Venezuela Conducts F-16 And Su-30 Fighter Jet Drills Projecting Deterrent Power Against U.S. Forces
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Venezuela released new footage of F-16 and Su-30 fighters conducting joint maneuvers, filmed from inside a cockpit and shared on official military channels. The timing reinforces Caracas’s intent to project readiness as US naval activity increases in the Caribbean.
On Friday, 14 November 2025, Venezuela’s armed forces circulated a new video of air force training flights, as published by the Venezuelan Air Force on Facebook. Filmed on a pilot’s mobile phone, the footage shows at least three F-16 Fighting Falcons flying alongside at least four Su-30MK2 multirole fighters during coordinated maneuvers. The release comes after an earlier post on 8 November showing four F-16s over Maracay, suggesting a deliberate communication campaign at a time of mounting tension with the United States in the Caribbean. Against the backdrop of US carrier strike group deployments and talk of possible intervention, the clip serves both as domestic propaganda and as a rare indicator of the current state of Venezuela’s high-end combat aviation capabilities.
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The Venezuelan F-16 and Su-30 fighter jets roar across the sky with sleek precision and commanding power (Picture Source: Venezuelan Air Force)
The video itself is relatively short and informal, but technically revealing. From the cockpit perspective of one aircraft, the viewer can see mixed formations of US-built F-16s and Russian-built Su-30MK2s manoeuvring at medium altitude, executing turns, rejoins and formation changes typical of basic tactical training. The presence of multiple airframes in close proximity suggests that at least a small portion of the fleet is currently flyable and that FANB (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana) is still able to put together composite packages with both fighter types, despite years of sanctions and maintenance difficulties documented by international observers.
The imagery is notable because it combines two platforms that symbolise different phases of Venezuela’s defence policy. The F-16s, delivered in the 1980s under the US “Peace Delta” programme, were for decades the backbone of the air force and a prestige asset that gave Caracas one of the most modern fighter fleets in Latin America at the time. US sanctions imposed from the early 1990s onwards, and later tightened under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, progressively restricted access to spare parts, weapons and upgrades, leading to a drastic decline in availability. Only a handful of F-16s as fully mission capable, with the rest used as sources of spares or in long-term storage. Keeping several jets airborne in the current context therefore, has as much symbolic value as operational significance.
The Su-30MK2 story reflects Venezuela’s pivot away from US suppliers. Caracas ordered 24 of these twin-engine Russian fighters in the mid-2000s after Washington blocked further support for the F-16 fleet. Designed as long-range multirole aircraft, the Su-30MK2s offer substantial payload, autonomy and sensor performance, and are configured to carry anti-ship missiles and precision-guided munitions. Open-source estimates suggest that around 21 remain in inventory, though not all are necessarily airworthy due to accidents and maintenance shortfalls. By showing several of them operating together with F-16s, FANB is signalling that the “mixed fleet” concept it adopted nearly two decades ago is still at least partially viable.
From an operational standpoint, the combination of F-16s and Su-30MK2s gives Venezuela a flexible toolset that, on paper, covers most mission profiles relevant to a confrontation with the United States. The F-16s, even in their ageing Block 15 configuration, remain useful for quick reaction alert, airspace policing, escort of transport aircraft and, in some scenarios, delivery of unguided ordnance in support of ground forces. Their relatively small radar cross-section and good acceleration at low altitude make them credible platforms for surprise approaches or close shadowing of foreign aircraft and ships, as seen when Venezuelan F-16s recently flew near a US destroyer during a standoff in the Caribbean.
The Su-30MK2s, by contrast, are the heavy punch of the fleet. Their range and payload allow them to conduct long-distance patrols over the Caribbean and the Atlantic approaches, carry heavy anti-ship missiles such as the Kh-31 class, and perform deep-strike missions against fixed infrastructure. In a crisis, their potential target set would likely include US Navy surface combatants operating in the Caribbean, amphibious or logistics vessels supporting Marine or Army deployments, and radar or communications nodes that enable US air operations in the region. In theory, mixed packages could see Su-30s configured as strike or maritime interdiction platforms while F-16s provide additional air cover, extend visual identification capacity or complicate the air picture for US fighters and airborne early warning aircraft.
For Venezuela, however, the real challenge is not the theoretical mission set but survivability against a vastly superior US presence. Washington has recently increased its military footprint around the Caribbean, deploying a carrier strike group, additional surface combatants, submarines and fifth-generation fighters under the banner of counter-narcotics and regional security. In such an environment, Venezuelan F-16s and Su-30MK2s would almost certainly operate under heavy radar and electronic surveillance, facing advanced air-to-air missiles, integrated air and missile defence systems at sea, and strike packages designed to suppress any attempt at massed sortie generation from Venezuelan bases. The realistic operational concept for Caracas is therefore one of limited, carefully timed sorties aimed at signalling resolve, probing US reactions, or posing specific dilemmas rather than seeking air superiority.
