Hornets: Venezuelan National Bolivarian Military Aviation

[comrade harps]

Venezuelan Hornet

McDonnell Douglas VF/A-18C Hornet (a/c 5002) and VE/A-18D Hornet (a/c 5014)
Escuadrón 101, Venezuelan National Bolivarian Military Aviation, Santiago Mariño
The Arabian Sea, 16 December 1999

Venezuelan Hornet

Finding great wealth following the UN's total blockade of revolutionary Iran, the oil-rich South American nation of Venezuela undertook a significant military expansion and modernisation program during the 1980s and '90s. This included buying a surplus Canadian Queen Elizabeth II-class aircraft carrier and equipping it with a full carrier air wing. The McDonnell Douglas (later, Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet was selected as the carrier's multirole combat jet, the Venezuelan subtypes being the VF/A-18C (single-seat), VF/A-18D (two-seat) and VE/A-18D (two-seat electronic attack), which were partly modelled on the upgraded CF-18A+ Hornet FGR. 4, CF-18B+ Hornet T. 5 and CEF-18B+ Hornet E.6 models of Royal Canadian Navy. Like the Canadian Hornets, the Venzealan Hornets featured extended-chord flaps to safely operate from the Canadian-built carrier, which in service was named Santiago Mariño (after the nineteenth-century Venezuelan revolutionary leader and hero in the Venezuelan War of Independence).

Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet

The decision to operate an aircraft carrier was largely a political one, the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela not having requested a carrier. They were unprepared for carrier operations, never having operated a ship of even half the carrier's displacement, nor having any pilots with fast jet experience. The Navy's only fixed-wing aircraft at the time were 17 P-3C Orions, nine EMB 111A Patrulha and an assortment of King Airs and Cessna light planes. Helicopters included a mix of Sea Kings, Bell UH-1s and Hughes 500s, including the Hughes 500MD/ASW. To solve the inevitable manpower issues, the Hornet squadrons would be staffed and operated by the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Military Aviation (air force), while the vessel's helicopters were to be Navy assets. Although ordered in 1984, the Santiago Mariño was and it's Carrier Air Wing was not declared fully operational until 1996.

Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet

In 1999 the Santiago Mariño was deployed on a UN assigned mission to the Arabian Sea on operations in support of the Iranian blockade and the UN-mandated demilitarized zones inside Iranian territory along its borders with Iraq, the Persian Gulf and Pakistan. The deployment coincided with Operation Desert Fox, a four day UN air assault on Iranian military and industrial targets in response to frequent violations of the demilitarised zones (which, understandably, Iran didn't recognise). During these missions, the Santiago Mariño's Hornets specialised in providing  SEAD/DEAD services in addition to flying fleet air defence sorties.

Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet
Venezuelan Hornet

Both aircraft modelled here are depicted as photographed on 19 December 1999 prior to undertaking an Operation Desert Fox mission.

This VF/A-18C's notable equipment includes the following:
- one AGM-84E SLAM IIR-guided air-to-surface missile (to be guided via an AN/AWW-14 datalink pod on another aircraft)
- two AIM-9M Sidewinder IR-guided air-to-air missiles (carried on Phillips Canada Green Door BOL launch rail/countermeasure dispensers)
- three AIM-120B AMRAAM radar-guided air-to-air missiles
- one CAE Gold Heart ALARM anti-radiation missile
- one AN/AAS-38B Nite Hawk FLIR/laser designator/laser ranger and laser spot tracker pod
- one AN/AAS-42 IRST (nose-mounted and displacing the Vulcan cannon - only four VF/A18Cs were so equipped)[/li][/list]

Venezuelan Hornet

The VE/A-18D features the following:
- Phillips Canada Purple Haze SERVAL ECM (jamming and spoofing)/ESM system with centreline and wingtip pods
- Philips Canada Cayenne Pass Felis electronic attack (hacking) system (nose-mounted and displacing the Vulcan cannon and requiring a ventral air scoop for cooling and a flush port side antenna)
- one Orenda Blue Jean Taurus C rocket-powered GPS/INS guided SEAD/DEAD munition (with bulk chaff dispenser and ALARM radar seeker for terminal anti-radar guidance).
- one CAE Gold Heart ALARM anti-radiation missile
- one AIM-120B AMRAAM radar-guided air-to-air missile
- one AN/AAS-38B Nite Hawk FLIR/laser designator/laser ranger and laser spot tracker pod

Venezuelan Hornet

Both aircraft are equipped with the three-bladed Phillips Canada Yellow Taxi IFF system (visible ahead of the cockpit).

During Desert Fox, the Santiago Mariño's Hornet ordnance expenditure included 34 Gold Hearts, seven Blue Jeans and five SLAMs. GBU-10, GBU-12 and AGM-65D munitions were also used. In air-to-air combat, three AMRAAMs and one Sidewinder were fired for the claiming of one Iranian Flanker. No Venezuelan Hornets were lost in combat, although one VF/A-18C was lost in a non-combat related incident (the pilot ejecting safely). Few details of targets have been publicly released, other than the vague reference to "air defence related facilities."

Venezuelan Hornet Venezuelan Hornet

[zenrat]

Nice paint Comrade.  You certainly have an eye for camo schemes.

[Dizzyfugu]

The overland paint scheme suits the Hornet(s) well. 

[comrade harps]

The overland paint scheme suits the Hornet(s) well. 

I thought I'd made a bright maritime scheme 

[comrade harps]

Nice paint Comrade.  You certainly have an eye for camo schemes.

It is true that I usually put more effort into painting than building.

By the way, these Italeri Hornets are really ordinary (but cheap).

[Dizzyfugu]

The overland paint scheme suits the Hornet(s) well. 

I thought I'd made a bright maritime scheme 

I was a lot reminded of the RW Venezuelan F-16s!

[chrisonord]

That really suits that  camo scheme  , something you  don't see a lot of is camouflaged Hornets.

[DogfighterZen]

Missed these two... Very nice, love the camo colors.

[comrade harps]

Missed these two... Very nice, love the camo colors.

Thank you. I have a Mirage 2000 in the wings with a variation on it's scheme, but you'll just have to wait.

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Beautiful models and a great backstory - well done!