Post; Venezuela to Test Fire First Air-Launched Missile

rock45 · May 18th, 2008

Venezuela to Test Fire First Air-Launched Missile

By Daniel Cancel and Matthew Walter
Bloomberg News
8:18 AM EDT, May 16, 2008

Venezuela will test its first missile from a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet next week in a maritime exercise, President Hugo Chavez.

The missile has a range of 124 miles Chavez said today in a news conference in Caracas

``We're going to continue to strengthen our defense capacities,'' Chavez said.

The U.S. Navy's plans to re-establish its Fourth Fleet, disbanded in 1950, to oversee ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean and Central and South America is a ``perceived threat,'' he said.

In July Chavez will meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow to discuss more arms purchases, which may include long and short-range anti-aircraft defense systems. Venezuela spent $4.4 billion in weapons purchases from 2003 to 2006 and ranked sixth among developing countries for the period, according to a report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Link
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,1292593.story

May 18th, 2008
rock45 Tribuni Angusticlavii	Post; Venezuela to Test Fire First Air-Launched Missile Venezuela to Test Fire First Air-Launched Missile By Daniel Cancel and Matthew Walter Bloomberg News 8:18 AM EDT, May 16, 2008 Venezuela will test its first missile from a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet next week in a maritime exercise, President Hugo Chavez. The missile has a range of 124 miles Chavez said today in a news conference in Caracas ``We're going to continue to strengthen our defense capacities,'' Chavez said. The U.S. Navy's plans to re-establish its Fourth Fleet, disbanded in 1950, to oversee ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean and Central and South America is a ``perceived threat,'' he said. In July Chavez will meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow to discuss more arms purchases, which may include long and short-range anti-aircraft defense systems. Venezuela spent $4.4 billion in weapons purchases from 2003 to 2006 and ranked sixth among developing countries for the period, according to a report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service. Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Link http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,1292593.story Last edited by rock45; May 18th, 2008 at 20:18.