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Mexico: the last line of Air Squadron 401

A dozen Tiger IIs arrived in 1982. More than forty years later, the survivors are still Mexico's only supersonic fighters.

Two grey F-5E Tiger IIs flying in formation over mountains at sunset
Original illustration A pair of Tiger IIs over the mountains at sunset, painted for this site. Mexico's Air Squadron 401 is the inspiration; these are not specific aircraft.
Delivered1982
Aircraft10 F-5E, 2 F-5F
UnitAir Squadron 401

Mexico's only supersonic jets

Mexico received 12 Tiger IIs in 1982: ten single-seat F-5Es and two F-5F two-seaters.[1] The first two reached Military Air Base No. 1 at Santa Lucía on 10 August 1982, and the jets formed Air Squadron 401 (Escuadrón Aéreo 401), Mexico's first and only supersonic unit.[2] One F-5E was lost in a target-practice accident in Chihuahua in 1983.[1]

"Retired" in 2016, still flying in 2026

In 2016 reports said Mexico had quietly retired its last eight F-5Es and two F-5Fs, leaving it with no fighters at all.[3] Yet the jets kept flying. In April 2026 the air force commander, General Román Carmona Landa, called the F-5 Mexico's greatest capability but old technology, and announced a programme to buy 12 new combat aircraft by 2028.[4]

Counts differ by source. Janes reported six F-5Es and two F-5Fs still airworthy in 2026;[4] another 2026 survey listed nine, with three in service.[2] Both place the fleet with Air Squadron 401 at Santa Lucía, near Mexico City.[2][5]

A long road to a fighter

Mexico did not get its Tigers easily. The United States turned down an earlier request for F-5E/Fs in the early 1970s, and later blocked a purchase of Israeli Kfir C2 fighters, which used U.S.-built J79 engines.[3] When the F-5s finally came in 1982, they were Mexico's first supersonic aircraft. Before them, the jet force had been subsonic Vampires and T-33s.[1]

The 1995 flypast

On 16 September 1995, during the Independence Day flypast, an F-5E collided with three T-33s. Ten people were killed, according to Wikipedia's account as summarised by MigFlug, and parade flypasts have been more cautious since.[6]

What comes next

The 2026 replacement plan calls for 12 new combat aircraft by 2028.[4] Reporting on the programme says political tensions with the United States cloud a possible F-16 purchase.[4] Until a choice is made, Air Squadron 401's few Tigers remain the country's only supersonic jets.[2]

Last updated

Sources

  1. Mexican Air Force, Wikipedia
  2. Santa Lucía Air Force Base, MigFlug (2026)
  3. The Mexican Air Force no longer has any fighter aircraft in its inventory, The War Zone (2016)
  4. Mexico moves to replace aging F-5s, SOFX citing Janes (2026)
  5. Mexico launches program to replace aging F-5 Tiger II fleet, Aviation News (2026)
  6. Mexican Air Force, MigFlug (2026)
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