This is precisely where the strategic logic of the new video becomes clear. Militarily, the footage proves little beyond the fact that FANB can still put several fighters in the air at once. Strategically, it is a low-cost instrument of signalling at multiple levels. To a domestic audience, the images underscore the narrative that the air force is ready to defend national sovereignty, despite economic hardship and reports of a weakened military apparatus. To regional partners and rivals, particularly Colombia and neighbouring Caribbean states hosting US assets, the mixed formation displays suggest that the Venezuelan leadership continues to view its fighter fleet as a key tool of deterrence and political messaging.
To US planners, the message is more specific. By showcasing F-16s and Su-30MK2s together shortly after Washington reinforced its naval and air presence near Venezuela, Caracas is reminding the Pentagon that any escalation would involve not just ground-based missiles and irregular forces but also a residual, yet non-negligible, fighter capability. The smartphone aesthetic of the video, far from being accidental, reinforces its credibility: this is not a polished parade clip, but a pilot’s-eye view suggesting ongoing routine training and a degree of confidence among aircrew. At the same time, analysts will note the limitations revealed by this kind of footage: a small number of aircraft, no visible advanced munitions, and a focus on basic tactical manoeuvres rather than complex joint operations.
Geopolitically and geostrategically, the video sits at the crossroads of several dynamics. It reflects Venezuela’s long-standing bet on a dual-sourced fighter inventory, split between legacy US equipment and more modern Russian platforms, at a time when broader cooperation with Moscow, from air defence systems to potential naval assets, is being openly discussed in the Russian and Venezuelan media. It also illustrates how airpower imagery has become an integral part of crisis communication: by releasing short clips at key moments, the Maduro government seeks to influence perceptions in Washington and regional capitals, test international reactions and reinforce its own narrative of resistance to external pressure. For the United States, each such video is a reminder that even a relatively small and maintenance-challenged fleet can complicate operational planning and raise the risks of miscalculation in crowded air and maritime corridors.
The new FANB video and the earlier November footage over Maracay point to a conscious strategy of using the remaining F-16 and Su-30MK2 fleets as both operational tools and political symbols. The aircraft themselves would struggle to offset US numerical and technological superiority in a sustained campaign, but they are still capable of limited, high-impact actions and of shaping the psychological environment around any potential crisis. By choosing to show these jets in close formation, filmed from the cockpit of an operational aircraft and disseminated through social media, Caracas is sending a clear message: even under sanctions and pressure, Venezuela intends to be seen, and treated, as an actor that retains credible combat aviation and is prepared to put it in the air to defend its interests and signal its resolve.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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Venezuela released new footage of F-16 and Su-30 fighters conducting joint maneuvers, filmed from inside a cockpit and shared on official military channels. The timing reinforces Caracas’s intent to project readiness as US naval activity increases in the Caribbean.
On Friday, 14 November 2025, Venezuela’s armed forces circulated a new video of air force training flights, as published by the Venezuelan Air Force on Facebook. Filmed on a pilot’s mobile phone, the footage shows at least three F-16 Fighting Falcons flying alongside at least four Su-30MK2 multirole fighters during coordinated maneuvers. The release comes after an earlier post on 8 November showing four F-16s over Maracay, suggesting a deliberate communication campaign at a time of mounting tension with the United States in the Caribbean. Against the backdrop of US carrier strike group deployments and talk of possible intervention, the clip serves both as domestic propaganda and as a rare indicator of the current state of Venezuela’s high-end combat aviation capabilities.
The Venezuelan F-16 and Su-30 fighter jets roar across the sky with sleek precision and commanding power (Picture Source: Venezuelan Air Force)
The video itself is relatively short and informal, but technically revealing. From the cockpit perspective of one aircraft, the viewer can see mixed formations of US-built F-16s and Russian-built Su-30MK2s manoeuvring at medium altitude, executing turns, rejoins and formation changes typical of basic tactical training. The presence of multiple airframes in close proximity suggests that at least a small portion of the fleet is currently flyable and that FANB (Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana) is still able to put together composite packages with both fighter types, despite years of sanctions and maintenance difficulties documented by international observers.
The imagery is notable because it combines two platforms that symbolise different phases of Venezuela’s defence policy. The F-16s, delivered in the 1980s under the US “Peace Delta” programme, were for decades the backbone of the air force and a prestige asset that gave Caracas one of the most modern fighter fleets in Latin America at the time. US sanctions imposed from the early 1990s onwards, and later tightened under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, progressively restricted access to spare parts, weapons and upgrades, leading to a drastic decline in availability. Only a handful of F-16s as fully mission capable, with the rest used as sources of spares or in long-term storage. Keeping several jets airborne in the current context therefore, has as much symbolic value as operational significance.
