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.
Russia makes money with this deal. Venezuela's pilots are not trained well at all. Should we fight them we shoot them all down and Russia makes more money selling them more planes.
Russia has the supply.
We create more demand.
Hey, maybe this will mean the US Congress will spring for a few extra squadrons of F-22's. ;)
Russia/Soviet/Coldwar2 Ping
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Russia really does NOT need the money.....
Most of that money dissappears back into the Russian military, where it is used for weapons development and arms buildups.
Oh goody, target practice for our Raptors.
I'm sure the maintanence will be top notch!
30 plane?, Gee only 4 or 5 raptor can participate in the training, thy'll last what 2 minutes in combat?
It disappears, but mostly for "living expenses" of various kinds.
Good - more lousy Russian junk flown by lousy Russian-trained pilots for us to turkey shoot down in the future.
Pull!
What of fighters of the fourth generation have better shown doctrines " Cope India 2005 " . Well and on each Raptor will be S-300. It would be interesting to test F-22 against Su-47.
LOL, Awesome!
$1 billion ? Looks like they got a special price.
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