The Bolivarian Goliath versus the Cooperative David
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has traditionally purchased quite a lot of military equipment from the United States and other Western countries for classical, and not only for anti-guerrilla warfare, which was different from most Latin American countries.
After Hugo Chavez came to power and the country's political orientation changed, this trend only strengthened. Venezuela has acquired a significant amount of modern military equipment in Russia and China, and its armed forces have confidently entered the top three in Latin America in terms of readiness for a classic war.
However, due to the break with Washington, the Venezuelan Armed Forces had significant problems with the maintenance of American equipment, which had to be transferred to storage or written off earlier than expected ( "Two South American Socialisms", "HBO" dated 12/22.23).
THE BOLIVARIANS ON EARTH...
The ground forces include seven divisions.
Infantry divisions: 1st (headquarters – in the city of Maracaibo; as part of the division – 11th Armored, 12th Caribbean Rangers, 13th motorized Infantry, 14th mechanized, 19th anti-aircraft artillery brigade), 2nd (Saint Cristobal; 21st Motorized Infantry, 22nd mountain Infantry, 25th Mechanized, 29th Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade), 3rd (Caracas; 31st Mechanized, 32nd Caribbean Rangers, 34th Communications, 35th Military Police, 39th Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade).
The division for action in the jungle is the 5th (Ciudad Bolivar; 51st, 52nd, 53rd Brigades, 59th anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade).
Armored Division – 4th (Caracas; 41st Armored, 42nd Airborne, 43rd Artillery, 49th anti-aircraft artillery brigades).
Cavalry (Light Mechanized) Division – 9th (San Fernando de Apure; 91st Cavalry, 92nd, 93rd Caribbean Ranger Brigades).
Engineering Division – 6th (Caracas; 61st, 62nd, 63rd Engineering, 64th railway brigades).
Anti-aircraft artillery brigades are under the operational control of the Air Force.
The tank fleet includes 92 relatively new Russian T-72B1, 81 outdated French AMX-30 and more than 100 old light tanks – 31 French AMX-13, up to 84 British Scorpion.
There are 25 American heavy-armed combat vehicles (BMTV) Dragoon-90LFV2, 123 Russian BMP-3 and about 300 armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles (118 Chinese VN-4, 25 old French AMX-VCI (and up to 30 auxiliary vehicles based on it), 114 Russian BTR-80A, 20 German UR-416, 24 Italian Fiat-6614; up to 57 American Dragoons-300, up to 50 V-100 and up to 30 V-150 are in storage.
The artillery includes 73 self-propelled artillery units (ACS) (13 Russian 2S23 (120 mm) and 48 2S19 (152 mm), 12 old French AMX Mk F3 (155 mm)), 60 towed guns (36 American M101 (105 mm), 24 M114 (155 mm)), up to 230 mortars (206, including up to 41 self–propelled (21 Dragoon-300RM, up to 20 AMX-VTT) (81 mm), 24 Russian 2S12 (120 mm)) and 61 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) (24 Soviet BM-21 (122 mm), 25 Israeli LAR-160 (160 mm), 12 Russian "Smerch" (300 mm)).
There are 24 Israeli anti-tank missile systems (ATGMS) MAPATS and up to 75 old American self-propelled anti-tank weapons M18 (76 mm).
The military air defense system includes three divisions of the Russian Buk anti-aircraft missile systems and up to six old French Roland air defense systems, up to 52 French self-propelled anti-aircraft systems (12 Panar AML-530S (20 mm), up to 40 AMX-13 (40 mm)), 300 Soviet ZU-23–2 (23 mm) anti-aircraft guns.
The army aviation has at least 20 light aircraft (two American Beach-200, four Cessna-182 (another in storage), up to two Cessna-207, one Cessna-TU206 (another in storage), up to two Israeli IAI-201 and two IAI-202, nine Polish M-28s (two more in storage); one Beach-E90 and one Beach-A65 are in storage), 10 Russian Mi-35M2 combat helicopters, up to 50 multi-purpose and transport helicopters (up to 16 American Bell-412 (one more in storage), up to seven Bell-206, up to two Bell-205 (one more in storage), one-two UH-1H, three AS-61, 18 Russian Mi-17 (one more in storage); seven Italian A-109AM, three Russian Mi-26 are in storage).
