Mexico vs. United States
Military
| Mexico | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, SEDENA): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, SEMAR): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico (ARM), includes Naval Air Force (FAN), Mexican Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina, Mexmar or CIM)); Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection: Federal Police (includes Gendarmerie), National Guard (2021) note: the National Guard was formed in 2019 and consists of personnel from the Federal Police and military police units of the Army and Navy; while the Guard is part of the civilian-led Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, the Defense Ministry has day-to-day operational control; in addition, the armed forces provide the commanders and the training | United States Armed Forces: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Space Force; US Coast Guard (administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2021) note: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for compulsory military service for males (selection for service determined by lottery); conscript service obligation is 12 months; conscripts remain in reserve status until the age of 40; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2019) | 18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 34 (Army), 39 (Air Force), 39 (Navy), 28 (Marines), 31 (Coast Guard); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard); all military occupations and positions open to women (2020) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.5% of GDP (2019) 0.5% of GDP (2018) 0.5% of GDP (2017) 0.6% of GDP (2016) 0.7% of GDP (2015) | 3.73% of GDP (2020 est.) 3.51% of GDP (2019) 3.27% of GDP (2018) 3.3% of GDP (2017) 3.51% of GDP (2016) |
| Military - note | the Mexican military under President LOPEZ OBRADOR has expanded its role in public security duties and other tasks; as of 2021, Mexican military operations were focused primarily on internal security duties, particularly in countering drug cartels and organized crime groups, as well as border control and immigration enforcement; in addition, the military has been placed in charge of some infrastructure projects, such as building a new airport for Mexico City and sections of a train line in the country's southeast; in mid-2020, the armed forces were directed to administer the country's land and sea ports and customs services in order to fight crime and corruption; the military also runs some 2,700 branches of a state-owned bank | the US is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | information varies; approximately 250,000 active personnel (180,000 Army; 60,000 Navy, including 20-25,000 marines; 8,000 Air Force); approximately 90-100,000 National Guard (2021) | the US Armed Forces have approximately 1.39 million active duty personnel (482,000 Army; 347,000 Navy; 336,000 Air Force; 181,000 Marine Corps; 41,000 Coast Guard; 16,000 Space Force); 336,000 Army National Guard; 106,000 Air National Guard (April 2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Mexican military inventory includes a mix of domestically-produced and imported equipment from a variety of mostly Western suppliers; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of military hardware to Mexico; Mexico's defense industry produces naval vessels and light armored vehicles (2020) | the US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically-produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of Western countries; since 2010, Germany and the UK are the leading suppliers of military hardware; the US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, and producing the full spectrum of weapons systems; the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2020) |
Source: CIA Factbook
