Two Russian Su-30 Fighter Jets Arrive In Venezuela

[Ryan Ruck]

Two Russian Su-30 Fighter Jets Arrive In Venezuela

Two Russian-made Su-30 jets arrived in Venezuela on Sunday and Caracas plans to purchase 24 of the fighter jets from Moscow this year, the military announced, Xinhua news agency reports.

The two Russian fighter jets would make their first public appearance during a military parade set for Wednesday to mark Venezuela’s independence from the Spanish colonial rule, according to the announcement.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said that his country will officially ink the deal for the Russian fighter jets when he visits Moscow on July 25.

“We will soon be in Moscow, because we will buy Russian fighter planes to defend our sky and land,” said Chavez on a television show in May.

He described Sukhoi Su-30s as “100 times better than the F-16s that Venezuela bought from the United States.”

Chavez has also vowed to sell Venezuela’s F-16 fighter planes, if the United States refuses to provide spare parts to his country. Alberto Muller Rojas, the presidential advisor, has indicated that Venezuela is considering selling the planes to Iran if Venezuela does not receive spare parts from Washington.

Chavez unveiled the plan to purchase Russian-made fighter jets and sell the F-16s after the United States announced a ban on military sales to Venezuela. Sean McCormack, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, has warned that the sale of the F-16s to Iran, or anyone else, “is not permitted.

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Chavez has also vowed to sell Venezuela’s F-16 fighter planes, if the United States refuses to provide spare parts to his country. Alberto Muller Rojas, the presidential advisor, has indicated that Venezuela is considering selling the planes to Iran if Venezuela does not receive spare parts from Washington.

Well if Chavez can find a buyer to purchase F-16 with spare parts and ground equipment, he will be lucky. I don't think Iran will purchase the planes, as Iran is currently purchasing Frighters from Russia.

[Ryan Ruck]

Chavez Shows Off Fighter Jets, Defying US

President Hugo Chavez marked Venezuela's independence day by showing off Russian fighter jets his government is planning to buy and new helicopters and rifles it purchased, after Washington blocked US arms sales to Caracas.

Two Sukhoi SU-30MK fighters sent from Russia roared overhead on Wednesday local time as troops, tanks and vehicles filed past Chavez and his counterparts from Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay who were visiting for a summit of the Mercosur trade bloc.

Relations between Washington and Caracas are tense after the United States banned arms sales, citing Chavez's close ties to Iran and Cuba. US officials say the populist Chavez is destabilizing the region, a charge he rejects as propaganda.

Chavez, a former army officer, is seeking to buy 24 of the high-performance Sukhoi fighters to replace his government's F-16 jets in a deal analysts estimate would cost nearly US$1 billion ($1.6bn). He has already bought Kalashnikov rifles and attack helicopters from Russia.

"The US government has sabotaged us, failing to meet contracts and agreements, delaying or not sending parts for US-made aircraft," Chavez said. "See now how our air force is recovering operations, especially with these Sukhoi, the most powerful combat jets in the world."

Joining Chavez at the ceremony was Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Russian who designed the original weapon to bear his name, the AK-47. Venezuela has purchased 100,000 new AK-103 rifles to replace its military's aging FAL weapons.