The Army aviation is complemented by the aviation of the National Guard and the police. It has up to 80 light aircraft (one American Beach-B58, up to one Beach-65B80, three Beach-90 (one or two more in storage), 10 Beach-200 (two more in storage), five Beach-350, one Beach-400, one Falcon-50, two Commander-695, four Commander-690 (one more in storage), two Cessna-172, up to nine Cessna-182, up to one Cessna-185, up to six Cessna-U206", three Cessna-208, up to three Cessna-152, up to five Cessna-402, one Cessna-500, two Cessna-550, up to three Israeli IAI-201, 10 Polish M-28 and two M-26, five Austrian DA42MPP) and at least 70 helicopters (five Russian Mi-17 (three more in storage), five to six French AS350, five AS365N3, from 12 to 19 AS355F (one more in storage), up to 16 American Bell-206 (up to four more in storage), up to two Bell-212, up to 13 Bell-412, three F-280C, up to four Italian A-109A).
IN THE AIR...
The Air Force includes 16 air groups (from the 4th to the 19th) and the 20th Special Operations Forces Group (SSO).
There are 20 Russian Su-30MK2B fighter-bombers in service (another one is in storage) – the most powerful combat aircraft in all of Latin America. There are also 17 relatively new American F-16s (14 A, three B; two more A, one B are in storage). Perhaps up to six old American F-5 fighters are in service (up to four VF-5A, one VF-5D, one NF-5B; up to three more VF-5A, one NF-5A, up to four NF-5B in storage) – but most likely they have all been transferred to storage. In addition, two or three French Mirage-50EV fighter-bombers remain in storage, but their return to service is not possible.
Up to seven reconnaissance and electronic warfare (EW) aircraft are in service (up to four OV-10 (up to seven more in storage), one Falcon-20S, two C-26). There are two KS-137 tankers in storage. All of them are American-made.
Transport aircraft – four American C-130H (two more in storage), two Falcon-900, two Beach-65 (two more in storage), one Beach-90, six Beach-200 (one more in storage), two Beach-350", up to 10 Cessna-182, 12 Cessna-T206N (one more in storage), four Cessna-208, one Cessna-500, four Cessna-550 (one more in storage), one Cessna-551, one Cessna-750", two Spanish C-212, two English Short 360, three German Do-228, eight Chinese Y-8F; three American Falcon 20 and seven Italian G-222 are in storage.
Training aircraft – 25 Chinese K-8W, 11-13 Italian SF-260E, 24 Austrian DA40 and six DA42, up to 19 Brazilian EMB-312 (up to six more in storage); up to seven American T-2D are in storage.
The Air Force has up to 40 helicopters in service – seven Russian Mi-17s, four to six French AS332B (another one, possibly in storage) and 11 AS-532, two American F-280C, seven to eight TN-480 and up to three UH-1H (up to five more, as well as one B, three D's in storage).
Ground-based air defense has 11 divisions (44 launchers) Soviet S-125 air defense systems (modernized in Russia), two divisions of Russian S-300VM anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS), at least 10 Israeli Barak air defense systems, 200 Russian Igla-S MANPADS and 150 anti-aircraft guns (114 Israeli TCM-20 (20 mm) and 36 Swedish L/70 (40 mm); the latter, apparently, are mounted on the AMX-13 chassis and are used as ZSU in the ground forces (see above)). Taking into account the military air defense described above, Venezuela's ground air defense is by far the strongest in Latin America.
...AND AT SEA
The Navy and Coast Guard, unlike the ground forces and the Air Force, did not acquire Russian equipment, therefore they did not gain as significant superiority over the fleets of neighboring countries.
