Hunting bombs, anti-ship missiles and other Russian-made weapons that Venezuela has

A video released Wednesday by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) showed a joint exercise with the Air Force and the Venezuelan army, during which they tested equipment and weapons purchased. to Russia in recent years. In the video, you see how A Sukhoi fighter-bomber Su-30MK2V fires an anti-ship missile Kh-31, both bought from Russia.

The weapons test is part of the Angostura 2019 bicentennial exercises which took place from 10 to 15 February and which aim to strengthen the defense capacity of the territory of Venezuela by the armed forces. To do this, they used an aircraft that arrived in the country in 2006 as part of an arms sales agreement between the Chavez government and Russia. According to the web specialized in aeronautical technology Air force technology, the Sukhoi Su-30MK2V is a Russian-made aircraft with precision anti-aircraft missiles and a launch range of 120 km.

The Su-35 is considered the most deadly fighter in the world, says the Russian agency Sputnik. Only the F-22 Raptor is able to withstand the Russian ship because it is specially built to gain air superiority. Regarding its appearance, the aircraft looks a lot like its predecessor, the Su-27. However, the new model has a weight greater than 38,800 compared to 33,000 kg, which increases its life and payload.

The missiles of "supersonic death"

The plane has been serving the Venezuelan military aviation for 12 years. In 2005, Venezuela negotiated with Russia the purchase of 24 aircraft of this model that arrived in the country in 2008. The price of the contract is estimated at 1,500 million US dollars. On the other hand, the Kh-31s are anti-ship supersonic missiles capable of reaching a distance of 250 kilometers. In their modern versions, they are able to sink a ship of 4,5,000 tonnes and a maximum speed of 1,000 meters per second.

"Kh-31 projectiles can withstand an overload of 10 g, while their maximum speed is four times faster than the speed of sound," says Sputnik. "These tactical missiles are not only capable of attacking ships weighing up to eight tons, but also the enemy's radar stations, thanks to their speed and invisibility, the Kh-31 were baptized "supersonic death" ".

After this first case, the Rosoboronexport – The Russian government agency for the export of military products, services and technologies – signed a contract with Hugo Chávez for the supply of Kaláshnikov AK-103 rifles (100,000 units) and an agreement was signed for the construction of a Kalashnikov factory in Venezuela, dedicated to the production of rifles and ammunition. That year, a contract was also signed for the supply of Tor-M1 ground-to-air missile systems (the contract price was $ 290 million). Supply began in 2008.

In June 2015, the Minister of People's Power for the Defense of Venezuela, Vladimir Padrino López, he told the TV channel Rossiya: "Perhaps we started with a technico-commercial and technico-military relationship consisting primarily of equipping the Bolivarian National Armed Forces with modern systems manufactured in Russia, which is why we can now talk about armed forces "before Hugo Chávez" and "after Hugo Chávez", with which Russia has a lot to do. "

"It's a new equipment that allowed us to strengthen the military apparatus of the armed forces"Explained Padrino López, today one of the most faithful allies of Nicolás Maduro's regime." But also, there is greater cooperation in the strategic and educational fields … We currently have more than 65 officers preparing in Russia and three cadets in Russian military academies. This means that this relationship will strengthen not only in the military but also in the civilian field, "he added.

T-72, AK-93 and sophisticated helicopters

Almost all Venezuelan army technology is made in Russia, according to the Russian News Agency RIA Novosti. The bulk of the armored troops is 92 Russian tanks T-72B1V, of which Russia has produced a total of 20,544 units to date. In Latin America, it is used by Venezuela – which bought 92 in 2009 – and Nicaragua. The crews of the Venezuelan battleships received in 2010 in Omsk a course on T-72 systems as part of a military exchange program, said RIA Novosti.

In 2006, Venezuela received 100,000 AK-103 Kalashnikov rifles, according to the Russian news website Russia beyond. The same year, the agreement was signed for the construction of a Kalashnikov factory in Venezuela, capable of manufacturing 25,000 rifles and 50 million cartridges a year (the contract is estimated at 475 million dollars) , according to the TASS agency. However, the construction of the factory suffered several setbacks due to the Venezuelan economic crisis.

Venezuelan aviation also has a dozen Mi-35M2 helicopters, 16 Mi-17V5s, and three Mi-26T2 heavy-lift helicopters, all of Russian manufacture. according to RIA NovostiThe air defense system is one of the most important elements of the Venezuelan armed forces. In this area, the country has long-range anti-aircraft missiles S-300BM, 12 medium-range Buk-M2E anti-aircraft missile systems, 24 upgraded Pechora-2M S-125 systems. In addition, Venezuela has 12 Iglá-S anti-aircraft missile systems in its arsenal which, two years ago, provoked intense international controversy.

Chavez's armed forces also have a stock of 123 armored combat vehicles BMP-3M, featuring reinforced armor, a modern fire control system and Arena-E active protection system. Since 2009, in addition, 114 armored vehicles BTR-80A, an amphibious armored personnel carrier designed in the former USSR in 1986, replacing the BTR-70 and BTR-60.

S.D.