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Venezuela considering Russian jets to replace fleet of F-16s
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — An adviser to President Hugo Chavez said Friday that Venezuela is considering buying about two dozen Russian fighter jets to replace its fleet of F-16s because Washington has refused to sell the country upgrades for the U.S.-made planes.

Venezuela is considering buying Sukhoi Su-35 fighters to replace the 21 U.S.-made F-16s, and Venezuelan pilots have already traveled to Russia to test out Russian warplanes, Gen. Alberto Muller told The Associated Press. He said Venezuela was considering a purchase of roughly 24 planes.
This is what you get with $70 a barrel oil and a socialist madman dictator.
Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, meanwhile, said Venezuela is free to sell its F-16s to any country it wishes because the United States has violated a contract by refusing to sell replacement parts for the planes. When asked by a reporter if Venezuela would be willing to sell the F-16 fighters to Iran, Rangel said: "To whomever. What the United States does not have the right to do is suspend the supply (of replacement parts) after there's a contract and agreement."

U.S. officials have denied that they are violating their F-16 sale contract, and have insisted that Venezuela is bound under that agreement to get Washington's approval on any sale. "There are contractual obligations that prohibit Venezuela from selling the F-16s to another country without the permission of the United States," U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Penn said.

Washington announced this week it is imposing a ban on arms sales to Venezuela, which the U.S. has accused of failing to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts. Chavez calls that a ridiculous claim, and has warned the U.S. is trying to disarm his government because it wants to overthrow him.
If we wanted to do that a few F-16s wouldn't stop us.
Muller said earlier this week that he had recommended Venezuela consider selling its fleet of 21 F-16s to another country, possibly Iran. But Defense Minister Orlando Maniglia later said that no sale was in the works and that Chavez had yet to decide what to do with the planes. Chavez has warned he could share the F-16s with Cuba and China. Venezuela also may invite scientists from nations like Russia, Iran or China to help upgrade and maintain the F-16s, Muller said.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack has called the talk of possibly selling planes to Iran "overheated rhetoric," and has said the U.S. move to curtail weapons sales would not affect exports of defense equipment or spare parts "under existing licenses and authorizations." U.S. officials, however, have said that they aren't bound to provide upgrades to the planes or supply parts indefinitely.
I'd send some parts -- duct tape, for example -- but upgrades are out of the question.

Posted by: Sheling Unomons1998 2006-05-21
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=153173