially the United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos). The nation has not been to war with another country since the Mexican American War (1864-1868), but has dealt with a number of insurrections in the past 200 years. The most recent of these has been the Zapatista Uprising (1994 to present) in the Chiapas State.

The Mexican Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Mexico) consist of three major commands: the Mexican Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerzas Aerea de Mexicana or FAM) and the Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico), the latter of which includes the Mexican Naval Infantry (Infanteria de Marina). Falling under an external command structure are the Corps of Military Police, Mexican Special Forces (Fuerzas Especiales), the Presidential Guards, and an Airborne Brigade. The Mexican Armed Forces consist of just over 259,000 active duty personnel, whose responsibilities include repelling external aggression, providing for the internal security of the nation, and assisting the civilian population in the event of natural disasters.

Until very recently, the standard operational and work uniform of the Mexican Armed Forces was khaki or olive green. Camouflage uniforms were only issued to special units such as the paratroopers, special forces and marines, or infantry and other units with specialized missions (border protection, counter-narcotics, etc). In 2008, the entire armed forces began the process of being outfitted in a new series of pixelated camouflage designs.

Mexican Camouflage Patterns

• The earliest Mexican camouflage pattern was heavily influenced by the US M1942 spot camouflage pattern of the Second World War. Locally produced, the Mexican five-color spot pattern features dark brown, mid-brown, olive green & moss green spots on a light olive or khaki background, although considerable variability exists among the different production runs. Uniforms were locally-produced and issued primarily to infantry, airborne and special forces units.

• Beginning in the very late 1980s or early 1990s, some Mexican personnel were issued with a locally-produced uniforms made from imported US m81 woodland camouflage pattern fabric. These were primarily found among airborne, special forces and naval infantry units.

• Some special units of the Mexican Army and Corps of Military Police have also worn locally-produced uniforms in US tricolor desert pattern fabric.

• The Army Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE) and the Presidential Security Unit are known to wear an "urban" coloration of the m81 woodland camouflage design, having black, dark grey & light grey woodland shapes on a white background.

• Introduced in 2008, the Mexican Armed Forces temperate digital pattern incorporates black, rust & olive green pixelated shapes on a pale green background.

• The Mexican Armed Forces desert digital pattern incorporates dark brown, olive green and sandy orange on a tan background.

• Introduced in 2008, the Mexican Naval Infantry temperate digital pattern incorporates black, brown and foliage green on a khaki background.

• The Mexican Naval Infantry desert digital pattern incorporates brown, russet & beige on a sandy background.

• The Mexican Naval Infantry urban digital pattern incorporates black, grey and blue on a white background.