Russia invests $5.4B in Venezuelan arms buildup

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Venezuela has bought $4.4 billion worth of weapons from Russia over the past four years. And despite the collapsing global price of oil, Venezuela's weapons planning top general has announced it is going to buy lots more.

"We will continue buying weaponry in Russia, China and Belarus in future years to ensure the defense of our territory and oil reserves from countries like the United States," Gen. Jesus Gonzalez, director of weapons purchases for the Venezuelan armed forces, said during a visit to Mexico last week, RIA Novosti reported Friday.

Gonzalez claimed the enormous arms buildup, which would make Venezuela by far the most powerful military power in Latin America and the Caribbean, and a potential threat to its neighbors, was essential because the country faced the threat of a U.S. invasion.

"I have no doubt that the Americans want to come here in search of oil, and we must be ready to face them. If you want peace, prepare for war," Gonzalez stated, according to the report. "That is why we asked for help from such countries as Russia and China. Russia is our friend, who has helped us in difficult times."

RIA Novosti noted that from 2005 to 2007 Venezuela's fiercely anti-American President Hugo Chavez had approved 12 contracts with Russia that had a cumulative value of $4.4 billion. The agreements covered huge supplies of state-of-the-art air superiority fighter aircraft, a fleet of helicopters that would dramatically boost the mobility and reach of the Venezuelan army, and even an agreement to build a new factory to manufacture under license Kalashnikov AK-103 automatic assault rifles.

In addition to those $4.4 billion of weapons purchases, in September Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin approved a further $1 billion loan with which Chavez is purchasing Russia's short-range but highly advanced TOR-M1 air defense systems, Igla-S portable SAM systems, Ilyushin Il-78 aerial tankers and Ilyushin Il-76 military cargo aircraft. Some military analysts believe the Tor-M1 may have an up to 80 percent success rate in shooting down the U.S. Air Force's veteran subsonic Tomahawk missiles.

"During the upcoming visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Venezuela in November this year we may finalize the details of deals on the procurement of (Russian) BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles and T-72 tanks," Gonzalez said.

His comments came after the Russian air force in September successfully flew two supersonic, swing-wing Tupolev Tu-160 White Swans -- NATO designation Blackjack) -- all the way to Venezuela, where their crews spent a week being feted by Chavez and flying long-duration patrols over the Caribbean Sea.

The Tu-160 Blackjack, with a top speed of 1,380 mph at sea level and a 99,000-pound bomb load or ordnance capacity, is the most advanced bomber in the world. It has twice the speed and weapons-carrying capacity of a B-2 Stealth bomber and can carry 12 KH-55 air-launched cruise missiles -- NATO designation AS-15 Kent -- each of which has a range of 2,000 miles.

The announcement of the Blackjack patrols alarmed the U.S. government. In August Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that Washington looked with disfavor on the Russian air force using the Tu-160 Blackjacks to carry out their training and test flights so close to the United States. She warned the Kremlin that it was conducting a "dangerous game."

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(Part 2: Chavez's arms plan for regional domination)