Mexico prepping to buy more Black Hawks: settling in for a lengthy fight in drug war?
- Sarah Kinosian is a Latin America Program Associate at the DC-based Center for International Policy. The views expressed are the author's own.
The Mexican military has used US-made Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for years to fight drug traffickers 鈥� and now it鈥檚 prepared to spend over half a billion to more than double its fleet.聽聽
On April 17, the US State Department聽聽for Mexico to purchase 18 Black Hawk helicopters for $680 million. US Congress now has until May 17 to act if it disagrees with the proposed deal.聽聽
The price tag also includes radios, night-vision goggles, training and support services, and dozens of 7.62mm machine guns, to be attached to the sides of the choppers to provide air support for ground attacks.
Mexico has been battling a war against drug trafficking and related violence within its borders for nearly a decade. The move to procure such sophisticated technology like the Black Hawks has some analysts wondering if it's a signal of Mexico鈥檚 plans to move toward a more long-term, militarized approach to fighting cartels.
Black Hawks are utility helicopters, used for activities like air assaults, medical evacuations, support for ground attacks, and troop transport.聽Since 2007, the US State Department has provided a total of聽聽to the Mexican government as part of the security-focused 2008 M茅rida Initiative.
鈥淲hen the US government gave the Mexican government Black Hawks at the beginning of the M茅rida Initiative, they were meant for transporting soldiers and police quickly 鈥� be it to capture a capo [drug lord] or to respond to a firefight,鈥� says Adam Isacson, a Latin America security expert at the Washington Office on Latin America.
The purchase likely means the Mexican government will increasingly use the helicopters in raids on kingpins and is settling in for a longer fight, according to one US Military helicopter pilot, who asked to remain anonymous. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a versatile, agile, medium size aircraft that can聽provide air support and 鈥β營t can also聽land in tight locations 鈥� ideal for keying in on well-armed kingpins,鈥� the pilot says.
Mexico has a 鈥渧ery tiny鈥� helicopter fleet for a country of its size, says Mr. Isacson. And much like insurgents, Mexican cartels rely on mobility to avoid capture and often use military-grade arms and defense tactics, including high-powered weapons and armored vehicles, which the new helicopters could potentially help curb.
Taking cues from Colombia?
Mexico would likely use the new choppers in similar ways as Colombia, which has long battled drug trafficking and rebel violence during its decades-long internal conflict.
Colombia received its first Black Hawk from the United States in 1987. Since then, the South American nation has received several more with US security assistance, mostly under the 2000 security aid package known as 鈥淧lan Colombia,鈥� and its later iteration, 鈥淧lan Patriota.鈥� Now one of world鈥檚 largest operators, with a聽, Colombia has聽 to drop troops into the jungle to attack remote rebel camps while also using them to provide air cover during combat.
鈥淕iven the artillery coming with Mexico鈥檚 purchase, the government probably has something similar in mind,鈥� says Isacson, referring to more of an offensive approach to tacking security challenges like drug trafficking. 聽
Under current President Enrique Pe帽a Nieto, Mexico's drug war has remained highly militarized, despite campaign promises to move away from the model pushed by聽former President Felipe Calder贸n. The road ahead is long for the Mexican government, despite victories like the arrests of high-profile cartel leaders Joaqu铆n 鈥淓l Chapo鈥� Guzm谩n and Zetas leader Miguel Angel Trevi帽o Morales, alias Z-40.
US officials have pointed to Mexico鈥檚 interest in buying military equipment as a sign of improving military ties, which聽 have been strained. Last year President Pe帽a Nieto all contact with US law enforcement go through the Ministry of the Interior, effectively ending US officials鈥� access to the country鈥檚 security agencies. US officials have denied these reports, pointing to the cooperation between the US and Mexican agencies involved in Guzm谩n鈥檚 arrest as evidence of a strengthening relationship.
"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner. Mexico has been a strong partner in combating organized crime and drug trafficking organizations," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said this month.
The helicopter deal leverages US expertise to increase engagement between the two militaries, proponents say, and there have been聽聽that the US is discussing other military sales to Mexico, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.聽
