Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff
November-2nd-2025
Following a major buildup of U.S. forces near Venezuela, and reports from multiple sources that Washington is considering launching attacks on the country with the intention of overthrowing its government, the Americas face the possibility of one of the highest intensity inter-state conflicts of the past half century. Although Venezuela has placed its forces on alert, and has conducted frequent patrols using its small fleet of Su-30MK2 fighters as shows of force, the small size of the country’s arsenal has raised questions regarding its ability to seriously challenge the U.S. Armed Forces’ dominance of the air and seas. A number of sources have reproed that Caracas has instead turned to Russia and other major non-Western arms suppliers to rapidly dispatch new equipment as the possibility of war looms.
Two major factors limit Russia’s ability to rapidly supply armaments, including shortages of many types of equipment such as long range air defence systems due to the much increased needs of its own forces, as well as the significant time it would take to train Venezuelan personnel on complex new armaments such as Su-35 fighters. Nevertheless, a number of systems could potentially be supplied and operationalised relatively rapidly. An overview of five high impact assets that could quickly bolster Venezuela’s defences is provided below:
Bastion Coastal Defence System
The Bastion coastal defence system was developed to asymmetrically counter the larger navies of Russia’s Western Bloc adversaries, and was designed to be able to threaten large warships while remaining mobile and survivable. The systems have low operational costs and are relatively straightforward to utilise, with clients including Vietnam and Syria having brought them into service in the past. The system’s mobile launch vehicles can set up for firing within minutes, and launched P-800 anti-ship cruise missiles at Mach 2.5 speeds with ranges of 800 kilometres. The Venezuelan Armed Forces are currently heavily reliant on Kh-31A anti-ship missiles launched by the Air Force’s Su-30MK2 fighters to threaten American warships at sea, with the procurement of the relatively low cost high impact Bastion systems having the potential to multiply the country’s arsenal of anti-ship cruise missiles manifold.
Buyan-M/ Kakurt Class Corvettes
The Russian Navy’s lack of procurements of large destroyer or cruiser sized ships since the disintegration of the Soviet Union has led it to rely more heavily on fielding advanced corvette-sized vessels. Russian corvettes differ significantly from those produced by the large majority of countries due to their carriage of armament types usually reserved only for destroyer-sized ships, including long range cruise missiles. This allows these small and fast ships to threaten much larger vessels when operating near friendly coasts, providing an asymmetric defence. The 850 ton Buyan-M class and its successor the 860 ton Kakurt class could potentially be delivered to replace Venezuela’s existing relatively obsolete surface vessels. The ships can carry not only P-800 and Kalibr anti-ship cruise missiles, but also the new Zircon cruise missile which combines a Mach 9 speed with a 1000 kilometre range and high manoeuvrability. The introduction of these low cost and low maintenance ships into service would be a low cost game changer for the defensive capabilities of the Venezuelan Navy’s surface fleet, and with the support of Russian contractors could potentially be made operational relatively quickly.
Su-30M2 Fighter
The Venezuelan Air Force’s Su-30MK2 fighters are currently the longest ranged tactical combat jets in the Americas, and have greater combat potentials than any other fighters deployed by Latin American states. The fleet’s combat potential is nevertheless hindered by their small numbers, with just 22 currently in service. When supplied to Venezuela, the Su-30MK2 was significantly more advanced than any fighter in service in the Russian Armed Forces, as the Russian Defence Ministry was not financing procurements of post-Soviet fighter types due to budgetary constraints. While Russia does not field the Su-30MK2, it does field 19 of the closely related Su-30M2 fighters, which have slightly updated avionics but are near identical in their operational and maintenance requirements. These fighters were built shortly before the Komolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant converted to production of the Su-35, which Venezuela was previously expected to be the first foreign client for. With Russia having surged production of all of its fighter types, it is likely to be able to spare its small Su-30M2 fleet to bolster a strategic partner, which would effectively double Venezuela’s modern air power. In the longer term, Russia may consider offering upgrade packages for the Su-30MK2 including new phased array radars, AL-41F-1S engines, and armaments such as the R-77M, which would revolutionise the fighters’ combat potentials.
