Venezuela to Buy 50 Russian Mig-29 Fighters

Venezuela to Buy 50 Russian Mig-29 Fighters

Venezuela plans to acquire 50 of Russia’s most advanced warplanes, the UPI news agency reported citing U.S., European and Latin American military intelligence officials who are concerned about regional ambitions harbored by President Hugo Chavez.

The UPI also reported details of agreements being negotiated with Russian defense contractors for a large number of super jet fighters fitted with state-of-the-art weaponry. In letters addressed last year to the director general of Russian Aeronautic Corp., Nicolai F. Nikitin, the Venezuelan air force requested the “latest version” of the MiG 29 SMT equipped with high-tech weaponry, including radar-guided missiles and 2,000-pound bombs.

“The plane must have the capacity to carry no less than 4 tons of bombs,” says the document signed by the Venezuelan air force commander, Maj. Gen. Regulo Anselini Espin, a copy of which has been obtained by UPI. Venezuelan generals have told European diplomatic officials that they need the MiGs to protect the Panama Canal. When asked against whom, the air chiefs wouldn’t specify.

Venezuelan defense officials have said that they were turning to new defense partners because of deteriorating military relations with the United States. More than half of Venezuela’s 22 F-16s are currently grounded due to a lack of maintenance and spare parts. But Colombia and other neighboring countries fear that the new arms would enable Chavez to impose his geopolitical and ideological agenda.

“The total quantity of airplanes provided is of 40 single-seat planes and 10 twin-seat planes,” Venezuelan air force documents state. Defense analysts point out that two-seat MiGs are normaly used for deep, surgical bombing missions.

Ten aircraft are due to be delivered within 18 months of the contract being signed, which also involves setting up a MiG 29 maintenance center in Venezuela, according to air force officials who outline plans for long-term supply and maintenance. “Future deliveries will be made with the participation of the specialists of the Venezuelan air force in the joint assembly of the planes and their test flights following their assembly on Venezuelan territory,” say letters of intent with Russia.

There are already several MiGs in Venezuela, according to Colombian defense officials who have shown UPI photographs of the planes being prepared for flight testing at the Libertador air base in Maracaibo. A U.S. intelligence source also claims that MiGs have been spotted flying near the Caribbean island of Curcao.

Members of Venezuela’s military say handpicked pilots are undergoing flight training in Cuba, which has six MiG 29s. Cuba is the only country in Latin America, except Peru, to be equipped with the advanced Russian model. Fidel Castro offers various types of security assistance to Venezuela in exchange for oil.

Russian and Cuban military officials enjoy warm relations with the Venezuelan Defense Ministry, according to American and EU diplomatic sources who believe that Russia is prepared to sell the full MiG package. The sources say that Russia’s defense attache, air force Col. Oleg Krayotin, holds regular meetings with Venezuelan Defense Minister Garcia Carneiro.

Venezuelan contracts are also being drawn up for Russian Mi-17 heavy-lift helicopters as well as radar systems from China, according to U.S. intelligence reports.