Deliveries to Caracas of missile systems ordered in Russia, designed to protect the coast, will begin in 2011, Infodifensa reports.
In an interview with the newspaper Ultima Noticias, the Commander of the Strategic Operations Command of Venezuela, Major General Anri de Jesus Rangel Silva, confirmed the statement made in September 2009 by President Hugo Chavez, according to which missile systems with a firing range of up to 300 km will soon arrive in Venezuela.
Like Hugo Chavez, the general did not name the type of weapons, however, according to TsAMTO, it could be a multi-functional missile mobile coastal complex "Club-M" or a mobile coastal missile system (PBRK) K-300P "Bastion-P".
The Club-M complex is designed to detect and destroy surface ships with 3M-54E and 3M-54E1 anti-ship missiles, and enemy ground targets with 3M-14E missiles.
The complex includes up to 3 self-propelled launchers with 4-6 missiles, 3 transport-launch vehicles, 2 communication and control vehicles, maintenance vehicles, training facilities. The detection range of "Club-M" surface targets in the passive / active mode is 450/250 km, the maximum firing range of the 3M-54E anti-ship missiles is 220 km, the 3M-54E1 is 275 km, and the 3M-14E cruise missile is 275 km. The radar of the complex is capable of tracking up to 30 surface targets
PBRK K-300P "Bastion-P" is one of the most modern in the world. It is a mobile missile system armed with a unified supersonic anti-ship missile (ASM) P-800 Yakhont. The complex is designed to destroy surface ships of various classes and types from amphibious assault formations, convoys, ship and aircraft carrier strike groups, as well as single ships and ground radio-contrast targets in conditions of intense fire and electronic countermeasures. The range of the complex is up to 300 km. PBRK "Bastion" is capable of protecting a section of the coast with a length of more than 600 km from enemy landing operations.
The standard set of the system consists of four K-340P self-propelled launchers with two transport and launch cups with Yakhont anti-ship missiles (according to some sources - up to three), one or two K380P combat control vehicles, a combat watch support vehicle and four transport-loading vehicles K342P. Support equipment includes a set of maintenance and training facilities. The number of launchers, transport-loading vehicles and combat control vehicles may vary depending on the wishes of the customer.
The missile can fly in two modes: low-altitude, in which the target destruction range is 120 km, or combined with a range of up to 300 km. In the combined mode, the flight of the anti-ship missile system on the marching section of the trajectory is carried out at an altitude of up to 14 thousand m, and in the final section - at an altitude of 10-15 m. In the low-altitude mode, the rocket performs the entire flight at an altitude of 15 m.
The time from the receipt of the order on the march to the deployment of the complex in combat positions does not exceed five minutes, after which the battery is ready for use of eight anti-ship missiles. The position can be located up to 200 km from the coastline.
During a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to OAO MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia in October last year, it was reported that the enterprise had signed export contracts for the supply of several Bastion complexes, but the customers were not named.
Rosoboronexport also offers foreign customers the Bal-E coastal missile system. The maximum firing range of the X-35E missile used by him is 120-130 km.