Kh-32 Cruise Missile
In August 2020 Russian sources reported plans to integrate Kh-32 cruise missiles onto the Aerospace Forces’ Su-30SM fighters, which had the potential to revolutionise their anti-ship capabilities. The missile has a Mach 5 speed in its terminal stages, a 1000 kilometre range, and follows a complex trajectory with a steep dive in its terrain phase which makes it extremely difficult to intercept. The Kh-22 on which the design is closely based has proven nearly impossible to intercept for Ukrainian Patriot and S-300 air defences. While the Su-30MK2 fleet has been relied on heavily for anti-shipping duties, their Kh-31A missiles are limited to ranges of little over 100 kilometres, which makes it potentially highly challenging to fly close enough to launch against U.S. Navy warships considering how many American fighters are deployed in the region. The integration of the Kh-32 would allow Su-30MK2 fighters to launch strikes from well within Venezuelan airspace, and could be a game changer for U.S. Navy operations in the region.
Improved Kilo Class Attack Submarine
The Venezuelan Navy currently fields two Type 209 submarines, which were produced in West Germany and delivered in the 1970s. The German origin of these vessels is expected to limit their viability for defending the country against the United States, as Germany is almost certain to have shared details on their acoustic signatures and other potential weaknesses with its Western ally. The ships are also limited by their reliance on torpedoes exclusively for attack. With the Venezuelan Navy being one of only a few in the world with squadrons trained for submarine operations, the possibility of Russian Improved Kilo class attack submarines being delivered would allow this arm of the fleet to provide a much more viable defence. Kilo class ships can employ a wide range of cruise missile types, including the Kalibr, P-800, and Zircon. Referred to as ‘Black Hole’ ships in the West for their extreme quietness, Kilo class submarines have been exported to clients in Africa, the Middle East, and South, East and Southeast Asia, and have relatively low procurement and operational costs.
militarywatchmagazine.com
November-2nd-2025
Following a major buildup of U.S. forces near Venezuela, and reports from multiple sources that Washington is considering launching attacks on the country with the intention of overthrowing its government, the Americas face the possibility of one of the highest intensity inter-state conflicts of the past half century. Although Venezuela has placed its forces on alert, and has conducted frequent patrols using its small fleet of Su-30MK2 fighters as shows of force, the small size of the country’s arsenal has raised questions regarding its ability to seriously challenge the U.S. Armed Forces’ dominance of the air and seas. A number of sources have reproed that Caracas has instead turned to Russia and other major non-Western arms suppliers to rapidly dispatch new equipment as the possibility of war looms.
Two major factors limit Russia’s ability to rapidly supply armaments, including shortages of many types of equipment such as long range air defence systems due to the much increased needs of its own forces, as well as the significant time it would take to train Venezuelan personnel on complex new armaments such as Su-35 fighters. Nevertheless, a number of systems could potentially be supplied and operationalised relatively rapidly. An overview of five high impact assets that could quickly bolster Venezuela’s defences is provided below:
Bastion Coastal Defence System
The Bastion coastal defence system was developed to asymmetrically counter the larger navies of Russia’s Western Bloc adversaries, and was designed to be able to threaten large warships while remaining mobile and survivable. The systems have low operational costs and are relatively straightforward to utilise, with clients including Vietnam and Syria having brought them into service in the past. The system’s mobile launch vehicles can set up for firing within minutes, and launched P-800 anti-ship cruise missiles at Mach 2.5 speeds with ranges of 800 kilometres. The Venezuelan Armed Forces are currently heavily reliant on Kh-31A anti-ship missiles launched by the Air Force’s Su-30MK2 fighters to threaten American warships at sea, with the procurement of the relatively low cost high impact Bastion systems having the potential to multiply the country’s arsenal of anti-ship cruise missiles manifold.
