Guys,
Russia has become a major supplier of arms to Venezuela since around 2001. The two countries signed a series of deals worth a reported $3 billion or so in 2006, including fighter aircraft, transport and attack helicopters, and assault rifles, according to Jane's.
According to Russian news reports, the Russian flotilla will include the heavy nuclear-propelled missile cruiser
Pyotr Veliki (Peter thr Great) and the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko.
Petr Velikiy
The much-delayed Petr Velikiy, which arrived in the Northern Fleet in November 1996 for acceptance trials, was finally commissioned on 18 April 1998, but in the Northern Fleet rather than in the originally planned Pacific Fleet. However, she was subsequently laid up at Severomorsk awaiting completion and repairs.
On 23 March 2004 Russia's navy chief reportedly said that the nuclear-powered Peter the Great missile cruiser, was in such dire condition that it could "explode at any moment" - only to backtrack on his statement a few hours later. Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov said the massive cruiser had been badly maintained and could "explode any moment", adding that "it's especially dangerous because it has a nuclear reactor". Just three hours later, however, Kuroyedov retracted his ominous statement, saying he had been misunderstood by the media. "There is no threat whatsoever to the ship's nuclear safety," he said in a statement. "The ship's nuclear safety is fully guaranteed in line with existing norms." He added that some flaws in maintaining the cruiser's living quarters would be fixed within three weeks, after which the ship would become fully combat-ready.
The Petr Veliki cruiser docked for repair at Roslyakovo starting on 19 April 2004. The ship repairers will clean and paint the submarine part of the ship, repair the armature and examine the steering system. The floating dock PD-50, where the Admiral Kuznetsov had been repaired, was prepared for the flagship of the navy. As of July 2004 the flagship of the Northern Fleet, the Pyotr Veliky, heavy nuclear guided-missile cruiser, also fresh from repair, was carrying out missions so as to be in what is called "first-line" readiness in the second half of August 2004.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...ussia/1144.htm
For those who need lots of stats:
http://www.aviapress.com/viewonekit.htm?ZVD-9017
Venezuela to host Russia navy exercise near US Coast
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c3_1220785880
Several Russian ships and 1,000 soldiers will take part in joint naval manoeuvres with Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea later this year, exercises likely to increase diplomatic tensions with Washington, a pro-government newspaper reported on Saturday.
Quoting Venezuela's naval intelligence director, Salbarore Cammarata, the newspaper Vea said four Russian boats would visit Venezuelan waters from More..November 10 to 14.
Plans for the naval operations come at a time of heightened diplomatic tension and Cold War-style rhetoric between Moscow and the United States over the recent war in Georgia and plans for a U.S. missile defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Cammarata said it would be the first time Russia's navy carried out such exercises in Latin America. He said the Venezuelan air force would also take part.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an outspoken critic of Washington, has said in recent weeks that Russian ships and planes are welcome to visit the South American country.
"If the Russian long-distance planes that fly around the world need to land at some Venezuelan landing strip, they are welcome, we have no problems," he said on his weekly television show last week.
Chavez, who buys billions of dollars of weapons from Russia, has criticized this year's reactivation of the U.S. Navy's Fourth Fleet, which will patrol Latin America for the first time in over 50 years.
The socialist Chavez says he fears the United States will invade oil-rich Venezuela and he supports Russia's growing geopolitical presence as a counterbalance to U.S. power.
Chavez has bought fighter jets and submarines from Russia to retool Venezuela's aging weapons and says he is also interested in a missile defence system.
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According to Venezuelan friends of mine, Chavez is pretty much done for at home and is on his way out. Watching him is like watching Ghadaffi of yore prior to being 'tamed' and brought into the world's political fold.
The Russian fleet sounds like a major environmental hazard to me...maybe we ought to get Al Gore involved with this one...send him to Gitmo and let him start talking and the hurricane season will certainly be extended.
Maybe we ought to remind Vladimir and countrymen of the last Russian
White Fleet's fate - at Tsushima.
Richard's $.02