The Navy has two relatively new German submarines pr. 209/1300 and six Sucre-type frigates (Italian Lupo-type frigates), of which three or four are actually non-combat-ready. The Navy has six Canadian-built corvettes of the Constitution type, of which three are carriers of anti-ship missiles (PKR). There are nine patrol ships – seven of Spanish construction (four types of "Guaikeri" (one was damaged as a result of stranding and has not yet been restored) and three types of "Guaikamakuto"), two types of "Fernando Gomez" (Dutch type "Damen 4207").
There are six to seven Iranian-built missile boats of the Zolfakar type (the newest combat units of the Venezuelan Navy), 16 American-built patrol boats (four Petrel (Point), 12 Gavion type), three Pagalo type boats (Dutch-built, Damen 2606 type) and a significant number of small patrol boats, all of which belong to the Coast Guard.
The Navy has four Kapana-type tank landing ships (tDCS) (South Korean-built), two Margarita-type tDCS (American-built), five Los Frailes-type amphibious cargo ships (Dutch Damen 5612 project, built in Cuba and Vietnam).
Naval aviation has two Spanish C-212 base patrol aircraft (one more in storage), five transport aircraft (one Beach E90, one Beach 200, one Commander-695, two C-212 (one more in storage); up to four Cessna-310 and two Cessna-402s are in storage), two Bell-212 anti-submarine helicopters (two more in storage), up to six multi-purpose and transport helicopters (one Mi-17V (three more in storage), one Bell-412, one-three Bell-206, one TN-57A).
The Marine Corps consists of one division (it consists of nine brigades – from the 1st to the 7th Marines (of which the 5th, 6th, 7th are riverine), the 8th commandos, the 9th Marine Police; the Corps of Engineers (1st and 2nd- I am an engineering brigade), an artillery group, a reserve regiment). It has received the latest Chinese equipment: nine VN-16 (ZTD-05) floating tanks and 23 VN-18 (ZBD-05) IFVs. There are 115 armored personnel carriers in service – nine American LVTP-7, 38 Brazilian HER-11, 68 Chinese VN-1 (ZBL-09). There are 40 Italian towed guns M-56 (105 mm), 54 mortars (18 Chinese SM-4 (81 mm), 36 French Brandt (120 mm)), 18 Chinese SR-5 MLRS, 20 Swedish RBS-70 MANPADS and possibly six very outdated American ZSU M-42 (40 mm).
AND A LITTLE BIT OF GUYANA
One of the smallest and weakest countries in South America, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana previously focused on the USSR, receiving most of its military equipment from there. Some weapons were received from Great Britain (the former metropolis), China and Brazil.
The Ground forces include the 1st and 2nd (reserve) battalion groups, the 3rd battalion, an engineering battalion, a special forces company, and a number of auxiliary units. There are up to 10 reconnaissance combat vehicles (BRM) in service (up to five Brazilian E-11, four British Shorland), 12 Soviet towed D-30 guns (122 mm), 48 mortars (12 British L16A1 (81 mm), 18 Soviet M-43 (82 mm), 18 M-43 (120 mm)), six Chinese towed Toure 63 MLRS (107 mm), 18 Soviet Strela-2 MANPADS.
The Air Force is purely symbolic. They include five transport aircraft (one American Beach-350, two British Skywans (two more in storage) and one BN-2 (one more in storage), one Chinese Y-12-II), one American Bell-412 helicopter (one more in storage as well as two Bell-206 and one French SA319).
The Navy includes the patrol ship Essequebo (a former English minesweeper of the River type), up to eight small patrol boats and the landing boat Kimbla (Dutch-built).
conclusions
The combat experience of both the Venezuelan and Guyanese armies is almost zero. But the overall potential of the countries is not comparable. So there is no chance for Guyana in the event of war. However, the United States and/or Brazil could theoretically take the side of Guyana. In addition, the jungle largely devalues the importance of heavy equipment, especially ground equipment. And finally, it does not follow from anything that the war will actually take place.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.