Buyan-M/ Kakurt Class Corvettes
The Russian Navy’s lack of procurements of large destroyer or cruiser sized ships since the disintegration of the Soviet Union has led it to rely more heavily on fielding advanced corvette-sized vessels. Russian corvettes differ significantly from those produced by the large majority of countries due to their carriage of armament types usually reserved only for destroyer-sized ships, including long range cruise missiles. This allows these small and fast ships to threaten much larger vessels when operating near friendly coasts, providing an asymmetric defence. The 850 ton Buyan-M class and its successor the 860 ton Kakurt class could potentially be delivered to replace Venezuela’s existing relatively obsolete surface vessels. The ships can carry not only P-800 and Kalibr anti-ship cruise missiles, but also the new Zircon cruise missile which combines a Mach 9 speed with a 1000 kilometre range and high manoeuvrability. The introduction of these low cost and low maintenance ships into service would be a low cost game changer for the defensive capabilities of the Venezuelan Navy’s surface fleet, and with the support of Russian contractors could potentially be made operational relatively quickly.
Su-30M2 Fighter
The Venezuelan Air Force’s Su-30MK2 fighters are currently the longest ranged tactical combat jets in the Americas, and have greater combat potentials than any other fighters deployed by Latin American states. The fleet’s combat potential is nevertheless hindered by their small numbers, with just 22 currently in service. When supplied to Venezuela, the Su-30MK2 was significantly more advanced than any fighter in service in the Russian Armed Forces, as the Russian Defence Ministry was not financing procurements of post-Soviet fighter types due to budgetary constraints. While Russia does not field the Su-30MK2, it does field 19 of the closely related Su-30M2 fighters, which have slightly updated avionics but are near identical in their operational and maintenance requirements. These fighters were built shortly before the Komolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant converted to production of the Su-35, which Venezuela was previously expected to be the first foreign client for. With Russia having surged production of all of its fighter types, it is likely to be able to spare its small Su-30M2 fleet to bolster a strategic partner, which would effectively double Venezuela’s modern air power. In the longer term, Russia may consider offering upgrade packages for the Su-30MK2 including new phased array radars, AL-41F-1S engines, and armaments such as the R-77M, which would revolutionise the fighters’ combat potentials.
Kh-32 Cruise Missile
In August 2020 Russian sources reported plans to integrate Kh-32 cruise missiles onto the Aerospace Forces’ Su-30SM fighters, which had the potential to revolutionise their anti-ship capabilities. The missile has a Mach 5 speed in its terminal stages, a 1000 kilometre range, and follows a complex trajectory with a steep dive in its terrain phase which makes it extremely difficult to intercept. The Kh-22 on which the design is closely based has proven nearly impossible to intercept for Ukrainian Patriot and S-300 air defences. While the Su-30MK2 fleet has been relied on heavily for anti-shipping duties, their Kh-31A missiles are limited to ranges of little over 100 kilometres, which makes it potentially highly challenging to fly close enough to launch against U.S. Navy warships considering how many American fighters are deployed in the region. The integration of the Kh-32 would allow Su-30MK2 fighters to launch strikes from well within Venezuelan airspace, and could be a game changer for U.S. Navy operations in the region.
Improved Kilo Class Attack Submarine
The Venezuelan Navy currently fields two Type 209 submarines, which were produced in West Germany and delivered in the 1970s. The German origin of these vessels is expected to limit their viability for defending the country against the United States, as Germany is almost certain to have shared details on their acoustic signatures and other potential weaknesses with its Western ally. The ships are also limited by their reliance on torpedoes exclusively for attack. With the Venezuelan Navy being one of only a few in the world with squadrons trained for submarine operations, the possibility of Russian Improved Kilo class attack submarines being delivered would allow this arm of the fleet to provide a much more viable defence. Kilo class ships can employ a wide range of cruise missile types, including the Kalibr, P-800, and Zircon. Referred to as ‘Black Hole’ ships in the West for their extreme quietness, Kilo class submarines have been exported to clients in Africa, the Middle East, and South, East and Southeast Asia, and have relatively low procurement and operational costs.
Five Russian Weapons Venezuela Needs to Counter U.S. Military Pressure
Following a major buildup of U.S. forces near Venezuela, and reports from multiple sources that Washington is considering launching attacks on the country with the
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