Venezuelan Navy is coordinating with the Chinese shipbuilding industry the necessary studies for the rehabilitation of such Lupo frigates, said its commander, Admiral Alfredo Diego Molero Bellavia.
Admiral Molero said the six frigates suffered for over 7 years, the work of restoration and modernization, including unionized workers to shipyards Astilleros Nacionales CA, Puerto Cabello.
"We were victims of a sort of boycott of technology from the North American empire (...) and this has led to considerable delay in the work," said Molero, referring to the ban by the United States in 2006 to purchase equipment and technology U.S. military.
In 1975, Venezuela had asked the Italian shipyard Cantieri Navali Riuniti SpA., To build six frigates Lupo, who were delivered between 1980 and 1982: Mariscal Sucre, Almirante Brión, General Urdaneta, General Soublette, General Almirante García Salom and .
The Mariscal Sucre and the Almirante Brión were modernized between 1998 and 2002 by Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The contract provided for technology transfer and personnel training for the modernization of Venezuelan frigates 4 remaining in Venezuela.
In 2004, the frigate General Urdaneta, General Salom and Almirante García entered the Dianca sites, where they are always, without the work has been completed.
OMG! They should seek the help of Italy, the maker of that ship. If they allow china to refurbished that ship. They will steal all software and military hardware of that ship and they will create a counterfeit version.
ReplyDeleteVenezuela should just sell the laid up frigates to the Indian Navy and use the proceeds to buy spanking new Type-056 corvettes from Shanghai shipyards. Such corvettes are far superior to the Italian-built ships.
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