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Author Topic: South American Arms Race  (Read 148130 times)

Offline tigershark

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #36 on: October 06, 2008, 02:57:27 PM »
Interesting I hope for the Russian sailors the ships make it to sunny Venezuela.  I am sure they will have "special company" around them most of the time monitoring and recording all the happy sounds that Russian and Venezuela ships of war make.   

Offline SAS73

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #37 on: October 09, 2008, 07:25:56 AM »
Interesting I hope for the Russian sailors the ships make it to sunny Venezuela.  I am sure they will have "special company" around them most of the time monitoring and recording all the happy sounds that Russian and Venezuela ships of war make.  

Ja you are all right, I guees all Nato and US Navy subs and vessels will follow this Russian Navy ships. Do u think also there will be a Russian Submarine visiting Venezuela?

Offline tigershark

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #38 on: October 09, 2008, 05:19:49 PM »
I hope so more to listen to and record.

Offline SAS73

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #39 on: October 14, 2008, 04:59:33 PM »
Chile is interested in purchasing another batch of refurbished F-16s from The Netherlands, according to Defense officials.

The additional F-16s would replace the ageing F-5 Tigers to be decommissioned next year.

Chile currently has 28 F-16s, of which ten are Block 50s purchased brand new in 2002 at a total cost of $660 million US dollars as part of the free trade agreement signed with the United States.

Three years later the Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACh) added 18 F16 MLU A/Bs from the Dutch Air Force (RNLAF) costing $180 million US dollars. These replaced ageing Mirage 5 Elkan and Mirage 50/Panthers in the FACh fleet.

This second batch of 16 F-16s MLUs, including spares and support equipment, would cost 170 million US dollars and would be delivered in 2009. When all are delivered Chile's Air Force will have 44 F-16s, one of the strongest and most modern fleets on the South-American continent.

The new planes would be stationed in the Southern part of the country, however this moved has been met with criticism from members of congress who deem this as a possible unfriendly act to there neighbors Argentina.

The fund for military equipment purchases in Chile is financed with a percentage of copper windfall earnings and supported by legislation dating back to the Pinochet years. The bill is to be amended following a political agreement reached in Congress to review legislation inherited from the military regime and considered non democratic.

Military affairs analysts estimate the fund currently has 2.9 billion US dollars and is expected to increase in the coming months.

http://www.f-16.net
     

Offline SAS73

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #40 on: October 16, 2008, 10:01:32 AM »
Russia to sign arms deal with Venezuela


MOSCOW: Russia will soon sign a contract to sell Venezuela armoured personnel vehicles, the deputy head of Russia's state arms exporter was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency Wednesday.

"The direction of military-technical cooperation with Venezuela is going vertically up," Igor Sevastyanov, deputy general director of the Rosoboronexport arms exporter, was quoted as saying by Interfax.
"The delivery of a major party of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles is planned.

The contract could be signed in the course of a month," he said.
The BMP-3 is a 19 tonne armoured personnel carrier with a 100 mm gun and can hold three crew and seven passengers.

He said talks on supplying coastal defences and artillery systems were also taking place, though Interfax gave no further details.


Russia announced last month it was making available to Venezuela a $1 billion (569 million pound) loan to cover purchases of arms and military equipment from Russian manufacturers.

Russia and Venezuela, both major oil producers, say they have forged closer ties by deepening economic and military cooperation.
President Hugo Chavez supported Russia in its war with Georgia over the rebel region of South Ossetia.

Chavez, known for his anti-U.S. rhetoric, hosted a visit by Russian bomber planes to Venezuela this month and Russian warships will hold exercises there in November, the first such manoeuvres in the Americas since the Cold War.

http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/...ZUELA-ARMS.php

Offline SAS73

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #41 on: October 17, 2008, 07:47:29 PM »
Published: Oct. 15, 2008

CARACAS, Venezuela, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- In 2006 and 2007 Venezuela's air force purchased 36 Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30 "Flanker-C" fighters, of which 24 already are in service and the remaining 12 will be delivered before the end of 2009. However, President Hugo Chavez has also placed an order for 24 state-of-the-art Russian Sukhoi Su-35 "Flanker-E" fighters with delivery starting by 2010.

