MEXICO CITY, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – Venezuela has conducted successful tests of Russian Grad and Smerch multiple rocket launchers, Operational Strategic Commander in Chief, General Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Tuesday.
Venezuelan TV channel Globovision reported that the tests were carried out at a facility in the country’s southwestern state of Apure. “These are high technologies weapons systems,” Lopez said, adding that the tested weapons are capable of destroying any target.
Igor Korotchenko, a leading Russian military expert, earlier told RIA Novosti Venezuela would become Russia’s second-largest arms exporter, after India by 2015, with weapons sales to be estimated at $3.2 billion.
Russia's state-controlled arms trader Rosoboronexport signed around 30 arms supply contracts with Venezuela between 2005 and 2009.
The BM-30 Smerch (Tornado) MLRS uses 300mm rockets with a range of 70 to 90 km with a variety of warheads. The BM-21 Grad (Hail) MLRS has a firing range of up to 20 kilometers.
