Aerospace Industry in Latin America
- Thread starter b787
- Start date
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
I almost Guarantee it will not be bought. The Mexican Air force has fewer fighters than Argentina. Although the second largest Military budget in Latin America, Its main threat is not a conventional foe but Narcotics gangs. Mig 35 offering for the Mexican Air Force is like offering trying to sell a Bugatti Veyron to the Night Clerk at 7/11. He may lust for it but has no real use for it or way to afford it. May as well offer them Pak fa. The Mexican Air Force is a textbook for a low cost light fighter/trainer type. The 12 F5 used by them are at best a prestige thing and only 3 of them are considered combat capable.
Miragedriver
Brigadier
Total combat force of:
3 F-5E
65 Pilatus PC-7
12 Beechcraft T-6C+
They (Mexico) did this a few years ago when they placed a tender for new jeeps. The Russians offered them a great deal with coproduction. Once the US found out they received 2,000 free Humve jeeps. Same may happen here. Maybe Mexico will get the old F-5E from the US Navy aggressor squadron, or some surplus A-10’s. Maybe even some free T-6 Texans.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
more likely they want some more H60 helicopters.
b787
Captain
you are very likely right, but a lot depends in the USA-Mexico relations, if Trumps continues its policies the left in Mexico will remember the 1846 US invasion of Mexico, i do not think we will buy MiG-35s, but some people in Mexico think it is an option. Why? simple we need investment and Trump is pushing Mexico out of NAFTA, perhaps a deal could be buy MiG-35s and get some manufacture deals for Sukhoi`s superjet
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
The Cost benefit does not work, Trump may be pushing changes in NAFTA but hoping for Super jet is never going to justify the price tag on mig 35. I mean the Egyptians are paying 2 billion for 50 units Mexico's airforce does not need any where near that so divide that by 5 for a assumed 10 units and 400 million dollars that's 17.5% of their national defence budget on 10 hanger queens. the Hopes of Superjet wouldn't pay that off as 1) it's production is already distributed across the world for subsystems so Mexico would be fighting to push someone else out of a seat. 2) even then Superjet is in a competitive market with more and more regionals.
Mig is pushing mostly because they want another buyer to make up for Russia's low orders ( 30 units confirmed maybe 170 total) and to get it out there on the market so they can get some cash flow from the international market. So they are pitching to just about anybody who they think might want to replace some vintage fighters and is not under major sanctions.
b787
Captain
Terrain, we are just speculating the Mexican military has not said if they are going to buy it, but i will give you two examples of the Mexican way of thinking
Some military equipment used by the armed forces in Mexico is Russian
Russian made Igla missiles in Mexican service
Mi-17 Mexican navy
So MiG-35s could be operated in the same way Poland uses MiG-29s.
We also have Superjets
The F-5s are too old and out of service, sooner or later there is going to be the need to replace them, with MiG-35? well i do not know, but a Russian aircraft plant making parts for civil aircraft of AUC in Mexico is not bad idea, but right now it was only a Russian offer, time will tell, but i can assure if Trump wants to hurt the Mexican economy, we will find new partners
see this is a Mexican-Chinese electric car, Ford cancelled investment, the Chinese came to Mexico to take their place and they are involved in a joint program with a local Mexican car maker
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
First Poland go it's Mig 29 in the last days of the Warsaw pact those are legacy machines, post 1991 they began pushing either indigenous or NATO systems.
As to the helicopters they are almost always far cheaper than fighter aircraft. And Mi17 can run between 6-17 million depending on package. Mi 26 is remarkably cheap given its size about 16 million. you can buy 3 Mi 17 models for the price of a single Mig 35 but that is the unit cost not the infrastructure cost. because remember the F5 used by Mexico uses US and NATO spec weapons if Mexico was to by the Migs they would need to invest in weapons and logistics for the fighters that would drive up the price tag.
As to the helicopters they are almost always far cheaper than fighter aircraft. And Mi17 can run between 6-17 million depending on package. Mi 26 is remarkably cheap given its size about 16 million. you can buy 3 Mi 17 models for the price of a single Mig 35 but that is the unit cost not the infrastructure cost. because remember the F5 used by Mexico uses US and NATO spec weapons if Mexico was to by the Migs they would need to invest in weapons and logistics for the fighters that would drive up the price tag.
b787
Captain
let us clarify this, it is a Russian offer, there is no concrete contract or purchase yet
The point you do not see is Russia is offering tech transfers too and manufacture of even perhaps MiG-35 parts or the whole aircraft being built in Mexico.
As i have shown you in the Moldex electric car, when Trump pushed for car companies to leave Mexico it showed the wisdom for Vedetech, Bimbo and Moldex to work with the Chinese car company JAC motors, since Ford abandoned the construction of a Plant in San Luis Potosi; JAC motors landed a project with tech transfers to Vedetec and Giant Motors Mexico.
Mexico considers the aerospace industry very important too, if Trump pushes aircraft companies too to follow carrier or Ford, it will force Mexico to look for other sources of Investment, so Russia and Mexico are natural partners.
Mexico needs investment and since Trump wants american investment out of Mexico, send illegals back to Mexico it means our economy needs more domestic based growth such as Moldex electric cars, and new sources of investment, MiG can give some technology in exchange of buying a few MiGs, i rather think it will be foolish do not take the tech transfers, any way american companies do not share much of their tech with us, they just want cheap labor and buying old F-16s without tech transfers or manufacture will be foolish to be considered a smart move.
Trump is going to force Mexico to grow more independent, and Americans like it or not it means to look away from the USA, south east and west and that includes Russia
see
see the USA sometimes thinks you are indispensable, and that is not true, there are more countries and Trump can keep his america first we will need to see other partners too
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