Monday, May 22, 2017

Are Venezuela's 5,000 Russian Surface-To-Air MANPADS Missiles Secured?

A Venezuelan soldier practises on an anti-aircraft artillery simulator as part of a defensive military exercise in conjunction with the general public in Caracas March 14, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File photo


Reuters: Exclusive: Venezuela holds 5,000 Russian surface-to-air MANPADS missiles

Venezuela possesses 5,000 Russian-made MANPADS surface-to-air weapons, according to a military document reviewed by Reuters, the largest known stockpile in Latin America and a source of concern for U.S. officials amid the country's mounting turmoil.

Venezuela's socialist government has long used the threat of an "imperialist" invasion by the United States to justify an arms buildup. Much of that arsenal was obtained from Russia by Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, whose tenure lasted from 1999 until his death in 2013.

The missiles, which are shoulder-mounted and can be operated by one person, pose a serious threat to commercial and military aircraft. Weapons experts said there have long been fears that the weapons could be stolen, sold or somehow channeled to the wrong hands, concerns exacerbated by the current civil unrest in Venezuela and the economic crisis roiling the oil-producing nation.

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WNU Editor: 5,000 MANPADS?!?!?!?! I have a bad feeling about this.

3 comments:

TWN said...

Gee selling to unstable or fanatic regimes high tech weaponry," $110 billion arms package signed between the US and Saudi Arabia", what could go wrong.If they had any sense whatsoever, the major powers sould cut off all arms sales to the nut jobs and the wars would grind to a halt in time, but our So Called Leaders are as crazy as the Tin Pot Morons that run these back waters.

Unknown said...

Wars are about allies almost as much or as much as about the main contenders.

Thus the sales.

Unknown said...

Will liberals feel better about being shot down by 9K38 Igla instead of a Stinger?

All liberals know how to say is Stinger, Afghanistan, Blowback, ...