SU-30
Mi-35
Posted on 07/21/2006 10:20:26 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Russia signs $1bln aircraft contract with Venezuela-Ivanov 18:01 | 21/ 07/ 2006
MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has signed a contract on supplies of military planes and helicopters to Venezuela worth over $1 billion, the defense minister said Friday.
Sergei Ivanov said 30 Su-30 Flanker air-superiority fighters and 30 helicopters would be supplied to Venezuela.
The Russian Su-30 Flankers will replace a Venezuelan contingent of U.S. F-16 multi-role fighters after Washington imposed an embargo on arms sales to the country May 15, which it says poses a threat to regional stability.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has moved to curb American influence in the region and consolidate ties with other South American nations since he came to power in 1998, earlier accused the United States of breaching an agreement to supply parts for Venezuela's F-16s.
Oil-rich Venezuela is a major purchaser of Russian weapons and hardware. In late 2004, the two countries signed a $54 million contract for the supply of 100,000 automatic rifles. In June this year, the outspoken Chavez said he planned to build a plant to make Kalashnikov rifles and cartridges in the country.
In mid 2005, Caracas signed a contract to buy six Mi-17 Hip and eight Mi-35 Hind multi-purpose helicopters from Russia, which has already supplied three of the aircraft.
SU-30
Mi-35
Russia is spreading joy wherever it goes these days, ay?
When are we going to start supplying arms to Chechnyan rebels?
See enemy of the United States, See Russian weapons.
Russia is the "Walmart" of Arms sales...
!! Roll back on Mi-35's and PKM's... isle 3 !!
!! Free Ural truck with every 3rd purchase !!
I heard that the Mi-35 sucks. They look cool, though.
Well that is debatable,depending on the variant you have & how you use it.The current Mi-35s being offered by Russia with upgrade packages from Israel,South Africa,Britain etc have come a long way from the vulnerable Mi-24s of the Afghan war.Most new variants have far better ECM,countermeasures capability,Laser & infra-red sensors as well as newer anti-tank missiles.The Polish variants for example,deploy the Israeli Spike missile.The type is cheap & sturdy which is why many nations still choose to buy or upgrade it when they can easily buy newer systems.
I say the USA should do to Venezuela the same as JFK did to Cuba. Announce that our Monroe Doctrine is that no European or foreign power can change the balance of power in the Western Hemisphere and the USA as preeminent power here will enforce a blockade to stop such arms from entering Venezuela. We can't let Chavez do what Castro attempted to do back in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Another wise investment by a freedom loving socialist nation. ( Hey hugo, ask saddam how this stuff really works )
1 billion for 30 flankers and all those choppers? That is a serious price rollback!
Russia is just trying to keep its post-Soviet military industries in business.
So I guess Russia doesn't believe in peace and stability in the world, since they are warming up to and helping Chavez's intentionally trying to pick a fight with the US.
Russia does need the money. They need it baaaaddd.
Wonder what the wonderking of Venezuela is going to do with all that hardware? Invade Cuba?
Cool, now the US navy can practice shooting doww MiGs & Sukhois without having to go halfway around the world.
"Cool, now the US navy can practice shooting doww MiGs & Sukhois without having to go halfway around the world."
Actually, I think they are a waste of money for Venezuela, unless they plan to use them against Colombia. What do they think, that that few aircraft won't be the first items consigned to the scrap heap by cruise missiles if they challenged Uncle Sam? And how are they going to maintain the aircraft much less train the crews?
Besides lot's of training in Russia, Russians will have to come stay in Venezuela to continue training and maintaining them. I'm sure that Chavez thinks this will gain him some influence in the security council (after all, it's working for the Iranians with whome he has been hobknobbing). He probably thinks, too, that we will be more hesitant to attack him if we might kill Russians in the process (don't bomb my airbase lest you kill Russian technicians and make Putin mad).
As for wasting money, he doesn't care. He has a severe case of "short guy" syndrome (as well as others). He needs to buy lots of toys to make up for his "shortcomings".
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