Venezuela Deploys Long Range Fighters with Mach 3+ Anti-Ship Missiles in Show of Force to U.S. Navy

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

he Venezuelan Air Force has deployed Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft equipped with Kh-31 anti-ship missiles as part of the Sovereign Caribbean 200 exercise on La Orchila Island, which saw combined air, sea, and land elements deploy in a significant show of force. 

The exercise included more than 2,500 personnel, 12 naval ships, 22 aircraft, and 20 ships, and was conducted in response to a major buildup of United States forces in the region. This buildup has included the deployment of multiple destroyers, over 4000 Marines, a Nimitz class nuclear powered supercarrier, the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, and F-35 stealth fighter squadrons from both the Air Force and the Navy. The United States has also placed a high value bounty on the head of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and repeatedly made clear its intention to oust his administration from power. Venezuelan media has emphasised that the Sovereign Caribbean exercises were designed to demonstrate integrated command of naval and air assets in a contested environment.

The Su-30MK2 is the longest ranged fighter class in the Americas, and carries a larger radar than any fighter class on the two continents, while retaining a high missile carrying capacity comparable to that of U.S. Air Force F-15s. Developed to meet the requirements of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy in the early 2000s, although the fighter’s avionics are increasingly considered out of date, they are well optimised for maritime strike roles. The Kh-31A is considered the most capable anti-ship missile class fielded in the Americas outside the U.S. Armed Forces, and combines high manoeuvrability with a speed of over Mach 3 which makes it highly challenging to intercept. Each carries a warhead of approximately 100 kilograms, with the ability of each Su-30MK2 fighter to carry four to six missiles allowing a flight of eight aircraft to neutralise the entire U.S. Navy flotilla should the majority of their missiles hit their targets. The Kh-31 is nevertheless hindered by its relatively short 110 kilometre range, meaning Su-30 fighters would need to fly relatively close to their targets to be able to engage them.