Venezuelan Su-30MK2 Fighters with Mach 3+ Anti-Ship Missiles Escalate Deterrence Patrols Against U.S.

New footage released by the Venezuelan Air Force has shown the service’s Su-30MK2 fighters on patrol over the Caribbean equipped armed with Kh-31 anti-ship missiles, in what has widely been interpreted as a major show of force responding to escalating threats from the United States. Two Su-30MK2 fighters were shown flying in formation armed with the missiles. The fighter type has been considerably more active over the past two months, since the U.S. vastly expanded its military presence in the region. The American military buildup has included the deployment of multiple destroyers, over 4000 Marines, Nimitz and Gerald Ford class nuclear powered supercarriers, amphibious assault ships, nuclear-powered attack submarines, and F-35 stealth fighter squadrons, among a wide range of other assets. American operations have included the alleged targeting of civilian vessels in the region, and the launching of simulated strikes on Venezuelan targets using strategic bombers with their transponders deactivated.

The Kh-31 is considered the Venezuelan Armed Forces’ most formidable anti-ship asset, while the Su-30 is the longest ranged fighter in the Americas allowing it to launch strikes against targets across the Caribbean and beyond. The ramjet-powered missile follows a sea-skimming trajectory, which complicates adversaries’ detection efforts, and has a terminal speed exceeding Mach 3 which limits adversaries’ warning times, makes the missiles harder to hit, and causes significant additional damage upon impact. The U.S. Navy has no experience defending against such missile attacks. A particularly threatening aspect of the missile design is its relatively light weight, which combined with the Su-30’s particularly high weapons carrying capacity allows even a pair of fighters to launch salvos of ten or more missiles. The missile’s ‘fire and forget’ capabilities means such strikes can be launched as part of ‘hit and run’ attacks on American warships.

The Su-30MK2 was originally developed to meet the requirements of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy in the early 2000s, and while cutting edge for its time, its avionics are increasingly considered out of date. Although the Venezuelan Air Force is considered to field the most capable fighter fleet in Latin America, a primary shortcoming remains the limited number of modern fighters in service, with its fleet comprised of just 22 Su-30s. Under the administration of former president Hugo Chavez plans were underway to procure a much larger fighter fleet, including more modern Su-35s, although the president’s death in 2013 and subsequent economic crisis prevented this from materialising. The Su-30MK2 fleet is thus significantly outnumbered by U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighter aircraft deployed in the region, and has been left at a growing technological disadvantage as these services have introduced newer fighters such as the F-15EX and F-35 into service.