Posted on 09/17/2004 10:21:22 AM PDT by struwwelpeter
15:21 2004-09-17
American military intelligence confirms that the Venezuelan ministry of defense has several new MiG-29 fighters. The MiG-29s for now located on one of the bases in the region of Lake Maracaibo. The fighters periodically perform training flights in the region of Curacao island in the Caribbean sea, where they were detected by the American military. Information about Venezuela's MiG-29s was also confirmed by representatives of the Columbian ministry of defence.
The purchase of Russian fighters, according to the American military, is part of a long-term plan by the Venezuelan ministry of defense to upgrade their air forces. Venezuela plans to buy about 50 Russian MiG-29 fighters in various modifications, with 40 single-seat and 10 dual-seat models. Venezuela plans to spend about 5 billion dollars for the Russian fighters, including missiles and special aviation and airfield equipment.
Until recently the only MiG-29s in Latin America were used by Peru and Cuba. Cuba only has six MiG-29s.
(Excerpt) Read more at lenty.ru ...
All that money we give them for oil had to be drained off somehow.
...hmmmm, this would be pretty cool thing to see next month when I'm in Curacao....a little M-29 fly by would be interesting.
They will benefit by the protection the MiGs provide against them, oops, I mean for them.
Theres not a single country in Latin America that needs MIG-29s. This just starts a minor-league problem between Venezuela and all of its neighbors. There was a period in the 1960s where almost of the dictators in Latin America was using its military to threaten neighbors...thus keeping their instablity out of the press. It appears that we are going full-circle now.
of course who will be flying these 29's for chavez? Does he know planes take pilots?
Chavez is becoming more of a headache than he's worth. I think he'll lose his job sometime after our election.
beware the Ides of November....I like it!
Not just his job but his life.
Wow-if the numbers are confirmed,it will be the largest single buy of Mig-29s by a nation after India brought nearly 80 in the late 1980s.Going by the current trend,the variant probably will be the multi-role Mig-29SMT.MIG has been having a quiet revival of sorts with Algeria also showing interest in the Mig-29SMT & India deciding to buy the new generation Mig-29K for the carrier, it is buying from Russia.
1-800-Rent-a-Rus
This is not going to make the Colombians very happy at all..
Does anyone know how old of a model the MIG-29 is?
The same pilots that fly the F-16 fighter.
Beautiful pic, now that's a keeper.
FAV= Venezuela Air Force.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.