The Su-30MK2 story reflects Venezuela’s pivot away from US suppliers. Caracas ordered 24 of these twin-engine Russian fighters in the mid-2000s after Washington blocked further support for the F-16 fleet. Designed as long-range multirole aircraft, the Su-30MK2s offer substantial payload, autonomy and sensor performance, and are configured to carry anti-ship missiles and precision-guided munitions. Open-source estimates suggest that around 21 remain in inventory, though not all are necessarily airworthy due to accidents and maintenance shortfalls. By showing several of them operating together with F-16s, FANB is signalling that the “mixed fleet” concept it adopted nearly two decades ago is still at least partially viable.
From an operational standpoint, the combination of F-16s and Su-30MK2s gives Venezuela a flexible toolset that, on paper, covers most mission profiles relevant to a confrontation with the United States. The F-16s, even in their ageing Block 15 configuration, remain useful for quick reaction alert, airspace policing, escort of transport aircraft and, in some scenarios, delivery of unguided ordnance in support of ground forces. Their relatively small radar cross-section and good acceleration at low altitude make them credible platforms for surprise approaches or close shadowing of foreign aircraft and ships, as seen when Venezuelan F-16s recently flew near a US destroyer during a standoff in the Caribbean.
The Su-30MK2s, by contrast, are the heavy punch of the fleet. Their range and payload allow them to conduct long-distance patrols over the Caribbean and the Atlantic approaches, carry heavy anti-ship missiles such as the Kh-31 class, and perform deep-strike missions against fixed infrastructure. In a crisis, their potential target set would likely include US Navy surface combatants operating in the Caribbean, amphibious or logistics vessels supporting Marine or Army deployments, and radar or communications nodes that enable US air operations in the region. In theory, mixed packages could see Su-30s configured as strike or maritime interdiction platforms while F-16s provide additional air cover, extend visual identification capacity or complicate the air picture for US fighters and airborne early warning aircraft.
For Venezuela, however, the real challenge is not the theoretical mission set but survivability against a vastly superior US presence. Washington has recently increased its military footprint around the Caribbean, deploying a carrier strike group, additional surface combatants, submarines and fifth-generation fighters under the banner of counter-narcotics and regional security. In such an environment, Venezuelan F-16s and Su-30MK2s would almost certainly operate under heavy radar and electronic surveillance, facing advanced air-to-air missiles, integrated air and missile defence systems at sea, and strike packages designed to suppress any attempt at massed sortie generation from Venezuelan bases. The realistic operational concept for Caracas is therefore one of limited, carefully timed sorties aimed at signalling resolve, probing US reactions, or posing specific dilemmas rather than seeking air superiority.
This is precisely where the strategic logic of the new video becomes clear. Militarily, the footage proves little beyond the fact that FANB can still put several fighters in the air at once. Strategically, it is a low-cost instrument of signalling at multiple levels. To a domestic audience, the images underscore the narrative that the air force is ready to defend national sovereignty, despite economic hardship and reports of a weakened military apparatus. To regional partners and rivals, particularly Colombia and neighbouring Caribbean states hosting US assets, the mixed formation displays suggest that the Venezuelan leadership continues to view its fighter fleet as a key tool of deterrence and political messaging.
To US planners, the message is more specific. By showcasing F-16s and Su-30MK2s together shortly after Washington reinforced its naval and air presence near Venezuela, Caracas is reminding the Pentagon that any escalation would involve not just ground-based missiles and irregular forces but also a residual, yet non-negligible, fighter capability. The smartphone aesthetic of the video, far from being accidental, reinforces its credibility: this is not a polished parade clip, but a pilot’s-eye view suggesting ongoing routine training and a degree of confidence among aircrew. At the same time, analysts will note the limitations revealed by this kind of footage: a small number of aircraft, no visible advanced munitions, and a focus on basic tactical manoeuvres rather than complex joint operations.
Geopolitically and geostrategically, the video sits at the crossroads of several dynamics. It reflects Venezuela’s long-standing bet on a dual-sourced fighter inventory, split between legacy US equipment and more modern Russian platforms, at a time when broader cooperation with Moscow, from air defence systems to potential naval assets, is being openly discussed in the Russian and Venezuelan media. It also illustrates how airpower imagery has become an integral part of crisis communication: by releasing short clips at key moments, the Maduro government seeks to influence perceptions in Washington and regional capitals, test international reactions and reinforce its own narrative of resistance to external pressure. For the United States, each such video is a reminder that even a relatively small and maintenance-challenged fleet can complicate operational planning and raise the risks of miscalculation in crowded air and maritime corridors.
The new FANB video and the earlier November footage over Maracay point to a conscious strategy of using the remaining F-16 and Su-30MK2 fleets as both operational tools and political symbols. The aircraft themselves would struggle to offset US numerical and technological superiority in a sustained campaign, but they are still capable of limited, high-impact actions and of shaping the psychological environment around any potential crisis. By choosing to show these jets in close formation, filmed from the cockpit of an operational aircraft and disseminated through social media, Caracas is sending a clear message: even under sanctions and pressure, Venezuela intends to be seen, and treated, as an actor that retains credible combat aviation and is prepared to put it in the air to defend its interests and signal its resolve.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
