Artillery and armored units of the Venezuelan Army carried out real shooting practices with a view to the inter-arms competitions Army Games 2022which will be held soon in Venezuela, which are inspired by those organized annually in Russia, in whose previous editions Venezuelan military personnel participated.
The exercises took place in the Fort Los Caribeslocated in El Pao, Cojedes state, where special fields have been adapted to carry out the competitions.
Regarding the participating artillery units, it was, in the first place, the 43 Field Artillery Brigadewith self-propelled howitzers Msta-S of 152/L47 mm, and the use of high-precision guided grenades Krasnopoland, secondly, the 415 Mixed Field Artillery Group ‘Division General Juan Jacinto Lara Meléndez’organic of the 41 Armored Brigade, with the same Russian-made self-propelled artillery system. In artillery firing exercises, mortars were also observed Brandt MO-120-RT-61 of 120 mm.
The armored weapon was represented by 414 Armored Battalion ‘Bravos de Apure’ from 41 Armored Brigadewith their tanks T-72B1 of Russian origin.
The 41st and 43rd Brigades
The 41st Armored Brigade has its headquarters in the Fort Pamaracay, in Naguanagua, Carabobo state. It is equipped with material of Russian origin: tanks T-72B1infantry fighting vehicles BMP-3 and 8×8 BTR-80Aself-propelled howitzers Msta-Smultiple rocket launchers BM-21 Grad 40×122, 8×8 self-propelled mortars Miss-SVK of 120 mm.
Its organic units are the following: 411th Mechanized Infantry Battalion ‘Division General José Antonio Anzoátegui’, 412 Armored Battalion ‘General in Chief José Francisco Bermúdez’, 413 Armored Battalion ‘Division General Pedro León Torres’, 414 Armored Battalion ‘Bravos de Apure’, 415 Mixed Field Artillery Group ‘Division General Juan Jacinto Lara Meléndez’, 4101 Commando Company ‘Colonel Miguel Valdés’, 4102 Mechanized Cavalry Squadron ‘Sacred’, 4103 Supply and Transportation Company, 4104 Communications Company ‘Captain José Agustín Rivero’, 4107 Engineer Company, 4108 Maintenance Companyto, 4109 Sniper Company ‘Captain Rudesindo Canelon’y 4110 Health Company.
For its part, the 43rd Field Artillery Brigade has its command in the Fort Conopoima, San Juan de los Morros, capital of the Guárico state. Its equipment is also of Russian origin: self-propelled howitzers Msta-Smultiple rocket launchers BM-21 Grad y BM-30 Smerch 12x 300mm.
Group the following units: 431 Self-Propelled Field Artillery Group ‘General in Chief Bartolomé Salom’; 432 Self-Propelled Field Artillery Group ‘General in Chief Cipriano Castro’; 433 Multiple Rocket Launcher Group ‘General in Chief Juan José Flores y Aramburu’; 434 Multiple Rocket Launcher Group ‘General in Chief Alberto Muller Rojas’; 435 Multiple Rocket Launcher Group ‘Coronel Juan Vicente Bolívar y Ponte’, 4301 Command Batteryo, Exploration and Target Acquisition; 4303 Company of Supply and Transportation ‘Division General Isaías Medina Angarita’; 4304 Communications Company; 4308 Maintenance Company y 4310 Health Company.