While we were looking elsewhere, a very interesting naval modernization was taking place with our neighbor south of the border.
In one of his final acts as head of state, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on 23 November commissioned Reformador (101), the Mexican Navy’s new long-range patrol vessel
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Reformador is based on Damen’s SIGMA 10514 frigate and it is the first of an order for as many as eight vessels that could be constructed jointly by the Mexican state-run shipyard ASTIMAR and Damen shipyards. The vessel has a length of 107 m, a maximum speed of 27 kt, and can operate at sea for up to 20 days.
We are used to the Mexican Navy operating old, retired USN equipment – our burned out hand-me-downs.
Not the case for too much longer.
For the Mexican Navy, the construction of the SIGMA 10514 frigate was a historic event, as Reformador became the first Mexican large warship to be built in more than 80 years — from the first half of the 1930s, when six gunboats were ordered in Spain. After that, all significant surface warships of the Mexican Navy were received from the US Navy.
The SIGMA 10514 brings a lot to the table – an exceptional leap from the Mexican Navy’s present stable of KNOX Class frigates that are her largest warships.
Reformador will carry Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) surface-to-air missiles, MK 54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedoes and an 8-cell MK56 VLS launcher along with Evolved Seasparrow Missiles (ESSM). The vessel will also be equipped with Indra’s RIGEL electronic defense system which will provide simultaneous jamming and deception countermeasures for multiple active threats in addition to detecting and analyzing radar signals in the vessel’s mission environment
The Mexican Navy has a good reputation and her modernization can only help further maritime security for North American Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean.
As they plan to introduce eight of these ships over two decades, what would a Mexico of 2038 look like?
Just a few things to keep in mind. While on a per-capita basis she is not a rich country ($19,900 right between Lebanon and Iran), she is not poor and is rising. Her national GDP is nothing to sneeze at. Coming in right between Australia and Indonesia at $1.2 trillion, greater than our valued NATO allies The Netherlands, Turkey, Poland, Belgium and others. Her population of 131 million souls, sits between Russia and Japan.
While there is a lot of potential there, she only spends 0.5% of her GDP on her military – and in living memory, she has never spent much more than 0.7%. Even with such a small budget, what she buys is important. At $5.8 billion, her military spending accounts for 76% of Central America and the Caribbean’s expenditures.
There are no larger national security implications here, just an interesting note from our second most important neighbor who has some struggles, but you do not have to look to hard to see them making progress – in fits and starts – against a headwind neither of her other North American friends have to deal with. As we all get along well, if Mexico (and her navy) does well; we all do well.
As a side-note on their new ship, the Dutch laid down their first SIGMA Class ship in 2005. Modular by design, they can custom build one from 75-meters to 105-meters. 10 are in the water and at least 4 are on the way. Modular, scaleable, and in service with four navies, with perhaps more will join the party.
Damen to their credit has a solid design. Popular and in demand. Nice benchmark.
