Venezuela to purchase 24 new Russian fighter jets

v2 · 06-19-2006, 04:06 PM

President Hugo Chavez confirmed the deal on Wednesday after months of speculations over the issue.
Finally, President Hugo Chavez confirmed what was until Wednesday an open secret. Venezuela will buy 24 new Russian Sukhoi fighter jets this year to replace a fleet of old US-made F-16s.
The leader of the South American nation took the decision a few weeks after the Pentagon issued an order to stop all arms shipments to Caracas quoting intelligence reports which say that Venezuela is aiding leftist rebels in neighbor Colombia. President Chavez made the announcement Wednesday in a speech before hundreds of soldiers at a military base in Caracas.
"First we are going to buy 24 Sukhoi S-30s and we are going to leave open the possibility of a future acquisition," Mr Chavez said in the country's capital, Caracas, where also presented the troops with new Russian-made AK-103 rifles - part of an order of 100,000 of the weapons scheduled for delivery within the next six months.
The president lavished praise on the Sukhoi fighters. "An F-16 launches a missile, maximum distance: 60km (40 miles). Do you all know from what distance the Sukhoi Su-30 can launch? 200km," Mr Chavez said. "That's to say, an aircraft carrier that stops in the Caribbean. They [the US] like to stop aircraft carriers in the Caribbean to invade."
The Venezuelan government said the new weaponry will help the country to defend its sacred land from any possible foreign attack. Chavez has frequently warned that the United States could invade to seize control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
According to the US administration, alleged Venezuelan links to Cuba and Iran are a reason to ban arms sales to the government in Caracas. Venezuela has warned it could sell its F-16 fighter jets to other countries, such as Iran, while looking to buy more aircraft from Russia. U.S. officials say Washington and Caracas have previously signed agreements that would not allow such a resale.
(source: Pravda- Ru)

kiwimac · 06-19-2006, 04:21 PM

He is right about the Sukhoi. It is a superior fighter.

Kiwimac

FLYBOYJ · 06-19-2006, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwimac

He is right about the Sukhoi. It is a superior fighter.

Kiwimac

When compared to a 1984 F-16 "A" which Venezuela has...

The man is a @ss. I have relatives who live there and they say he's destroying the country...

loomaluftwaffe · 06-20-2006, 02:36 AM

damn even they have a better fleet... even before they got their Sukhois

R988 · 06-21-2006, 07:50 AM

Chavez is an attention seeking nutcase, he and Kimbo Il Jong are just playing the look at me I'm dangerous too game because they can't stand that everyone is worried about Iran, as soon as the attention shifts to one or the other watch how they suddenly play up, they just want attention like all vain, egotistical dictators. Look at NKorea, been playing up while everyones talking about Iran, now they are stating to pay attention again they want talks with the US as well. They are just petulant children who need a good kick up the rear.

FLYBOYJ · 06-21-2006, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R988

Chavez is an attention seeking nutcase, he and Kimbo Il Jong are just playing the look at me I'm dangerous too game because they can't stand that everyone is worried about Iran, as soon as the attention shifts to one or the other watch how they suddenly play up, they just want attention like all vain, egotistical dictators. Look at NKorea, been playing up while everyones talking about Iran, now they are stating to pay attention again they want talks with the US as well. They are just petulant children who need a good kick up the rear.

My Dad was raised there, they have had their share of @ssholes like him - it's just a matter of time until a coup or a bullet in the head will catch up to him.

v2 · 07-14-2006, 03:30 AM

Venezuelas new Mi-35:

v2 · 07-24-2006, 04:18 PM

Chavez forges ties with Belarus!
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Belarus "as a model social state" like the one he and his government are building.
During a visit to Belarus, he called for joint efforts to counter what he described as "hegemonic" capitalism.
Mr Chavez later met Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, accused in the West of crushing fundamental rights.
Mr Chavez is on a world tour, partly to win support for a Venezuelan seat on the UN Security Council.
From Belarus, he will travel to Russia, Qatar, Iran, Vietnam and Mali.

