Venezuela refurbishes legacy vehicles to maintain army capabilities
Venezuela's Scorpion 90s are being progressively overhauled. (Photo: Venezuelan MoD)
Starved of funding, the Venezuelan Army is repairing and refurbishing obsolete Western-supplied vehicle fleets to maintain a meaningful capability.
The Venezuelan Army participated in high-profile parades on 24 June and 5 July to demonstrate not only the strength of the armed forces, but also their apparent ingenuity. After spending billions of dollars during the Hugo Chávez years on Russian defence technology, international sanctions and an ongoing economic crisis mean that Caracas can no longer afford state-of-the-art military equipment to sustain its armed forces. As a consequence, the army is repairing and refurbishing old vehicles and equipment, obtained in the pre-Chávez years, to expand its arsenal and maintain deterrence capabilities.
The equipment that participated in the parades included AMX-13 and
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Land Warfare
-
![Arquus and Milrem push their UGVs fitted with long-range missiles]()
Arquus and Milrem push their UGVs fitted with long-range missiles
Arquus displayed the Drailer uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) integrating the Akeron LP long-range missile at the Techterre technology demonstrator event ahead of trials in September.
-
![Czech CAESAR howitzer order at risk of cancellation]()
Czech CAESAR howitzer order at risk of cancellation
The Czech Republic ordered 52 CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie (CAESAR) self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in 2021 and added another 10 a year later. A cancellation of the programme would impact both the army’s capabilities and local industry which is involved in the manufacture.
-
![Sweden turns to Nammo and Rheinmetall as world demand grows for 155mm shells]()
Sweden turns to Nammo and Rheinmetall as world demand grows for 155mm shells
Demand for ammunition continues to increase with manufacturing capability growing to match. Sweden have turned to the two supply lines of Rheinmetall and Nammo as part of a Nordic effort to meet demand. The Polish Government has also announced a US$700 million investment to boost manufacture of munitions.
-
![Malaysia signs for two additional GM400α air surveillance radars]()
Malaysia signs for two additional GM400α air surveillance radars
The order is in addition to two systems ordered in 2023. It forms part of a family of systems which is becoming widely used and part of a growing demand for the capability, both in deliveries and requirements.
-
![US Army’s Precision Strike Missile moves into production phase after test successes]()
US Army’s Precision Strike Missile moves into production phase after test successes
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile system and is a planned replanned replacement for MGM-140 Army Tactical Missiles System (ATACMS). It is to be fired from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.