After the U.S. State Department thwarted Venezuela's plans to buy Spanish military air transports in 2006, Chavez purchased from Russia 10 Ilyushin IL-76E -- NATO designation Candid -- troop/cargo transports and two Ilyushin IL-78 -- NATO designation Midas -- in-flight tankers with the capacity to refuel three aircraft simultaneously.

These transport aircraft will be delivered between the fourth quarter of 2008 and the end of 2009, giving Venezuela's armed forces the largest strategic air lift capacity in Latin America, defense procurement officials say.

However, the arms purchases Venezuela made between 2005 and 2008 are only the start of a bilateral military and security alliance between Caracas and Moscow potentially worth billions of dollars in future sales by Russian arms manufacturers.

During Chavez's latest visit to Moscow on Sept. 25 and 26, his third trip this year, Russian Prime Minister and former President Vladimir Putin agreed to expand Venezuelan-Russian military cooperation. Underscoring Venezuela's importance to Moscow as a major client for Russian weapons, Chavez was granted $1 billion in credit to finance more arms purchases.

The first item on Chavez's arms shopping list is between 20 and 30 TOR-M1 9M330 air defense missile systems. Venezuela's president also wants at least three diesel-powered Varshavyanka (Kilo)-class submarines.

Venezuelan defense sources say Chavez also wants to replace his army's obsolescent AMX-30 main battle tanks with between 50 and 100 Russian-built T-90 main battle tanks. The army also wants to buy at least 100 Russian-made light tanks and armored fighting vehicles, and up to 400 BMP-3 armored personnel carriers.

The Chavez government also is expanding defense and security ties with China. During his visit to Beijing on Sept. 24, Chavez signed an agreement to purchase 24 Chinese-made K-8 light attack aircraft, which Venezuelan air force officials say will be used for training purposes. The K-8s, which are scheduled to arrive in Venezuela during 2009, will operate from the Teniente Vicente Landaeta Gil Air Base near the city of Barquisimeto in Lara state.

China also is supplying Venezuela's air force with 10 long-range JYL-1 radars, three of which already are operating at Paraguana and Mene Mauroa in Falcon state near state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela's 940,000 bpd Paraguana refining complex and in Apure state near Venezuela's border with Colombia. The air force expects to achieve almost 100 percent radar coverage of Venezuela's national territory by 2013 when all 10 radars are installed and operational.

Spain's Navantia shipyard at Cadiz is building eight seagoing vessels for Venezuela's navy, including four coastal patrol boats -- 39 dwt -- equipped with a helicopter deck aft and Oerlikon Contraves DMN 0008 Millennium 35mm anti-aircraft guns. But navy officials say the patrol boats probably also could be armed with air and anti-ship missiles or heavier guns forward.

The other four vessels Navantia is building are missile-capable frigates that Venezuelan navy officials describe as "similar in design" to Venezuela's Italian-made Lupo frigates, which have been in use for about 30 years.

http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2008/10/15/Venezuela_buys_Russian_aircraft_tanks_to_boost_power/UPI-11881224089163/


Offline tigershark

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #42 on: October 18, 2008, 10:42:13 PM »
Can't believe I mess up on the number of Flankers going to Venezuela thought it was just 24 not 36.

Transports and tankers will be late for sure.

Overall I would like to see a updated list on what was delivered to Venezuela
What contracts are actually signed.
What the latest request

Thought China might get in a Type-95/96 or 98/99 tank order instead of older T-72s, can't see the logic because it's a poor performer.  The Type-96 is being used in Sudan so it's has some combat time under it's belt now, not against other tanks that I know of. 

