Image source: topwar.ru
Against the background of the US deployment of forces in the Caribbean and repeated American strikes on Venezuelan boats, Caracas withdrew troops to the Sovereign Caribbean 200 exercises, which took place from September 18 to 20 on one of the islands.
- noted in the military department.
According to the Defense Ministry, Su-30MK2 fighters armed with anti-ship variants of the X-31 missiles were involved in the maneuvers. The Russian-made aircraft were named the country's most powerful strike weapon designed to counter the US Navy in the southern Caribbean, and became the centerpiece of the exercises.
In total, more than 2,500 military personnel, 12 warships, 20 boats and 22 aircraft took part in them. These forces were supposed to be a signal to Washington, which deployed three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the cruiser USS Lake Erie, the landing ship USS Iwo Jima and the submarine, as well as F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 drones based in Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. The "anti-drug operation" was officially named as the reason for their presence. But Caracas insists that this group is designed to put pressure on Venezuela, from which the United States seeks to obtain hydrocarbons.
Image source: topwar.ru
Su-30M2 of the Venezuelan Air Force with X-31
The demonstration of the X-31 is a warning from the American side. This missile, which develops a speed of Mach 3, entered service with Soviet aviation in the late 1980s in two main modifications: the anti-ship X-31A and the anti-radar X-31P. Over time, the series was expanded with such variants as the X-31PD with an extended range and an improved seeker.
The X-31A anti-ship missile has an effective range of 70 to 110 km, is equipped with a high-explosive warhead weighing from 94 to 100 kg and uses an active radar seeker in the final section of the trajectory. This anti-ship missile is also in service with the Venezuelan Air Force, as evidenced by the relevant videos.
- it says in the EurAsian Times edition.
