Posted on 07/20/2008 9:56:42 AM PDT by Coffee200am
MOSCOW: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may spend up to a billion dollars on Russian weapons in a trip to Moscow next week, said a Russian military-industrial source cited by news agency Interfax on Saturday.
Chavez's shopping list could include three "Varshavianka" class electric-diesel submarines and 20 Tor-M1 ground-to-air missile systems worth around a billion dollars (630 million euros), the source added.
"During the visit several contracts are likely to be signed for the delivery of arms and military technology to Caracas," the source told Interfax.
"For a number of military contracts, all the details have already been settled, they are ready to sign."
Between now and 2012, the source added, Venezuela could spend up to 30 billion dollars on modernising its armed sources.
Venezuela also had its eye on six conventional submarines and several dozen surface vessels of various categories, the source said.
Russia has suggested selling patrol boats, hovercraft for troop landings and coastal missile systems with a range of up to 130 kilometres (80 miles).
"It's also expected that contracts will be sealed for the installation of technical centres in Venezuela and armament maintenance," the source said.
Venezuela is also discussing buying up to 20 patrol aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-114.
Chavez has already ordered several of the latest generation of Mi-28N combat helicopters, due for delivery in the second half of 2009.
Venezuela is already a significant military client of Russia, having bought 3.5 billion dollars of equipment, including 24 Sukhoi fighter jets, 50 helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles in a deal frowned upon by Washington.
Chavez is a frequent visitor to Moscow, having been there in June 2007 and July 2006, and a vocal supporter of Russia's return to military might as a counterweight to what he calls US "imperialism."
it’s like a virus changing itself and evolving into a more virulent form.
here, the cold war changing into a russian gas and oil monopoly, supplying weapons to iran, venezuela, etc.
Yes, this time Russia has a sustainable amount of income through energy exports to be the catalyst for untold mischief abroad.
Chavez will cause many problems down in SA in the years to come provided his head doesn’t get ventilated.
So very dollar spect on Venzuelan oil goes to make them strong enough to cause great trouble in Latin America. Do we fund our own defeat? And then there are the Arabs who all hate us while our dollars fund terrorism and especially against the US.
That is correct and Democrats have blocked every possible avenue for getting off of foreign oil. No drilling. No refineries. No nuke plants.
And the US sells arms to “freedom” loving states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.
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