Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López at the launch of the Sovereign Caribbean 200 Naval Drills in La Orchila island. Photo: YVKE Radio.
Venezuela launched the Sovereign Caribbean 200 Naval Drills in the southern Caribbean Sea in response to United States’ naval deployment in the region and ongoing military actions against the country. On Wednesday, September 17, the minister of defense of Venezuela, Major General Vladimir Padrino López, announced the start of the Bolivarian National Armed Force’s Sovereign Caribbean 200 Naval Drills, a series of strategic exercises in and around the island of La Orchila, Venezuela, with the aim of strengthening the country’s defensive capacity and sovereignty in its seas and coasts in the context of growing threats from the United States.
The drills, which will take place over three days, involve a massive deployment of more than 2,500 personnel at the Antonio Díaz Naval Base, about 97 nautical miles from Venezuela’s continental coast. Among the deployed assets are 12 Navy ships, 22 aircraft, 20 naval militia boats, field artillery pieces, and other equipment.
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Several joint working groups are working on simulating a conflict scenario and testing the country’s military preparedness. Defense Minister Padrino noted that the initiative is designed to strengthen unity among the people, the armed forces, and the country’s leadership.
The drills includes a wide range of operations, including the deployment of armed and surveillance drones, as well as submarines and aircraft for sector surveillance. The special forces group will be responsible for monitoring aerial, maritime, and land infiltration for information gathering, as well as reconnaissance of underwater areas. In the field of intelligence and electronic warfare, the drills include call interception, blocking, and neutralization of communication systems.
The maritime component of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) will carry out coastal firing, amphibious landings with combat vehicles, and air defense maneuvers. On the ground, operations will be carried out with paratroopers, cargo drops, and tactical air support.
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The civic-military strategy
A key aspect of the drills is the integration of the Bolivarian National Militia and the National Police into the military operations in order to complement the armed forces. The militia will play a crucial role, including operating armored vehicles and coordinating the electronic systems of ships, while the police will support reconnaissance tasks and other activities.
The mass participation of civilians and military has the aim of carrying out the strategy of the “armed and prepared people,” a concept promoted by the Venezuelan government whereby the population becomes a defensive force against any external aggression. In the words of the Venezuelan authorities, although the country opts for peace, it is fully prepared to defend its sovereignty.
Previously, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called for the “implacable defense” of the nation during a militia training day organized in response to the presence of US warships in the Caribbean.
The minister emphasized that, in the event of an aggression, the country is prepared for a “100-year war.”
Mass training day
Cabello’s call came after an assault by a US Navy missile destroyer on a Venezuelan fishing vessel in jurisdictional waters. In response to this incident, thousands of newly enlisted militia members flocked to 340 barracks across the country to participate in military training courses as part of The People Go to the Barracks Plan announced by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The goal of the event is to train the millions of citizens who have recently joined the Bolivarian National Militia.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SL