He is hoping to sign an arms deal in Moscow worth around $1bn (£542m), correspondents say.
The US has voiced concerns about the proposed sale, having banned such deals with Caracas for US manufacturers.
Both Mr Lukashenko and Mr Chavez are fierce critics of US policy.

'New friend'
"We see here a model social state like the one we are beginning to create," Mr Chavez said in Belarus' capital Minsk, before his talks with Mr Lukashenko.
"Here, I've got a new friend and together we'll form a team, a go-ahead team," Mr Chavez said.
"We do not want to be deceived or exploited by anyone. We must defend the interests of the individual and not the hegemonic interests of the capitalists, wherever they may be, in Europe or Latin America," he said.
Mr Lukashenko returned the praise, saying that the two countries had "many directions for co-operation".
Mr Lukashenko's spokesman earlier said Belarus and Venezuela were "strategic partners".
Both the US and the EU have accused Mr Lukashenko of rigging the Belarus presidential election in March and of closing down independent media. They have imposed travel bans and financial sanctions on Mr Lukashenko and his top aides.

(BBC)

syscom3 · 07-24-2006, 06:33 PM

Mr. Chavez certeinly has chosen an interesting choice of countries to make friends with.

Sooner or later, it will be his neighbors that depose him.

evangilder · 07-24-2006, 09:45 PM

If one of his new "friends" doesn't knife him in the back first...

v2 · 07-26-2006, 05:01 PM

Chavez defends Russia arms deals.

The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, has said his visit to Russia to sign a series of arms deals does not mean he is going to attack anyone.
Mr Chavez said his aim was to replace the ageing weaponry used by Venezuela's armed forces.
He is expected to complete deals worth around $1bn (£542m) to buy Russian fighter jets and helicopters on Thursday in Moscow.
The US has tried to persuade Russia not to supply weapons to Venezuela.
"I am not an aggressor and have come not for weapons with which to fight against all and everyone," Mr Chavez was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency during his visit to the Russian city of Izhevsk.
"It's simply that our army's weapons are already old and worn out and we want to exchange them for newer more reliable ones," he said.
In Izhevsk, Mr Chavez visited the factory which manufactures Kalashnikov assault (AK) rifles and was expected to meet its inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov.
Russia plans to deliver 30 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and 30 helicopters to Venezuela. Venezuela has already ordered 100,000 AK-103s and wants to set up factories to produce Kalashnikovs under licence.

'Lobbying tour'

The US has voiced concerns about this, having banned US manufacturers entering such deals with Caracas.
On Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Tom Casey said "the armed purchases planned by Venezuela exceeded its defensive needs and are not helpful in terms of regional stability."
Mr Chavez is visiting several countries, lobbying for a Venezuelan seat on the UN Security Council.
On Monday he signed a series of co-operation agreements in Belarus.
After Russia, he will visit Qatar, Iran, Vietnam and Mali.
(BBC)

mkloby · 09-10-2006, 08:25 PM

As soon as venezuela gets these badboys... our friends in blue have a potential training mission for their sweet new F-22s.

evangilder · 09-11-2006, 10:37 AM

You got that right.

Harvard · 09-16-2006, 12:17 AM

Nice Mi-35 helo. Looks like cannon fodder to me.

mkloby · 09-22-2006, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwimac

He is right about the Sukhoi. It is a superior fighter.

Kiwimac

I'm not an expert by any means on air-air combat, as I'm going down the helo road, but the range of missile launch isn't an all defining stat of capability (not even mentioning it's comparing a fighter that is from a newer era) but it's all in tactics. The airborne radar housed in a fighter is not the only means of locking onto a target to launch... fighters can receive signals from an E-2 that is beyond the capabilities of their aircraft's own radar, so the jet jocks in my squadron have said... There are many other factors. Tactics and training are always #1.

Anyway - these Su-30s would not be facing old 16s, they'd be facing 35s and 22s.