• Forum
• SITREP

• Military

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space
• Public Eye

Further Reading

Naval Forces
Fuerzas Navales or Armada

In 1990 the navy maintained a force level of approximately 10,000, a figure that included a marine infantry corps of some 5,000 personnel. The branch was headed by the Commander of Naval Operations, who exercised administrative and operational control over a number of subordinate commands, among them the main naval squadron at Puerto Cabello, the marine infantry crops, the naval aviation command at La Carlota Airport near Caracas, a River Forces (Fuerzas Fluviales) Command at Ciudad Bolívar on the Río Orinoco, and the Coast Guard at Puerto Cabello.

Venezuelan naval aviation was not established as a distinct element until the late 1970s. With the exception of helicopters, all of its assets were stationed at La Carlota Airport near Caracas. Marine infantry personnel were deployed in four battalion-sized units, referred to as "tactical combat units," headquartered at Maiquetía, Puerto Cabello, Carúpano in Sucrey, and Punto Fijo. The River Forces Command was also subordinate to the Marine Infantry Command. The Coast Guard, established in 1982, maintained its headquarters at Puerto Cabello. Navy officer rank insignia were rendered in gold on black shoulder boards. Enlisted rank insignia consisted of chevrons worn on the sleeve, black with blue, red, or gold markings for the navy.

The Venezuelan Naval Academy (Escuela Naval de Venezuela) at La Guaira offered a five-year course of study culminating in a commission. Other naval schools at La Guaira included the Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval Superior War College. The Naval Training Center for enlisted personnel was located at Puerto Cabello. In addition, there were a Naval Infantry Training Center, a Naval Armament Training Center, and a Naval Police School.

After years of subordination to the army, during which it struggled with antiquated equipment, the navy began to benefit from civilian democratic rule in 1960, when it purchased a submarine from the United States Navy. Concerted upgrading of naval matériel did not really begin, however, until 1972, when Venezuela purchased an American "Guppy II"-type submarine; another followed in 1973, along with two decommissioned American destroyers. From 1974 to 1975, the navy purchased six "Constitution"-class patrol fast attack craft from Britain. It also acquired two German-built Type 209 submarines from 1976 to 1977. Six Italian "Lupo" missile frigates ordered in 1975 were delivered and in service by the early 1980s.

In November 2005 Spain's Minister of Defence Jose Bono attended a contract-signing ceremony announcing that EADS-CASA would deliver 12 aircraft and Spanish ship-builder Navantia would deliver 8 ships for a total value of EUR 1.7 billion ($2 billion), of which the aircraft were about EUR 450-500 million. Spain would deliver 10 C-295 light-medium transports and 2 CASA EADS CN-235MPA Persuader maritime patrol aircraft. The deal reportedly included 4 corvettes [possibly AFCON consortium ships] and 4 patrol vessels from Navantia.

In 2005 the US reportedly moved to block the proposed $2 billion Spanish sale to Venezuela of 12 C-295/C-235MP aircraft and 8 small naval vessels. In November 2005 US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing: "In terms of the sale of some military systems by Spain to Venezuela, we have expressed our concerns to the government of Spain concerning those sales, and we are currently looking at technology licensing issues related to that sale."

It was announced on 19 October 2006 by the Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, that EADS-CASA, a division of a European defense contractor, had decided to back out of a deal to supply Venezuela with 12 military aircraft. The 12 aircraft were part of a 1.7 billion euro military sale originally signed in March 2005 between Spain and Venezuela. Spanish officials insisted that EADS-CASA had been unable to produce an economically feasible means to transfer the technology involved in the sale. Venezuelan officials, however, countered with the implication that the sale was halted after pressure from the United States. In July 2007 Venezuela declared the EUR 500 million CASA C-235/295 sale nullified.

Venezuela is negotiating the purchase of several dozen Ilyushin Il-114 patrol planes. Instead of Il-38 as a patrol plane, Rosoboronexport is promoting its Il-114 aircraft on the market, which should be produced by the Tashkent aircraft building plant, as planned by the United Aircraft Building Corporation (UAC). This aircraft has been offered to Venezuela, but the installment of arms on it, as well as of the target search and track system, had not been finalized as of mid-2008. Production of the Il-114 aircraft for the Russian Defense Ministry is not expected before 2020. If Venezuela placed an order for 20 planes, the anti-submarine version of the Il-114 patrol plane could be built within five years.

The pre-election terror attack in Spain in 2004 killed 190 people. Three days after the attacks, Spain's voters gave Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero an upset victory over the incumbent conservatives, whom many Spaniards accuse of provoking the bombings by supporting the US-led war in Iraq. Mr. Rodriguez Zapatero has said he will withdraw Spain's 13-hundred troops from Iraq by the end of June unless they come under a United Nations mandate. He also pledged to improve relations with France and Germany, shifting Spain away from its close ties with the United States under the conservatives to a more pro-European stance.

On November 2005, Venezuela ordered from Navantia, the construction of 8 patrol boats, 4 BVL for the control of the coast, and 4 POVZEE, for the control of the exclusive economic area. The missions of these ships are basically the vigilance and protection of the fishing zones, protection against drugs enforcement and anti-smuggling operations, and protection of the maritime traffic. As part of this contract, Navantia is also building 4 patrols for the control and protection of the exclusive economic area, to be delivered from May 2010 to July 2011. Besides the important work for the shipyards of Navantia until 2.012, this contract means an important commercial milestone for the company, as it outlines its position in this market, with an own last generation project.

In July 2008 the head of Russia's state-run arms exporter said that Russia and Venezuela were preparing a contract for the delivery of Russian-made diesel submarines to the Latin American country. ""We are holding talks with Venezuela on the delivery of diesel submarines to the country, but a contract has not been signed," Sergei Chemezov said. "We will sign it [the contract] as soon as negotiations are completed." Venezuela has been vigorously pursuing the modernization of its naval fleet and coastal defenses to counter a possible U.S. blockade of its oil fields and to prepare for direct military confrontation with Washington. Moscow and Caracas have finalized a $1.2 billion contract for the sale of four Project 636 Kilo-class submarines, bringing the value of bilateral military-technical contracts to $2 billion. Russian sources earlier reported that the two countries were negotiating a deal on the delivery of five Project 636 Kilo-class submarines, with the possible addition of four Project 677 Amur vessels. Replacing two obsolecent submarines with four modern submarines is something of an increase in naval capability, while a fleet of nine modern submarines would represent a major increase in combat capability.

Currently the Venezuelan force operates a quartet of Capana class LSTs, all of which have been in service since 1984. These vessels have recently undergone a significant upgrade programme, which has seen them being equipped with new machinery and hull refits at Caribbean Drydock in Cuba. Meanwhile, the Dianca shipyard in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela has updated the ships' electronics, navigation and communications systems.

Venezuela may embark on the acquisition of a large amphibious support ship. That country's navy has been in search of such a vessel since the 1990s and is primarily focused on acquiring a ship that can deliver up to 750 troops alongside their equipment and vehicles. It is thought that three shipbuilders, namely Spain's Navantia, DCNS of France and Italy's Fincantieri, have been approached to fulfil the requirement. The new amphibious support ship could be procured as part of an overall expansion of the country's amphibious warfare capabilities which will see the marine corps being expanded into a division-sized force.