Venezuela Armed Forces

I think no country of its size takes rearmament program so extensivly ...

Few things I can remember at the moment ...

Personal equipment

- AK Factory
- Two AK munition factory
- 100 000 AK-103
- 5000 Dragunov sniper rifles
- Night optic for AK/Dragunov
- 1800 Igla-S MANPAD
- Minimi machine gun

Air Force

- 24 Su-30MKV (rumors are Su-35 are done deal)
- 38 Mi-17
- 3 Mi-26
- 10 Mi-35 (rumors are Mi-28 is a done deal)
- 36 K-8
- 10-12 Y-8 transport


Antiaircraft

- S-300V on order (confirmed)
- BUK-M1-2
- Pechora-2M
- TOR-M1 (considered)

Ground forces

- Smerch (most likely on order)
- 92 T-72B tanks
- BTR-80/BMP (most likely on order)

Naval

- 4 POVZEE
- Yakhont coastal missile battery
- Subs are mentioned often but no deal yet

EW

- 3 JYL-1 3D radar
- JY11B radar

That is a very impressive list.

Forgive my ignorance but does Venezuela produce anything for export that might be valuable to Russia.

It is just that I think a two way trade in goods will lead to a more healthy and productive relationship than if they are just a customer of weapons.

GarryB wrote:That is a very impressive list.

Forgive my ignorance but does Venezuela produce anything for export that might be valuable to Russia.

It is just that I think a two way trade in goods will lead to a more healthy and productive relationship than if they are just a customer of weapons.

Venezuela produces oil and Russian/Chinese companies have taken place of western companies under different contract.
Thats about it.

At the moment Russian and Venezuelan govremments are forming joint bank to finance Russian arms sales to Venezuela.

4Bin are in preparation.

Well in that case I hope Russias experience of trying to diversify their economy is of benefit to Venezuela too.

Viktor wrote:I think no country of its size takes rearmament program so extensivly ...

UAE takes the prize for per capita arms spending by far.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/150091.html

Nice pics of Pechora-2M in Venezuela. This modernization has picked up quite a few sales here and there.

It could be that Venezuela becomes for Russia what Saudi Arabia is for US.

I think Venezuela surpassed Saudi Arabia by its oil reserves.

Viktor wrote:It could be that Venezuela becomes for Russia what Saudi Arabia is for US.

I think Venezuela surpassed Saudi Arabia by its oil reserves.

The difference being that at least Venezuela has a logical arms-procurement program that is optimized for efficiency, integration of hardware and so on by focusing on just a few arms suppliers; rather than mixing and matching like a kid in a candy store - which is what the Saudi's are doing.

The Saudis have no real military problems... I mean we saw what happened when Saddam invaded a country near Saudi Arabia in 1990.

That enormous over reaction wasn't about Kuwaite. Kuwaite isn't even a real democracy even today and it doesn't have that much oil.

What the fear was that a successful invasion of Kuwaite might be followed by an invasion of Saudi Arabia and that cannot even be considered.

In such an environment Saudi Arabia doesn't need a military force as the US guarantees its security. This means that Saudi Arabia can use military purchases as political tools to buy influence and power and control.

Saudi Arms purchases are just bribes given by the ruler to the West to stay in power. No arms = no throne.

Pretty much right, though the west would not want the current royal family to fall from power as any democratic regime would be a regime of the people and the average saudi doesn't like America much and certainly does not like Israel.

The US might like democracy in Iraq or Iran as imposed by the US, but it certainly does not want democracy in Saudi Arabia... real democracies are much more expensive to control.

Military parade of Venezuela military.

They need only Topol-M to look like just like Russian army

Nice nice

Interesting pics from Venezuela

Pechora-2M

Its going to get interesting



Maduro promised to create in Venezuela, the world's most powerful air defense system

Attempting to piece this all together from various places around the web. Comments and corrections/additions are welcome!

Here's what I've got so far:

19 Brigade (Maracaibo)
-191 Group, Pechora-2M, BARU
-192 Group, Pechora-2M, Josefa Camejo
-198 Group, Igla-S, Maracaibo

29 Brigade (El Sombrero)
-297 Group
-X Group, Antey-2500, BAMARI (might be 297 Group)

39 Brigade (Caracas)
-391 Group, Pechora-2M, Charallave
-392 Group, Pechora-2M
-393 Group, Buk-M2E, Meseta de Mano
-394 Group, Antey-2500
-399 Group, RBS-70, Cumana

49 Brigade (Barcelona)

59 Brigade (Guayana)
-599 Group, Igla-S, El Guri

69 Brigade

One thing that makes the process tedious is that acronyms are often used for FAV bases. BAMARI, for example, is B.A. Manuel Rios. Also, although integrated under the air defence command structure, 393 Group is operated by either the Navy or Marines. Anyway, ongoing process.

Great   

Not related to Russia but is to Venezuela

Venezuela bought 26 Chinese radars

- 26 new radars stations bought from China
- 10 command post bought from China

Hopefully they actually work- Chinese radars have had a lot of issue with other Latin American operators.

Came across some info on the JY-11B radar

  JY-11B 3D Radar

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/154325/navantia-to-repair-venezuelan-opv-in-brazil.html

Navantia Signs Contract with Brazilian Company for Repair of Venezuelan OPV PC-22 Warao

Navantia, which originally built the ship, will repair and upgrade the Venezuelan navy’s PC-22 “Warao” offshore patrol vessel in Brazil. (Navantia photo)
Navantia and the Brazilian company ECOVIX - ENGEVIX have signed a contract for technical consulting and advisory services by Navantia for the assembly and commissioning of the propulsion, automation and power generation systems of PC-22 “Warao," an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) built by Navantia for the navy of Venezuela and delivered in 2011.

Was there particular problems with these vessels, that they would need an overhaul this soon after delivery?

Nice one from Venezuela

Venezuela's redoutable shield:

Best pictures so far ... tnx Mack and +1 f