MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spain confirms huge arms deal with Venezuela

Venezuela will buy ten military transport planes and eight patrol boats from Spain despite the United States' attempts to block the deal, a top Venezuelan navy official said.

Angel Lopez Rojas, the navy's logistics commander, said in a statement that the Spanish companies EADS-Casa -- a branch of a European aerospace consortium -- and the shipyard Navantia have fulfilled all the requirements to build the planes and boats, according to Venezuela's state-run Bolivarian News Agency.

Navy officials have said the sale is worth 2 billion US dollars, making it Spain's largest-ever defense deal.

The deal was paralyzed earlier this year after the United States denied EADS-Casa permission to sell Venezuela 10 transport planes that contain US parts. Washington which calls President Hugo Chavez a "destabilizing" force in the region had feared the sale could affect the military balance in South America.

Chavez has called the U.S. stance an example of "horrific imperialism" meant to dictate which countries should be permitted to supply their militaries. The Spanish government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has friendly ties with Chavez and had said all along that it would go through with the deal, which was signed in November.

Defense Minister Orlando Maniglia said recently EADS-Casa was working to substitute the U.S. parts for others that would be supplied by a European country, but did provide details.

Lopez Rojas said construction is to begin in about four months on four ocean patrol boats and four coast patrol vessels. He said the first patrol boat will arrive in Venezuela in 2008 and that the remaining boats will be sent to the country every six months after the shipment.

A group of 15 Venezuelan navy officials will travel to Spain soon to supervise construction of the planes and boats, Lopez Rojas said.

Meantime for the first time ever a Venezuelan frigate visited Argentina and is currently in Montevideo, Uruguay. The frigate "Mariscal Sucre" arrived in Argentina in coincidence with the recent XXII Interamerican Naval Conference held in Mar del Plata.

The 2.000 tons displacement Italian built Luppo class vessel is equipped for sea and air warfare.