Quote:
Originally Posted by Ace Oliveira
Would the Brazilian Air Force be a match for the Venezuelan Air Force?
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Once the F-X2 program selects its choice for the new fighter (and most analysts agree it'll probably be the Dassault Rafael), I'd say yes. Brazil already has defense infrastructure and resources vastly superior to that of Venezuela. But a new fighter is a lot more important for Brazil than it is for us (though the Mirage 2000s currently in service are quite capable in their own right).
Also, my understanding is that Brazilian modernization plans are mostly emphasizing naval expansion right now. There are also issues with outdated equipment and lack of funding in the Army (something like half of the armored vehicles in their inventory are not serviceable).
There's another thing to consider about Venezuela, too - most of Chavez' military (who started their careers when Venezuela was still run by pro-Western governments) hates his ass and might mutiny. The whole reason he's buying so much Russian hardware is that he's trying to build up a separate military to the one that existed before he took power (in the same way that Khomeini had to form the Revolutionary Guard to counter-balance the Shah's military). Coups remain a huge concern for Chavez.