Russia to sell 3 submarines to Venezuela

MOSCOW-Russia will sell three submarines to Venezuela in a deal to be inked when President Hugo Chavez visits next month, a Russian news agency reported Friday.Interfax cited an unnamed military-industrial official as saying that the subs would be diesel-electric models, of the "Varshavyanka" class, known under NATO terms as a Kilo-class sub.A spokesman for state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport had no comment; no one answered the phones at the Venezuelan Embassy in Moscow.During a visit to Russia last year, Chavez said that his country needs submarines to protect itself against its enemies-foremost among them the United States.At that time, a top Rosoboronexport official said discussions centered on as many as five "Project 636" Kilo-class Varshavyanka submarines.Caracas already has purchased some $3 billion in arms from Russia, including military helicopters, Kalashnikov rifles, Sukhoi fighter jets and other weaponry.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_on_re_eu/russia_venezuela_submarines_1

As in the days of Noah....