Armed forces - Mexico (original) (raw)

Total full-time strength of the armed forces was 192,770 in 2002 with reserves numbering 300,000. The army had 144,000 personnel. The navy, including naval air force and marines, had 37,000 personnel; naval vessels included 3 destroyers and 109 patrol and coastal combatants. The air force had 11,770 personnel operating 107 combat aircraft and 71 armed helicopters. Paramilitary forces included 14,000 rural defense militia and a federal preventive police force of 11,000. Defense expenditures in 1999 amounted to $4 billion or about 1% of GDP.