Venezuela's Chavez Confirms Plan To Buy Russian Missiles

MILPLEX

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

by Staff Writers
Caracas (AFP) Feb 02, 2007
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a fierce US critic who has been granted sweeping powers, has confirmed plans to buy missiles from Russia as part of a long-standing weapons upgrade. The firebrand Socialist president said late Thursday that the purchase of Russian Top-MI missiles was imminent.

"We are going to buy missiles, Russian (ones), the most modern, to defend us, defend oil installations, strategic installations," Chavez said.

Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, has benefited from a surge in crude prices. Last year the country bought from Russia 24 Sukhoi 30 jet fighters, 53 MI-24 military helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Asked about the Russian missiles, Chavez, who has been granted power to rule by decree over the next 18 months in various sectors including the military, insisted on their high performance.

"These bugs don't miss their target, from several hundred kilometers (miles) away."

An ally of Cuba's Communist leader Fidel Castro, the Venezuelan government has sought to diversify its weapons sources in response to a US ban on the sale of arms with American-made components to the South American country.

"They are applying pressure to stop arm sales to us, which are all defensive weapons," Chavez said.

A year ago, Washington blocked a sale by Spain to Venezuela of military aircraft with US components. Caracas responded by vowing to buy arms from countries which share its anti-US stance.

On Thursday, Chavez signed a law that gives him the power to transform state institutions in 11 key sectors, including the military, economy, transportation, security and oil.

Source: Agence France-Presse

MILPLEX

Critics Slam DOD Budget Plans

Washington (UPI) Feb 05, 2007
The new U.S. defense budget for the coming fiscal year unveiled Monday has already attracted its share of critics. According to a panel report from the Security Policy Working Group, the defense budget is expected to be unrealistic and will all but fail. The Security Policy Working Group is an initiative established by the Proteus Fund, an organization dedicated to promoting democracy and social justice. The goal of the SPWG project is to analyze and reform security policy in the United States, as well as to expand the public's understanding of such issues.

SUPERPOWERS Climate Report Stokes Heat Under US And China US And Russia Hold High-Level Talks Amid Rise In Bilateral Tensions China Takes A Few Shots In The Dark Beyond Putin	NUKEWARS US Envoy Seeks 'Good Start' From North Korea Talks North Korea Willing On Nuclear Freeze US Defends Military Build-Up Against An Aggressive Iran North Korea Demands Oil To Suspend Nuclear Reactor Operations
MISSILE NEWS India Test-Fires Supersonic Cruise Missile Israeli Media Says Syria Has Tested Scud Iran Seeking Longer-Range Strike Force Russia To Help India Test Supersonic Cruise Missile	MISSILE DEFENSE Ukraine Calls US Missile Plans A 'Threat' New Missile Warning Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Completes Key Environmental Test Phase Northrop Grumman To Test Fire Kinetic Energy Interceptor Booster In 2008 Czech Government Says No To US Missile Shield Referendum
AEROSPACE Anger As Britons Face Air Tax Hike Bats In Flight Reveal Unexpected Aerodynamics Lockheed Martin And Boeing Form Strategic Alliance To Promote Next-Gen Air Transportation System Time to test the Guardian Missile Defense System For Commercial Aircraft	UAV NEWS Northrop Grumman, EADS Joint Venture To Develop German Euro Hawk Iran Builds Hand-Launched Drones Athena Technologies Guidance and Navigation System Selected Watchkeeper UAV Program Enhanced Fire Scout Makes Flight Debut
IRAQ WARS Grim US Options In Iraq Bush Takes One More Gamble In The Mideast How Over-Extended Is The US Military The Long War	MILTECH India's Showcase Chopper Crashes Ahead Of Airshow Language Learning Via Video Gaming Future Combat Systems Completes Experiment and Soldier-testing Of Key Technologies Jointness Key To Future Of Military Medicine

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement