Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela

The Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela (Spanish: Armada Bolivariana de Venezuela), commonly known as the Venezuelan Navy, is the naval branch of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela.

Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela
Armada Bolivariana de Venezuela
Coat of Arms of the Navy
Founded	1811; 213 years ago (1811)
Country	Venezuela
Type	Navy
Role	Defense of Venezuela's coastline and maritime and inland waters
Size	1 submarine, 1 frigate, 25 patrol boats, 4 landing ship tank, 3 auxiliary ships
Part of	National Armed Forces of Venezuela
Patron	Virgen del Valle
Motto(s)	Navigare necesse, vivere non necesse (Latin: "Sailing is necessary, but living is not".)
Colors	Navy blue
March	Marcha Epica de las Fuerzas Navales (English: "Grand March of the National Navy")
Anniversaries	July 24, Birthday of Simon Bolivar, Navy Day and Battle of Lake Maracaibo Anniversary
Engagements	Venezuelan War of Independence and the Battle of Lake Maracaibo
Insignia
Naval ensign
Naval jack
Flag

The Venezuelan Navy serves the purpose of defending the naval sovereignty of Venezuela, including inland and fluvial security, and it also serves to prevent illegal activities on Venezuela's borders and collaborates with international organizations to safeguard international waters from criminal activities.

History

The Venezuelan Navy was born as a coastal defense force during the beginning of the Venezuelan War of Independence. In May 1810, Commander Lino de Clemente, a veteran officer of the Spanish Navy who joined the April 1810 coup against the colonial government, was appointed the first Minister of Defense of the republic and began the long building of the armed forces including the formation of the navy. In April 1811 the Nautical School, with Ensign Vicente Parrado as its first superintendent, was opened by order of the national government in La Guaira to train future naval officers, months before the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence, thus the Navy's origins start from this date, with its first vessels being those formerly used by the naval forces of the Captaincy General of Venezuela, and participated in its first actions in the campaigns in Guayana in 1811-12, the baptism of fire for the fledgling naval service. Colonel Antonio Mendoza from the Venezuelan Army was its first commanding general.

For a long time their vessels, even if obsolete, were maintained properly by its sailors. In 1937 the Navy acquired from Italy two gunboats of the Azio class and rechristened them General Soublette and General Urdaneta; these ships were retained in service until 1951^[1] (for other sources in 1948^[2] or 1950^[3][4]) and scrapped later.^[5][6]

Joint exercises

In September 2008, the Russian Navy's nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, accompanied by three other ships of Russia's Northern Fleet, sailed from its base in Severomorsk on a cruise to the Caribbean Sea for a joint exercise with the Venezuelan Navy.^{[clarification needed]} This action represented the first major Russian power projection in that region since the end of the Cold War.^[7][8] The fleet of ships, headed by the nuclear-powered Pyotr Velikiy, set off from its base at Severomorsk in the Arctic on 22 September. Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo told the AFP news agency, "It's the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Peter the Great, the anti-submarine warship Admiral Chebanenko and other accompanying ships". The other ships included a tug boat and supply ships.^[9]

Crisis in Venezuela

Further information: Crisis in Venezuela and 2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela

During a 2019 crisis^{[clarification needed]} in Venezuela, the Venezuelan Navy became engaged in the conflict when it began to prevent the entry of humanitarian aid into the country.^[10] A ship departing from Puerto Rico attempted to ship aid into the Venezuelan port city of Puerto Cabello.^[10] Six vessels of the Venezuelan Navy, including the Mariscal Sucre-class frigate Almirante Brion and patrol boats, were deployed to prevent the entry of the aid shipment.^[11] The ship, carrying civilians, returned to Puerto Rico after the Venezuelan Navy threatened to "open fire" on the humanitarian ship.^[10] Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rossello, who ordered the return of the ship, stated that the act by the Venezuelan Navy was "unacceptable and shameful" and that Puerto Rico "notified our partners in the U.S. government about this serious incident".^[12]

On 30 March 2020, the Venezuelan patrol boat Naiguatá sank after a collision with the polar ice class cruise liner RCGS Resolute, while in international waters.^[13][14] According to RCGS Resolute's owner, the Coast Guard ship had fired shots^[14] and ordered the cruise ship to follow it to Margarita Island, a Venezuelan harbour.^[15] Naiguatá sank following the collision, with RCGS Resolute informing the international Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the incident and offering assistance. After staying in the area for an hour, RCGS Resolute was informed through MRCC that assistance was not required as Naiguatá's crew had been rescued by the Venezuelan Navy.^[16] According to the Portuguese after-incident investigation, RCGS Resolute had departed Buenos Aires on 5 March and sailed to the Caribbean Sea. She was contacted by Venezuelan patrol boat Naiguatá on the night of 30 March. Two hours later, an unexpected change in Naiguatá's heading just before the collision may have been caused by a suction effect between the vessels as the faster patrol boat passed the bow of the cruise ship. Although the collision may have not been intentional ramming, the conclusion was nonetheless that the incident that led to the sinking of Naiguatá was a deliberate act initiated by the Venezuelan Navy rather than an accidental occurrence.^[17]

Organization of the Navy

As of 2024, Admiral Neil Jesús Villamizar Sánchez was the Commanding General of the National Navy.^[18]

Naval Operations Command

The Naval Operations Command is commanded by the Chief of Naval Operations. In 2014, this was Vice Admiral Antonio Díaz Clemente.^{[19][needs update]}

Venezuelan Naval Aviation

Venezuelan Naval Aviation serves as the air arm of the Venezuelan Navy, with responsibility for air operations and transport for the entire Navy.^[20]

Coast Guard

Headquartered in La Guaira, Vargas, the Venezuelan Coast Guard is responsible for the surveillance of Venezuela's jurisdictional waters.^[21]

List of current and former ships

Class	Image	Type	Ships	Origin	Note
Submarine (1; formerly 2)
Type 209		Diesel-electric	S-31 Sábalo (1976) S-32 Caribe (1978)	Germany	1,810 tonnes; status of both boats unclear as of 2020[22]
Mini-submarine (1)
VAS 525		Mini-submarine with reversible DC electric motor	N/A	Italy	100 tonnes+;[23][better source needed] As of 2020[update], a diver transport minisub was in use with the Venezuelan Navy.[24]
Frigates (1)
Mariscal Sucre class		Missile frigates	F-22 Almirante Brion[25]	Italy	2,506 tonnes
Offshore patrol vessels (3?)
Guaiquerí-class patrol boat		Offshore patrol vessels	PC-21 Guaiquerí[citation needed] PC-23 Yekuana PC-24 Kariña[citation needed] (PC-22 Warao out of service since 2012 grounding)	Spain	2,419 tons
Guaicamacuto class		Offshore patrol vessels	GC-21 Guaicamacuto GC-22 Yavire[citation needed] GC-24 Comandante eterno Hugo Chávez (doubtful) (GC-23 Naiguatá sunk on 30 March 2020)[17]	Spain	1,453 tons
Gunboat (3?)
Constitución class		Gunboat	PC-11 Constitución PC-12 Federación PC-13 Independencia PC-14 Libertad PC-15 Patria PC-16 Victoria	United Kingdom	173 tons; Only 3 boats speculated to remain in service.[26]
Patrol boat (unknown number in operation as of 2024)
Págalo class		Patrol boat	PG-51 Págalo PG-52 Caricare	Netherlands	[citation needed]
Gavión class		Patrol boat	PG-401 Gavión PG-402 Alca PG-403 Bernacia PG-404 Chamán PG-405 Cormorán PG-406 Colimbo PG-407 Fardela PG-408 Sumarela PG-409 Negrón PG-410 Pigargo PG-411 Pagaza PG-412 Serreta	USA	[citation needed]
Peykaap III-class missile boat		Fast patrol craft	N/A	Iran	[citation needed]
Amphibious ship and service ships (10)
Los Frailes class		Service ship	T-91 Los Frailes T-92 Los Testigos T-93 Los Roques T-94 Los Monjes	Cuba	?
Capana class		Landing Ship Tank	T-61 Capana T-62 Esequibo T-63 Goajira T-64 Los Llanos	South Korea	1 ship non-operational[27]
Ciudad Bolívar class		Supply ship	T-81 Ciudad Bolívar	South Korea	?
Bricbarc type Simón Bolívar		Training sailboat	BE-11 Simón Bolívar	Spain	?
Punta Brava class		Oceanographic ship	BO-11 Punta Brava	Spain	?

