[Bender2]

Jeff,
no one disagrees that if Hugo wanted to, he could send his SU-30MK on a one way flight to attack a Brit task forces heading down to the Falklands while hugging the coast of Africa way more than 2,700 miles away from the nearest easternmost point of Venezuela. The SU-30s would have the one-way range to get there, but that would be militarily unsound since Hugo has ordered only 24 SU-30s.

But that is not what you stated. You said “...the UK, IMHO, in either case, would not be able to get past Venezuela on the way down to the Falklands.”

I know how to read a map and I know how to use a ruler to scale off a map. I cannot understand why you cannot grasp this?

[yarddog]

You seem to be right about the fact that the British could hug the coast of Africa and avoid Venezuealan attack.

One possible fly in the ointment would be the probability that some West African country would allow them to land on their soil and refuel etc.