Russia to deliver tanks and helicopters to US-unfriendly states. Reason for concern?

english.pravda.ru...

Russia offered Zimbabwe to conclude an intergovernmental agreement about the mutual protection of investments. Russian companies may thus obtain an opportunity to develop one of the world's largest deposits of platinum. In return, Zimbabwe, which remains under the influence of sanctions from the USA and EU, will receive military hardware from Russia. Moreover, Russia intends to ship a large batch of arms to another US-unfriendly country.

Meanwhile, Russia may send military hardware to another US-unfriendly country - Venezuela. The governmental delegation of Venezuela is negotiating the terms of the delivery of a large batch of T-72 tanks to Caracas within the scope of the Russian loan, the Kommersant said.

This may mark a second large delivery of Russian tanks to Venezuela during the recent two years. The previous delivery of 92 T-72B1B tanks was successfully completed in March of this year.

The new deliveries will be conducted within the framework of the Russian loan of $4 billion. The previous batch was delivered to Venezuela on the base of the 2.2-billion-dollar loan. Russia gave the loan to Venezuela after the latter recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Arms deliveries to Caracas are a part of the strategy of Russia's economic expansion in Venezuela. However, despite the enormous investments, Russia comes second after Belarus on the Venezuelan market. The commodity circulation between the two countries has increased more than 200 times during the recent five years and made up $1.3 billion last year. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has recently called Venezuela a "platform for the Belarusian expansion."

I do not see Zimbabwe nor Venezuela as any direct threat to the US. They could become regional problems and trigger an arms race. Then there is the equipment. I just do not see tanks and copters in and of themselves being a threat. Even if high tech armed they would be no match for air power.

I suspect the US military industrial complex and CIA are thrilled as this affords them the opportunity to both sell US arms to the neighboring countries and to establish US military bases.

Anybody view this as a threat?

And what might Russia's motivation be? Just economic or tit for tat for the US selling arms, even more advanced, to countries in their backyard?

reply to post by oghamxx


The Russians probably think the same thing about us.

Russia has sold weapons to countries unfriendly to the US since the 1950s or 1960s. This is nothing new by any stretch of the imagination. The AK-47 is probably the most common weapon in the world. Even the Afghan and Iraqi armies, rebuilt by the US, use AKs.

The US does the same thing, just instead of "countries unfriendly to Russia", they are "new US allies" now.

Ask Iraq how well Russian equipment stands against the US...

reply to post by benrl


You don't really think that was top line equipment do you? We do the same thing when we sell equipment. It doesn't get our top of the line equipment with it, and the buyer has options to add their own equipment to it as well. Lockheed is currently developing several weapons for the F-35 for the Norway aircraft, as well as the UK aircraft, that the US aircraft will never use. Certain things have to remain, but there's quite a bit that can be removed or added depending on your customer.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by benrl

 

You don't really think that was top line equipment do you? We do the same thing when we sell equipment. It doesn't get our top of the line equipment with it, and the buyer has options to add their own equipment to it as well. Lockheed is currently developing several weapons for the F-35 for the Norway aircraft, as well as the UK aircraft, that the US aircraft will never use. Certain things have to remain, but there's quite a bit that can be removed or added depending on your customer.

Thats the point really. The Russians wont sell thier best stuff to basket case regimes. If African basket cases wish to stock up on de-specced Russian cast offs let them. Thats better than them buying decent stuff from Europe.

Are you concerned that President Peace Prize was caught on an open mic telling the Russian leader (in a very obsequious manner) that he would have greater flexibility [to bend over for Russia] after the election.

reply to post by Zaphod58


They should turn the F35 into a drone. Then maybe they can find someone who wants to fly it.

Even a second hand tank is pure hell to infantry who are without any anti armour capabiity.....
200 or so tanks could easily over run any one of venezuelas neighbours....
Wasnt there already tension down there before?
that many tanks coud start a guy wondering what could be accompished with them and Hugo, despite assertions to the contrary, is nobodies dummy.......

reply to post by stirling


The countries around Venezuela have capable militaries of their own. They're not on the level of the US or Russia, but they're capable of putting up a good fight on their own, and the US would back them up if it came to that.

reply to post by stirling


even a world war 2 tank would be devastating to african infantry equipped only with small arms and no armour.

just imagine a german panzer rumbling down your block shooting everything that moves and all you have are ak-47 and 50 cal rounds plinking off the armour.

maybe if you're lucky, an rpg shot perfectly at the tanks weakest spot could stop it.

It seems like we are almost heading towards another Cold War situation. This would be great news for armament manufacturers . Russia's economy would probably do well from outfitting the armies of multiple nations with new hardware. The US has been at it for decades.

I live in South Africa and in the bad old days we had the Bush war in Angola.
In a nut shell it was communist countries who wanted Cape Town and the Suez canal to block the west shipping to the east.

They sent Cubans to fight with the local communists (Angolans, Namibian rebels etc)
and also bought over AK's RPG's mortars and tanks.

Without going too far off track, Southern African countries are well known for their guerilla warfare (the brittish special forces came as idea from the Brittish taking heavy losses from the Boers Guerilla tactics in the Anglo Boer War) and passionate fighting.

So to answer the OP's question, is there concern?
From single countries like Zimbabwe, no, but on a larger scale could they be training a more global force and if that is the case even with the technology the West has I would tremble If I where to fight against a trained Shona or Zulu Warrior.

reply to post by oghamxx


USA is lucky that Russia is not severely escalating tensions.Because the antics NATO is pulling with help of Al qaeda.,I would have put nukes in Venezuala and Cuba and told Obama to back off or else its world war 3.

reply to post by ludwigvonmises003


Too bad we don't have you ruling the world with such ingenious thoughts like that! What's your name I will write you in for 2012 POTUS.

Back to the OP, if anything this will further cement US relations with Venezuela's neighbors. +1 America.