I can't seem to located any deliver date or confirmed order for the K-8s besides the order released in the press.  China doing more with Venezuela oil wise then Russia so I'm still expecting that big Chinese arms order to happen.   China sold a bunch of SP-155 systems to Kuwait so there getting better.

Offline tigershark

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #43 on: October 21, 2008, 05:25:17 AM »
Quote
We're buying mid-sized T-62 (Russian) tanks ... reconnaissance tanks and other models offered us."

Venezuela buying Russian tanks, armored vehicles
 Thu Oct 16, 5:04 pm ET

CARACAS (AFP) – Venezuela is buying more Russian weapons, including armored personnel carriers and tanks, to replace aging ordnance and to improve the country's security and defense capabilities, a top military commander said Thursday.

"We could be talking about 100 to 500 tanks. Right now it's impossible to know ... because strategic research studies are still underway (and) we're still negotiating," Strategic Operations Command chief General Jesus Gonzalez told reporters.

The general was confirming an Interfax news agency report Wednesday about a Russian weapon shipments to Venezuela, which Russian arms export agency deputy director Igor Sevastyanov said included "a large number of BMP-3 armoured personnel carriers" and multiple rocket launchers.

The move follows increasingly closer Russian-Venezuelan relations and 4.4 billion dollars in bilateral arms deals signed since 2005 that have raised US concerns, especially in view of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's fierce anti-American stance.

After meeting with a visiting top-level Russian delegation headed by Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Gonzalez said "nobody should be surprised or afraid" about the arms deal and growing friendship between the two countries.

"Our security and defense require the purchase of airplanes, helicopter and tanks," he added without mentioning a price tag for the recent weapons deal.

Moscow, he said, "is now supplying us with the materials we need for our defense," including armored personnel carriers.

He said Venezuela needed tanks "because the French AMX tanks we got 30 years ago are quite old now, and the Scorpio tanks from Britain are also quite old. We're buying mid-sized T-62 (Russian) tanks ... reconnaissance tanks and other models offered us."

Venezuela and Russia's "decision to have bilateral, technical-military trade is firm and permanent," the Venezuelan general stressed.

Venezuela has already bought 24 Sukhoi fighter jets, 50 helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles from Russia.

During a visit by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Moscow last month, Russia announced it was giving Venezuela a one-billion-dollar credit to buy Russian weapons and the two countries discussed nuclear energy cooperation.

They are also planning joint naval exercises in the Caribbean in November.

US military chiefs have said they are concerned about the military build-up in Venezuela and the US State Department has said it will be watching the Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises "very closely."

Source
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081016/wl_afp/venezuelarussiaweaponsmilitary_081016210425/print

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #44 on: October 21, 2008, 02:15:04 PM »
Overall I would like to see a updated list on what was delivered to Venezuela
What contracts are actually signed.
What the latest request

Right, same here, the report you posted above (the one from upi) seems to have converted all "plans to order" to "ordered"...

- Su-30MK2: The 12 may have been options, but still I haven't heard of them being taken up. I will ask my contact.
- Su-35: not sure if it has been signed yet, but 2010 seems incorrect....it won't be ready before 2011, see all info from Sukhoi/KnAAPO.
- Il-76/78: haven't seen any news, but plans still stand, ever since the C-130 upgrades were cancelled
- T-90: seems it resulted in T-72M purchases
- K-8 are confirmed and will fill a training capability gap which the FAV has been trying to fill for ages (ie. not a 'arms race' item)

Regarding the T-72... poor performer? in what respect? vs Abram, sure. But overall it's a good tank, easy to operate, easy to maintain and the upgrade should improve it's effectiveness. Just a bit unergonomical... Plus they might be reconditioned ones...so cheap cheap.
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Offline tigershark

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #45 on: October 21, 2008, 05:17:47 PM »
Quote
Su-30MK2: The 12 may have been options, but still I haven't heard of them being taken up. I will ask my contact
.
I looked as well and didn't see anything at all on picking up 12 more Flankers.

