Venezuela to buy Russian coastal defense missile systems

18.11.2010 Deliveries of coastal defense missile systems ordered by Caracas from Russia will start in 2011, reports Infodefensa.

Gen. Henry de Jesus Rangel Silva, Strategic Command of Venezuela confirmed the statement of Hugo Chavez made in Sept 2009 that missile systems with firing range of 300 km would be delivered to Venezuela in the nearest future, reports Ultimas Noticias.

Same as Hugo Chavez, the general did not specified the type of arms, however the World Arms Trade Analytic Center (WATAC) presumes it can be either coastal defense mobile missile system Club-M or mobile coastal missile system K-300P Bastion-P.

Club-M missile system is designed for detection and destroying surface ships by antiship missiles 3M-54E and 3M-54E1, and land objects by missiles 3M-14E.

The system includes up to 3 self-propelled launchers with 4-6 missiles, 3 launcher transporters, 2 communications and command vehicles, maintenance truck, and training hardware. Surface target detection range of Club-M in passive/active mode makes 450/250 km; max firing range of antiship missile 3M-54E is 220 km; antiship missile 3M-54E1 is 275 km; cruise missile 3M-14E is 275 km. The system's radar is capable to track up to 30 sea surface targets.

K-300P Bastion-P is one of the world's most advanced systems. It is mobile missile system armed with unified supersonic antiship missile P-800 Yakhont. The system is used for destruction of various classes and types of surface ships operating in landing forces, convoys, and carrier strike groups, as well as single ships and land radiocontrast targets in conditions of intensive fire and electronic countermeasures. Firing range of the system is up to 300. Missile system Bastion is capable to protect a 600-km long coastline from an enemy's landing operations.

The standard version consists of four self-propelled launchers K-340P with two launch tubes of Yakhont antiship missiles each (according to some sources – three tubes), one or two command vehicles K380R, launch-associated support vehicle, and four transloaders K342R. Support equipment includes maintenance facilities and training hardware. Number of launchers, transloaders, and command vehicles varies depending on a customer's request.

The missile can perform flight in two different modes: low-altitude mode which provides killing range of 120 km, or combined mode with killing range of 300 km. In combined mode, the antiship missile flies on the altitude of 14 km at the midcourse phase, and on 10-15 meters at terminal phase. In low-altitude mode, the whole flight is carried out on 15-meter height.

Time interval from the on-move receipt of order to deployment at firing positions does not exceed five minutes; after that, the battery is ready to launch eight antiship missiles. Firing position can be located 200 km inshore.

It was reported during Medvedev's visit to NPO Mashinostroyenia in Oct 2009 that the company had tied export contracts for several Bastion systems; however, customers were not disclosed.

Rosoboronexport also offers coastal defense missile system Bal-E for export. Max firing range of its missile Kh-35E makes 120-130 km.