No, Hugo, Just No
Hugo, I like you and really appreciate Citgo as a reliable source of gas in good times and bad. I realize the Shrubbery is on your case and causing trouble for you, but, trust me, you and your country do not need to buy these from Russia.
The Sukhoi-30 [Flanker] is a hot fighter and will look great in Venezuelan colors. The Israelis, French, or Indians will compete to sell you the aftermarket goodies to make them even better, but you don’t need them.
If you want to buy planes, your country could use short-haul prop jobs to move people and products around. Buy some of those and use the money you’ll save on schools and health clinics.
7 comments
Damn, that is one hot fighter! Is it any good? How does it stack up to other current aircraft?
It is a cross between an F-15 and an FA-18 by design. It’s a nice aircraft, but these days the important parts are the avionics and weapons systems, which is where the Israelis, French, and Indians come in. The Russian electronics really suck.
Flight-wise it’s a first line fighter, but that doesn’t help when your death was launched from a fighter 75 miles away and you can’t launch until you close to 50 miles.
In the hands of a very good pilot it is a very potent airplane, but it will generate G-forces that can kill you when turning.
It’s too much airplane for Hugo.
Has BushCo scared him into this, or is it something he would have done anyway?
I guess anyone with oil thinks they will need to protect it.
My personal guess is machismo, not any real threat. Hugo is setting himself up for a fall by making deals with some really nasty people.
If you want to protect yourself you buy defensive systems which are a hell of a lot cheaper. There are anti-aircraft missile systems on the market that would provide a lot more effectiveness for a lot less money and you know that you are in your own airspace when you engage.
Guess they wouldn’t let me borrow it over the weekend?
The way Russia has been retailing, You never know, CG.
Planning on trying bio-diesel in it?
[…] This does justify his purchase of the Su-30s: to protect the cocoa fields. […]