Quote
Su-35
I agree that date is too early

Quote
Il-76/78: haven't seen any news
I remember Russia messing up the Chinese order a few years back but then production was suppose to be shifted back into Russia itself to correct this.  Not really sure if Russia is really back in the producing transports/tanker business again? 

Quote
T-90: seems it resulted in T-72M purchases
Maybe Russia is back logged with the Algerian and Indian orders

Quote
K-8 are confirmed
I posted the news article but didn't get any delivery dates or training contract news, so I assume it's moving forward.

Quote
Regarding the T-72... poor performer? in what respect? vs Abram, sure.
You got me I compare everything to the Abram maybe the T-72B could serve their needs the AMX-30 is old.

AMX 30

http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/tank/AMX-30.html
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_amx30.html

Prototypes in 1960. Entered service 1967.

« Last Edit: October 24, 2008, 03:35:55 PM by nonpilot »

Offline tigershark

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #46 on: October 24, 2008, 03:37:53 PM »
A little something I found on El Chavez

Tumbling oil could hurt Chavez's revolution

By FRANK BAJAK | 18 Oct 2008 | 08:09 AM ET

As Hugo Chavez gloats over the crisis in the global capitalist system, the Venezuelan president is acting as if his socialist project is somehow immune. But with oil worth half what it was in July, Chavez's free-spending revolution is bound to be hurt.

For starters, he's apt to cut back on the checkbook diplomacy that helps sustain his regional ambitions. But will Chavez be forced to pare down populist handouts to the poor? Slash a bloated government payroll? Try to win over foreign investors he previously alienated?

Opinion is mixed.

"This country is headed for crisis," predicts former Venezuela central bank president Domingo Maza Zavala.

But some economists say Venezuela has experienced far worse in the past. And for now at least, Chavez is showing few signs of concern.

_He plans to boost state spending by 22 percent next year to US$79 billion after nearly tripling Venezuela's budget since 2004. And that is after overspending this year's budget by about 30 percent.

_Venezuela's state oil company has added almost 11,000 workers this year to what many consider an already bloated payroll, boosting the number of workers to more than 70,400.

_The military said this week that it would buy dozens of Russian tanks and armored vehicles, adding to more than US$4 billion in arms purchases from Moscow.

_And Chavez's government now plans to reduce the workday from eight to six hours, something critics say could put a squeeze on the private sector just as times are getting tough.

"We have the ability to weather this crisis," Chavez told state television Thursday from the presidential palace. He added that he isn't "singing victory" and that the government will review all spending and "watch every cent."

Finance Minister Ali Rodriguez said this month that cost-cutting will be unavoidable — but the only cuts he initially mentioned involved taking government SUVs off the road, slicing cell phone bills and holding less-extravagant parties. Oil prices were down when he spoke — but not to the level they reached Friday: about US$68 a barrel for Venezuelan crude.

On Friday, Rodriguez said the government could raise the price of gasoline, currently 12 cents a gallon.

"It's not in my hands to say it at the moment, but I won't rule it out. It's a decision that's not even being studied yet," he said.

Oil prices are also hurting a key Chavez ally, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador. Like Chavez, he has relied on high crude revenues to ease the burden on his country's poor, and like Chavez he has created expectations of an enduring social safety net.

Both countries' economies depend mightily on petroleum. It accounts for 94 percent of Venezuela's exports and half the national budget. In Ecuador, it's 70 percent of exports and a third of the budget.

Pollster Alfredo Keller says Venezuelans consider a share of petro-profits their birthright: "The dominant idea is that Venezuela is a very rich country and thus poverty is solved when the administrator of riches, the government, distributes them."

So no matter how low oil prices drop, he predicts Chavez won't dare cut social programs, which include subsidized food and free education. Nor, he says, will Chavez cut a government payroll that has swelled to 2 million people — roughly one in 14 Venezuelans.

Chavez's popularity dropped last year when Venezuela — a net importer of food and durable goods — experienced sporadic food shortages. Polls show Chavez has since recovered. But especially with Caracas inflation at 36 percent, some people are worried.

