Mexican Army Sourcebook complete

[mpipes]

I've long felt the cannon was REALLY off with the Mexican invasion without some major tweaking on a pre-war buildup of Mexico's military.

For me, I modified the cannon considerably. Some of the highlights....

-Mexico makes major oil and gas discoveries in the late 70's and is a major oil producer by TDM.

-As a second tier world power, Mexico steps up its presence on the world stage in the 80's, with its army involved in UN peace keeping operations.

-Mexico expands military capabilities in the 90s.
--Buys Israeli Shermans.
--Buys Mirage 4000, F1-Es, APCs, tanks (AMX-30s), and artillery from France.
--Buys license to build AMX-40s from France.
--Buys retired Jaguars from France and UK.
--Buys MiGs , M48A3s, MiL-24Ds, BTR-60s, artillery, and frigates from reunited Germany.
--Lures Spanish Legionnaire armor vets to service.
--Lures veteran Cuban pilots to fly MiGs.

-President Tanner's administration fails to take military threat posed by Mexico seriously. Texas' 49th Armored division deploys to Europe in October 1996 as a strategic reserve. Finally deploys as part of XVII Corps to Turkey in March 1997.

-By TDM, Mexican army was among the best trained military force in the Americas; better on average than the Russians and the National Guard units in the Southwest.

-A-10s and F-20s flown by NG pilots save the US bacon, as the armored columns moving through Texas are blunted and fail to reach the intact oil fields and refinery complexes in North Louisiana, Oklahoma, and western Colorado before US units mobilize to finally stop the invasion along the I-20/I-10 corridor in Texas.

[swaghauler]

A very nice write up sir. I enjoyed it very much.

[ArmySGT.]

An MP company fights as Infantry Dragoons liberally supplied with crew served weapons.

A typical Corps MP Squad would have three weapons carrier HMMWVs (M1025/M1026 in the 80's and 90s or M1114s in the late 90s)

A single team in the late 80s or early 90s would have three M9s, two M16s, one M203, one M60, and one MK-19 or M2HB. In some cases drop one M16 and add a SAW. Then in the mid 90s drop the M16 for the M4.

MPs are also liberally supplied with night vision and radios....... This is because of their route reconnaisance mission and radio relay mission.... two radios per team and an AM long range per platoon leader. One PVS5 in the early 80s, then one PVS5 and one PVS7 in the mid 80s, then two PVS7s in the 90s. One PVS4 with reticles for the m16/m203, SAW, M60, and M2HB. One TVS5 for the M2HB or MK19.

hand grenades and signal rockets galore. one to four claymores per as well.

A Divisional MP company may have several FIM-92 stingers.... 82nd MP Co being one that does.

10 weapons carriers and one cargo per platoon.... the a HQ platoon.

MPs are regularly issued light and medium AT weapons and trained in mine warfare too.

MP Bns are always ersatz affairs with non MP companies such as Cavalry, Signal, and Med companies attached based upon the Corps Commanders direct instruction and dictated mission.

Look for period editions of Field Manual 19 - 4 for the difference in MTOE for Division, Corps, Special, and Detachment military police units.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by Olefin

And the 49th, contrary to what some have said, was well equipped with up to date tanks when the Mexicans invaded. Per the canon books they received Stingrays and other vehicles to replace vehicle losses after the failed offensive into Texas, not before that.

Have a feeling their defeat at the hands of the Soviets and the Mexicans had more to do with them not having proper air support - as per the Texas module the Soviets had and still have helicopter gunships - if the 49th went in expecting only ground opponents and wasnt properly equipped with anti-air weapons or didnt have them ready to rock they might have taken a nice beating from the air even before they engaged the Soviet tanks.

The Soviet air contingent may be the real story of why the US Army didnt succeed in taking back Texas - especially considering I am betting the Mexican Air Force had long been shot out of the sky and they werent expecting to face anything more menacing from the air than bird droppings.

Unlikely, the Air Defense school at Ft. Bliss, outside El Paso, Texas, encompasses most of the northern part of that, to the border with White Sands Missile Range..... the AD school is multi service and multi national.

White Sands Missile Range tests all new systems and regularly tests lots of munitions from industry suppliers for quality.

There wouldn't be a shortage of AD weapons or Artillery (Ft. Sill) in the Southwest.

[LT. Ox]

Fort Sill alumni.
If it was not nuked then old, new and in between would have been located at the school. Mixed types of rounds including experimental for testing.
From airmobile and towed to all self -propelled types.
The school also had air ops units for training new Officers Etc. I have no doubt that enough experience existed there to train FOs to use the “old” methods of map reading and adjusting fire that even EMP would not keep them from accomplishing their mission of delivering fire on target.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by LT. Ox

Fort Sill alumni.
If it was not nuked then old, new and in between would have been located at the school. Mixed types of rounds including experimental for testing.
From airmobile and towed to all self -propelled types.
The school also had air ops units for training new Officers Etc. I have no doubt that enough experience existed there to train FOs to use the “old” methods of map reading and adjusting fire that even EMP would not keep them from accomplishing their mission of delivering fire on target.

Trained there in 1988. Did an introductory 2 week course on Fire Direction/Forward Observation there through ROTC in 91. They were still teaching the "old school" method even after standardizing on the Paladin HIP in 1988. Did my Special Weapons at Hood and they were pretty heavy into alternate fire direction because of the risk EMP would disable your BCS.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by LT. Ox

Fort Sill alumni.
If it was not nuked then old, new and in between would have been located at the school. Mixed types of rounds including experimental for testing.
From airmobile and towed to all self -propelled types.
The school also had air ops units for training new Officers Etc. I have no doubt that enough experience existed there to train FOs to use the “old” methods of map reading and adjusting fire that even EMP would not keep them from accomplishing their mission of delivering fire on target.

Saw the museum there, it was neat!

[.45cultist]

The more I think about it, the more I'd say that there should be changes to the Southwest to reflect a failed invasion before everything broke down. Also I believe that what forces survive would drift back for internal security and relief duties or turn marauder. The invasion allows insurgent groups on both sides to upgrade their gear. La Familia has some real life inspiration and can be considered the Mexican New America. In the South the Marxist guerillas rise again, etc.