| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Caribbean-Latin America | |
| Venezuelan Jets, Ships Fire Missiles at Sea in Military Exercises | |
| 2008-06-07 | |
The televised war games allowed the military to showcase some of the hardware bought under Chavez, who says Venezuela's main threat is the United States. Defense Minister Gustavo Rangel Briceno commanded the troops during Friday's exercises, ordering them to fire at mock "enemy units." It was the first time in 13 years that such drills were held with live missile fire at sea, he said. The ships and planes hit their target — an old tugboat — with missiles and a 1,100-pound bomb, sinking the vessel 22 miles offshore, Rangel said. The Otomat is a short-range, ship- and ground-launched cruise missile, manufactured by Italy and France, that was introduced in Europe 36 years ago. Latin American countries including Colombia and Peru have voiced concern about billions of dollars of arms that Chavez has purchased, but Rangel said new weaponry is needed to keep Venezuela safe from the U.S. He declared the exercises a success, saying "we've been able to show our power of dissuasion and defense." Opposition politician Enrique Ochoa Antich said Chavez's perpetual verbal conflicts with the U.S. aim to rally nationalist sentiment around the threat posed by the "empire," as the Venezuelan leader calls the United States. But Ochoa said the approach has been used by Chavez for so long that it "isn't very effective anymore at this point." | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #7 "Then let him go back and play with his toys..." I was with you up 'till that point, OP. I'm all for the demonstration.... ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-06-07 22:06 |
| #6 DOD should invite Hoogo to a real live-fire demonstration, complete with a B-52 massive bombardment. Let him see what real firepower is like, from a REAL superpower's military. Then let him go back and play with his toys... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-06-07 21:56 |
| #5 The ships and planes hit their target — an old tugboat — with missiles and a 1,100-pound bomb, sinking the vessel I would think that an 1100 lb. bomb would take care of that tugboat ... I would also think that an 1100 lb. chunk of concrete dropped from 100 feet would take care of an old tugboat as well. Poor tugboat ... never stood a chance! :-( ;-) |
| Posted by: ExtremeModerate 2008-06-07 18:25 |
| #4 Well - did they hit the sea? |
| Posted by: Shomosh Tojo7120 2008-06-07 16:50 |
| #3 ...And every radio transmission and electronic emission is recorded...for future use. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2008-06-07 13:08 |
| #2 Missiles from 1976? The Otomat is also in service with such stellar militaries such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, and Saudia Arabia. |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-06-07 09:17 |
| #1 The tug wasn't shooting back. |
| Posted by: Ebbens Munster5203 2008-06-07 03:42 |