"The only thing we produce is oil. We live from imports," said Franco Bolivar, a 50-year-old importer. "Imagine if there are no dollars. How will we buy? How will we import?"

Many economists believe Venezuela's cushion against fiscal disaster is more than adequate to stand up to anything short of a global depression. Venezuela has international reserves of almost US$40 billion, Chavez says, and total reserves on the order of US$100 billion.

That should allow Chavez to "weather the storm without making any significant adjustments for at least 18 to 24 months," said analyst Patrick Esteruelas of the Eurasia Group.

Ana Maria Di Leo, head economist at the newsletter Veneconomia, says Venezuela has seen worse in the past — including a 1994 banking crisis and oil prices as low as US$6 a barrel.

But some analysts believe Chavez will nevertheless cut back on hundreds of millions worth of petrodollar diplomacy — which has included underwriting eye surgery in Peru and building soccer fields in Bolivia.

Venezuela needs to export oil at US$94 a barrel in order to offset its imports of goods and services, according to calculations by PFC Energy, a Washington-based consulting firm.

The United States has long had a similar "balance of payments" problem but offsets it by selling Treasury bonds that people readily buy, said RoseAnne Franco, an analyst at the firm.

"Venezuela," she said, "does not have the same array of options."

The Petrocaribe program, through which Chavez sells oil at highly favorable rates to Caribbean and Central American states — has already been affected. Venezuela has financed well over US$2 billion in sales since 2005 to its 18 members.

As long as oil was over US$100 per barrel, Petrocaribe members had only to pay 40 percent of the bill immediately, canceling the balance over 25 years at 1 percent interest.

Under the agreement, once crude prices fall below US$80 a barrel, the initial payment jumps to 50 percent. It goes to 60 percent if oil hits US$50 a barrel.

___

Associated Press Writers Rachel Jones, Fabiola Sanchez and Ian James in Caracas and Jeanneth Valdivieso in Quito contributed to this report.

Source
http://www.cnbc.com/id/27249560/for/cnbc/

Offline SAS73

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Re: South American Arms Race
« Reply #47 on: October 28, 2008, 12:15:47 AM »
Brazil


Some news from here in Brazil:

- Brazil and France sign contracts: Brazil navy will build more four conventional submarines (the Marlin or Scorpène) and a nuclear one (the first in all americas after US Navy);
 
- Gripen NG, Rafale and F/A-18E Super Hornet are the finalists of the F-X program, wich will buy the firsts 36 new fighter jets to the Brazilian Air Force. The program will replace all the fleet of the FAB, about 120~150 fighters; (Su-35 and F-35 removeds from the final)

- Brazil Air Force will buy more 15 Blackhawks, 30 engines T-700-GE-701C, fuel tanks, weapons and pieces to use with the helicopters.
 
- Brazil buy 51 EC-725 Caracal; 17 to the Brazilian Army, 17 to the Brazil Navy and 17 to the Brazilian Air Force. The EC-725 will be produced in Brazil. The helicopter will be used to assault and C-SAR missions, carrying up to 30 soldiers totally armeds.
 
- Brazil Air Force will buy more 8 CASA C-295. Today, 12 C-295 are alredy in use by the FAB;
 
- Arrived in Brazil the firsts F-5E/F of a total of 11 F-5E/F bought from Jordania. Some of them are alredy modernizated. A new fighter squadron using the F-5 will be created in the northeast. All fighters bought will be modernizated. FAB has 55 F-5E/F, but wants a total of 70 F-5EM/FM.

- Brazil Air Force bought 12 Mil Mi-35 combat helicopters. I don't know when it will be delivery.
 
- In December the president Sarkosy from France comes to Brazil to sign a Defense contract with Lula. The main subject of the visit is the 5 submarines (with a nuclear one) to be build in Brazil, the program "Soldier of the Future" of the French Army wich will be included in the Brazilian Army and a probabilly build of 6 frigates FREMM to the Brazil Navy.

 



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