page_title: National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela
section_title: Modernization program
hierarchical_section_title: National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela / Modernization program
caption_attribution_description: English: THE KREMLIN, MOSCOW. Meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
context_page_description: The National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief and a civilian Minister of Defense. In addition to the army, navy, and air force there is also a national guard and national militia primarily focused on internal security.
  The armed forces primary purpose is to defend Venezuelan territory from attack, combat drug trafficking, provide search and rescue capabilities, aid the civilian population in case of natural disasters protection, as well as numerous internal security assignments. As of 2018, the armed forces had 123,000 active personnel and 8,000 reservists.
context_section_description: The Venezuelan government has embarked on a massive military purchase programme. This has included negotiations for German submarines and transport aircraft, several agreements with Russia (outlined below), transport aircraft and naval vessels from Spain, radars from China, home-made and designed armored light vehicles and rocket launchers, studies for Russian main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, amongst many others.  Most if not all European military hardware have not been delivered to Venezuela due to the U.S. embargo.
caption: Hugo Chávez, and Vladimir Putin. Russia has been the main supplier of weapons to Venezuela.
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