Fleet forces and Coast Guard ship organization

Light frigates

Venezuelan frigates General Salóm (foreground) and Mariscal Sucre conduct maneuvers

• One Lupo/Mariscal Sucre-class missile frigates class^[28]
  • F-22 Almirante Brion, in service 1981^[29]

Offshore patrol vessels

PC-21 Guaiquerí

• Four Spanish-made offshore patrol vessels of the Guaiquerí class. One ship, PC-22 Warao is out of service. It was taken to Fortaleza, Brazil following a grounding incident in 2012,^[30] and subsequently to Rio de Janeiro.^[31][32]
  • PC-21 Guaiquerí, in service as of 2011^[33]
• Spanish-made offshore patrol vessels of the Guaicamacuto-class patrol boat. One ship, GC-23 Naiguatá, was sunk after it rammed a cruise ship in 2020.^[34]
  • GC-21 Guaicamacuto, was in service as of 2011.^[35] Current operational status unknown.

Amphibious and service ships

• Four Capana-class LST.
  • T-61 Capana, into service 1983, as of 2001^[update].^{[36][better source needed]}
  • T-64 Los Llanos, into service 1983, was still in service as of 2001 as of 2001^[update].^{[36][better source needed]}
• One Ciudad Bolívar-class supply ship.
  • T-81 Ciudad Bolívar, was in service in 2001^{[37][full citation needed]}
• One Bricbarc type/Simón Bolívar training sailboat.^[38]
• One Almirante Francisco de Miranda-class tugboat^[39]

Coast guard ships

PG-51, a Damen Stan 2606

In 2006, Venezuela had four patrol boats, 2 more Venezuelan-built by 2008, and perhaps some others which are not verified. It is unclear how many, or if any, are still operational in 2023.^[38]

• Four USCG Point-class patrol boats, as of 2006^[update].^[38][40]
• Damen Stan 2606 vessels, built in Venezuela, similar to the United States Coast Guard's Marine Protector class, as of 2008^[update].^[40][41] One already in service by 2008, plus 1 more completed by 2008. Up to 5 more might be built.^[42]

Naval aviation assets

CASA 212

Airplanes

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service as of 2020[update]	Notes
CASA C-212	Spain	Maritime patrol/transport aircraft	C-212-200S43 Patrullero C-212-400	2 3[43]
Beechcraft Super King Air	United States	Transport/liaison aircraft	B200 B90	1 1[43]
Cessna 208 Caravan	United States	Transport aircraft		1[43]
Turbo Commander	United States	Transport aircraft		1[43]

Helicopters

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	In service as of 2012[update]	Notes
Mil Mi-17	Russia	Assault/transport helicopter	Mi-17V-5	6[43]
Harbin Z-9	China	Anti-submarine warfare		8 on order[43]	First delivery was planned for 2015, as of 2019 no unit has been seen operating the type.[44]
Bell 206	United States	Training light helicopter	TH-57A	2[43]
Bell 212	United States	Assault/transport helicopter		9[43]	One Bell 212 was taken out of service following an accident on 31 May 2018, which killed the pilot.[45]

Naval ranks

Professional and enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela[46] v t e
	Sargento supervisor			Sargento ayudante			Sargento mayor de primera		Sargento mayor de segunda		Sargento mayor de tercera			Sargento primero			Sargento segundo						Cabo primero				Cabo segundo		Distinguido						Marinero raso

Officers

Rank group	General/flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela[47][48][49] v t e
			Almirante en jefe		Almirante		Vicealmirante		Contraalmirante		Capitán de navío		Capitán de fragata		Capitán de corbeta		Teniente de navío		Teniente de fragata			Alferez de navío

See also

• Venezuelan Marine Corps

References

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External links

• (in Spanish) Sitio oficial del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Defensa de Venezuela
• (in Spanish) Sitio oficial de la Armada Bolivariana de Venezuela Archived 2007-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
• Venezuela Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada)