Venezuela Ready To Buy Fighter Jets From Russia

[Ryan Ruck]

Venezuela Ready To Buy Fighter Jets From Russia

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said his country is ready to buy Russian-built fighter jets, as the United States refuses to supply spare parts for its F-16 jets.

At a military ceremony on Monday, Chavez expressed his appreciation for Russia's help, saying Venezuela will buy fighter jets from Russia and "keep them here to protect this land."

He also thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for approving the sale of 33 military helicopters and 100,000 AK-47 assault rifles to Venezuela.

Chavez also blamed Washington for forbidding Brazilian manufacturers from selling training aircraft to his country on grounds they use U.S. technology.

Despite the setbacks, Chavez said "nothing and nobody will stop us from making our country's armed forces stronger."

Relations between Venezuela and the United States have been deteriorating in recent years. Caracas has accused Washington of backing an abortive coup to overthrow Chavez in April 2002.

[Ryan Ruck]

Russian Warplanes Expected In Venezuela In July

President Hugo Chávez said that during upcoming military parade of July 5th, "Russian Sukhoi-30 warplanes may fly over Caracas."

During his weekly radio and TV show aired Sunday, Chávez and Defense minister admiral Orlando Maniglia displayed a first batch of the 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles Caracas purchased from Moscow and which arrived Saturday in Venezuela.

"Next June 24th (Day of the Battle of Carabobo), the Army is to parade with the new rifles AK103, and next July 5th (Independence Day) the four units of the Army will use the new rifles. This is no arms race, but we are updating our weapons," Chávez said.

[Brian Baldwin]

One nuke will take care of all those shiny rifles.

[Ryan Ruck]

Chavez To Buy Russian Jets

PRESIDENT Hugo Chavez confirmed today that Venezuela will buy Russian fighter jets during a planned visit to Moscow, and warned that Caracas could sell its US-made F-16s to Iran.

"We will soon be in Moscow because we will buy Russian fighter jets to defend these skies and land," Mr Chavez said in a speech on state-owned television.

Mr Chavez hailed the Russian Sukhoi fighters as "the best in the world, 100 times better than the F-16s".

The leftist leader did not say when he planned to travel to Russia, but Venezuela's ambassador to Moscow has said the trip could take place in August or September.

Mr Chavez also said he supports Venezuelan General Alberto Muller Rojas's recommendation to sell the F-16s. Caracas says Washington refuses to supply replacement parts for the warplanes.

The United States has ordered an arms sales ban against Venezuela, accusing Caracas of failing to provide assistance in the "war on terror".

"General Muller made an interesting statement - he said that if they do not want to sell us the F-16 parts, we would sell the planes," Mr Chavez said. "Why lose the money? It's millions of dollars, so Muller said we would sell them to Iran, and that is possible."

But the United States has indicated that it would not allow Venezuela to sell the F-16s to Iran.

"Any time you have the sale of US military equipment to a foreign government, there are clauses and there are agreements that are signed," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said last week.

"And part of those agreements are that, without the written consent of the United States, you can't transfer these defence articles, and in this case F16s, to a third country," he said.

"And I would expect that, even if such a request were made, that it would not be forthcoming from the US government," Mr McCormack said.

[Ryan Ruck]

Chavez: Venezuela to Buy 24 Russian Fighter Jets This Year

President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela will purchase 24 new Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets this year — and may purchase more — while his government moves forward with plans to set up factories to produce Kalashnikov assault rifles under license.

Chavez said Wednesday the SU-30 jets will replace a fleet of U.S.-made F-16s, which Venezuela has had trouble maintaining because the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has refused to sell Caracas parts.

"First we are going to buy 24 Sukhoi S-30's and we are going to leave open the possibility of a future acquisition" of Sukhoi S-35s, said Chavez, speaking at a packed auditorium in Caracas.

Chavez said he could imagine a Sukhoi fighter jet launching a missile at an invading U.S. aircraft carrier anchored off La Guaira, a seaport located along Venezuela's Caribbean coast, from skies above the central city of Valencia.

"From Valencia, or even farther, a Sukhoi plane can fire at an invading vessel stopped in front of La Guaira, and it doesn't miss my friend," he said.

Speaking to hundreds of soldiers at a military base earlier Wednesday, Chavez said the first shipment of Russian-built jets would arrive in this oil-rich South American country by the end of the year.

Wearing olive green military fatigues and a red paratrooper's beret, Chavez personally handed out newly-acquired Kalashnikov rifles to soldiers after being presented with his own brand new AK-103 assault rifle.

Venezuela "is going to set up the first Kalashnikov factory in South America," said Chavez, whose "revolutionary" government is buying 100,000 Russian-made AK-103 assault rifles along with ammunition and accessories.

The first 30,000 of the assault rifles arrived June 3.

Chavez used surging oil revenues to modernize Venezuela's military, signing defense deals worth an estimated US$2.7 billion (euro2 billion) with countries including Russia and Spain.

Despite Washington's objections, Venezuela is purchasing 15 Russian helicopters for US$200 million (euro160 million), and officials say they hope to buy 18 more.

Washington announced last month it was curtailing arms sales to Venezuela, saying the South American nation has failed to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts.

"We are preparing for the defense of sacred land," Chavez said Wednesday after personally distributing new rifles among the soldiers at Fort Tiuna, Venezuela's main military facility.

Chavez, a former army lieutenant colonel, has frequently warned that the United States could invade to seize control of his country's rich oil and natural gas reserves. He has called on his Venezuelans to prepare for a conflict by learning to use a firearm and joining the military reserve.

U.S. officials deny any such plan exists, and accuse Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, of becoming increasingly authoritarian and posing a threat to stability in Latin America.