Venezuela, Russia: Comrades in arms

Note that the Su-30MK2 (Sukhoi) is better that either the F-15 or F-16.
http://vayu-sena.tripod.com/comparison-f15-su30-1.html

During a passionate tour in May of European capitals, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez politely declined an official invitation from Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel because he preferred to meet ordinary people. And indeed he proceeded to meet ordinary people - accompanied by Che Guevara's daughter.

But during his three-day visit to Russia last week, Chavez didn't have a single walkabout. He made it clear it was a "working visit" by commencing in Volgograd and Izhvesk (seat of Russia's arms industry) before reaching Moscow.

Equally, his Russian hosts took care to advertise that the last thing they had in mind was planting a hedgehog in the American underbelly, as Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev used to say. A string of Russian commentators hastened to insist to anyone who

cared to lend an ear in Washington that there was "nothing personal, just business" in the Kremlin's new odyssey in the Western Hemisphere - unlike in the Soviet era.

However, it is highly unlikely Washington will accept at face value these protestations of innocence. A US State Department spokesman expressed concern that the developing ties between Russia and Venezuela had implications for "regional stability" in Latin America and warned that such ties would not be good for Moscow or Caracas.

What incensed Washington to no end was that by the time Chavez came to Russia on Wednesday, Venezuela already had a US$52 million agreement with Russia to supply 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and munitions, as well as two agreements worth $474.6 million for construction in Venezuela of a plant to produce AK-103 assault rifles, along with another to produce 7.62-millimeter bullets.

And while Chavez was in Moscow on Thursday, the two countries signed a contract for the delivery of 38 Mi-17V-5 helicopters, which combine transport, gunship, reconnaissance and rescue capabilities, and Mi-35M fire-support helicopters, as well as an agreement for the supply of Su-30MK2 multi-role fighter aircraft. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov estimated the contracts were worth more than $1 billion.

Venezuela has also shown interest in purchase from Russia of Amur-class submarines, Tor-M1 and Osa-10 air-defense missile systems, infantry fighting vehicles and other equipment worth $3 billion.

Considering Russia's total arms exports during 2005 amounted to $6 billion, it is possible to put into perspective the huge significance of Venezuela to the Russian arms industry. . . .

The emerging dimensions of the Russian-Venezuelan cooperation in the energy sector bring this home with telling effect. Leading Russian energy companies, including Gazprom, LUKoil, Zarubezhneftgaz and Tekhnopromexport, have been active on the Venezuelan market. Last August, Gazprom won a tender for the Rafel Urdaneta natural-gas project and was granted licenses for prospecting and developing gas fields in the Gulf of Venezuela with an estimated capacity of 100 billion cubic meters.

Chavez revealed during his visit to Moscow that Venezuela sought Russian participation in the construction of an 8,000-kilometer, $20 billion pipeline connecting Venezuela with the Atlantic coast via Brazil and Rio de la Plata. Venezuela also signed an agreement with Russia for construction of a pipe-making plant."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HH02Ag01.html


India ready to counter Pakistani F16s with Indian made superior Sukhoi MK3
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/12-24e-04.asp

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Classic American liberal

if the stock market speculators got out of the market, then Chavez would not have all this money to spend on weapons.

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Rather if we spent the money that we spent on the useless war in Iraq, on alternative energy, the price of oil would be a lot less.

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Classic American liberal

Dick & george knew of a forthcoming energy-crunch. They chose the Iraq-war route. Investment in alternative fuels would not yel as loud to the world: "We are desperate for energy!"

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I have something to hide.

Elaborate. In what way are they superior to the F-16 and F-15? My impression was the opposite; the F-15 is actually slightly superior.

And there is no question the SU-30s are vastly inferior to the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 JSF. In virtually every way except cost. Either fighter can destroy the obsolete SU-30 before the SU-30 can even detect them on radar.

I hope Chavez bought some quality parachutes to go with those shiney new jets, heh heh

Also obsolete and inferior, even compared to our mid-range vessels.

I know you enjoy gloating about anything bad that happens to the US, but I cant say that I am all that impressed with Venezuela's new military. Even China's military would be superior technologically, and China is by far inferior to us.

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My Political Blog (Most recent update Oct 3rd) - Which Flame Warrior are you?

Venezuala has the right to be able to defend itself. Every nation should have some kind of defense so as not to succumb to foreign aggression and the US government's militant, anti-Venezualan rhetoric only makes this need for self-defense all the more neccessary.

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“Capitalism cannot reform itself; it is doomed to self-destruction. No universal selfishness can bring social good to all.” —Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois

Seems to me, you guys are kinda missing the point here. I don't think even Chavez is stupid enough to think he can take on the US. But, he can certainly become a regional super-power in Latin America. At the moment, he doesn't seem to have much political credibility, his main alignments seem to be with Cuba and Bolivia. And should a world war develop (as seems increasingly likely with every passing minute), he who controls South America is indeed in a position of great power. Fortunately, we have a lot better intelligence down there than we do in, um... certain other parts of the world.

Nuke Caracas and show the Venezuelans and the world how America reacts to this Commie BS. The US is the Superpower of the world, time to start acting like it.

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"There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between there are the doors." - Jim Morrison

So Chavez bought some military hardware. If he invades a neighbor the U.S. would crush him like a bedbug, so the only reason America has to be outraged is if they are thinking of invading Venezuela themselves or inciting a neighbor to invade or inciting an internal revolt. Of course, the Bush Administration has had no thoughts of that kind whatsoever

The real question is:
When are the poor people of Venezuela going to wake up and realize that a leader that wastes all their tax money on weapons like this is not doing a (*)(*)(*)(*) thing to put food on their plates?
They should definitely vote his @$$ out.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside