Venezuela has 5,000 Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles in “key air defense positions,” its President Nicolás Maduro claimed on Wednesday, amid growing tension over the United States’ military deployment in the Caribbean.
These are Igla-S/SA-24 Grinch man portable air defence systems (MANPADS). Basically equivalent to the Stinger missile in NATO. Maximum range of 6km, and an altitude ceiling of 3.5km for the Igla-S.
This poses zero threat to fixed wing aircraft, who can just fly above it’s maximum altitude ceiling. Gadaffi in Libya also had hundreds of these at least, and they did nothing. For rotary aircraft (helicopters) that’s a different story. They fly low enough to be in range, and it’s a significant threat. But these MANPADs require the operator (the solider slinging it over his shoulder) to visually acquire the target first. There’s no radar, but it has a built in infrared sight, so the operator can use the Igla-S at night. There’s still the limit of actually seeing the target before it sees you at very short range, with lines of sight and things like that. Attack helicopter pilots do train for that, to exploit the terrain.
The implication by Maduro here is more what happens to this stockpile of 5000 MANPADS if the government falls in a US regime change operation/coup, along with shoring up domestic support among those who don’t know the specifics of how thse systems work. Maduro and the Venezuelan government know that these MANPADS pose a minimal threat to fixed wing aircraft in combat operations, and will do little to deter the USA. He’s trying to position himself as a rational actor in terms of being in control of the stockpile, maintaining law and order. With the implication being that if he is arrested or killed and the Venezuelan government falls, that this stockpile of MANPADs will end up in the possession of basically anyone, and that will be an impossible situation to control.
That seems like a desperate play from Maduro. IIRC it’s not that unlike the shit Gadaffi and Saddam tried to to serve to the Americans.
The US is more than happy with letting some stingers go missing just like they have all across Syria. As long as the heavy equipment is dismantled or shipped off to Ukraine they’ll risk a few civilian airliners for that sweet, sweet black nector.
These are Igla-S/SA-24 Grinch man portable air defence systems (MANPADS). Basically equivalent to the Stinger missile in NATO. Maximum range of 6km, and an altitude ceiling of 3.5km for the Igla-S.
This poses zero threat to fixed wing aircraft, who can just fly above it’s maximum altitude ceiling. Gadaffi in Libya also had hundreds of these at least, and they did nothing. For rotary aircraft (helicopters) that’s a different story. They fly low enough to be in range, and it’s a significant threat. But these MANPADs require the operator (the solider slinging it over his shoulder) to visually acquire the target first. There’s no radar, but it has a built in infrared sight, so the operator can use the Igla-S at night. There’s still the limit of actually seeing the target before it sees you at very short range, with lines of sight and things like that. Attack helicopter pilots do train for that, to exploit the terrain.
The implication by Maduro here is more what happens to this stockpile of 5000 MANPADS if the government falls in a US regime change operation/coup, along with shoring up domestic support among those who don’t know the specifics of how thse systems work. Maduro and the Venezuelan government know that these MANPADS pose a minimal threat to fixed wing aircraft in combat operations, and will do little to deter the USA. He’s trying to position himself as a rational actor in terms of being in control of the stockpile, maintaining law and order. With the implication being that if he is arrested or killed and the Venezuelan government falls, that this stockpile of MANPADs will end up in the possession of basically anyone, and that will be an impossible situation to control.
That seems like a desperate play from Maduro. IIRC it’s not that unlike the shit Gadaffi and Saddam tried to to serve to the Americans.
The US is more than happy with letting some stingers go missing just like they have all across Syria. As long as the heavy equipment is dismantled or shipped off to Ukraine they’ll risk a few civilian airliners for that sweet, sweet black nector.
Gaddafi did the same yeah. It’s desperate, but the situation is desperate if war breaks out.