Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela

The navy of Venezuela is officially called the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela (Armada Bolivariana de Venezuela).

It serves the purpose of defending the naval sovereignty of the country, including inland, fluvial security, it also serves to prevent illegal activities in the Venezuelan borders and collaborates with international organizations to safeguard international waters from criminal activities.

History
The Navy was born as a coastal defense force during the height of the Venezuelan War of Independence. In April 1811 the Nautical School was opened by order of the national government in La Guaira to train future naval officers, months before the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence, thus the Navy's origins start from this date, with its first vessels being those formerly used by the naval forces of the Captaincy General of Venezuela.

For long time their vessels, even if obsolete, were maintained properly by its sailors. In 1937 the Navy acquired from Italy two gunboats of the Azio-class minelayer and rechristened them General Soublette and General Urdaneta; these ships where retained in service until 1951 (for other sources in 1948 or 1950 ) and scrapped later.

Joint exercises
In September, 2008, the Russian Navy's nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, accompanied by three other ships of Russia's Northern Fleet, sailed from its base in Severomorsk on a cruise to the Caribbean Sea for a joint exercise with the Venezuelan Navy. This action represented the first major Russian power projection in that region since the end of the Cold War. The fleet of ships, headed by the nuclear-powered Pyotr Velikiy, set off from its base at Severomorsk in the Arctic on Monday, September 22. Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo told the AFP news agency, "It's the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Peter the Great, the anti-submarine warship Admiral Chebanenko and other accompanying ships". The other ships included a tug boat and supply ships.

Organization of the Navy
The Navy is led by the Commanding General of the Navy, by 2012 Admiral Diego Antonio Guerra Barreto.

Naval Operations Command
Led by the Chief of Naval Operations, as of 2013 Vice Admiral Jesus Gerardo Ortega Hernández, it supervises all 4 naval operating commands.

Fleet Forces Command
Based in Naval Base Rear Admiral Agustín Armario in Puerto Caballo, Carabobo State it is the lead operating command of the Navy, divided into four operating squadrons:
 * Frigates Squadron
 * Submarine Squadron
 * Patrol Squadron
 * Service and Amphibious Squadron

Fluvial Command
This command is the riverline and fluvial operations arm of the Navy mandated for riverline operations.

Venezuelan Naval Aviation Command
The command serves as the air arm of the Venezulean Navy.

Naval Air Stations of the Venezuelan Navy
There are eight Naval Air Statons:
 * NAS Puerto Cabello (NAC HQ)
 * NAS Punto Fijo
 * NAS Maiquieta
 * NAS Caracas (Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base)
 * NAS Guiria
 * NAS La Blanquilla
 * NAS La Orchila
 * NAS Puerto Ayacucho (General in Chief José Antonio Páez AFB)

Coast Guard Command
Headquartered in La Guaira, Vargas, it is responsible for the surveillance of Venezuelas jurisdictional waters.

Naval Service Education and Training Command
The NSETC has eight component units tasked in the training of all officers and enlisted personnel:
 * Venezuelan Naval Academy
 * Naval War College
 * Naval Tactical Scenarios School
 * Center of Naval Administration
 * Military Technical Academy - Naval Branch
 * Naval Technical School
 * Naval Recruit Training School
 * Naval Police School

Fleet Forces and Coast Guard ship organization
The following is the roster of active duty vessels and ships of the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Navy.

Frigates

 * Six Lupo/Mariscal Sucre-class missile frigates class


 * F-21 AB Mariscal Sucre, in service since 07-14-1980
 * F-22 AB Almirante Brión, in service since 03-07-1981
 * F-23 AB General Urdaneta, in service since 08-08-1981
 * F-24 AB General Soublette, in service since 12-04-1981
 * F-25 AB General Salóm, in service since 04-03-1982
 * F-26 AB Almirante García, in service since 07-30-1982

Ocean Patrol

 * Four Spanish-made offshore patrol vessels of the Guaiquerí class.


 * PC-21 AB Guaiquerí, in service since 14-04-2011
 * PC-22 AB Warao,in service since 02-08-2011 to be repaired after grounding off Fortaleza, Brazil in August 2012
 * PC-23 AB Yekuana, in service since 07-12-2011
 * PC-24 AB Kariña, in service since 23-04-2012

Amphibious and service ships

 * Four Capana-class LST.
 * T-61 AB Capana, in service since 07-24-1984
 * T-62 AB Esequibo, in service since 07-24-1984
 * T-63 AB Goajira, in service since 11-01-1984
 * T-64 AB Los Llanos, in service since 11-01-1984
 * Four Cuban made Los Frailes-class multipurpose LSTs
 * T-91 "AB Los Frailes", in service since March 2012
 * T-92 "AB Los Testigos", in service since December 2012
 * T-93 "AB Los Roques", in service since October 25, 2013
 * T-94. in construction
 * One Ciudad Bolívar-class supply ship.
 * T-81  AB Ciudad Bolívar, in service since 09-23-2001
 * One Bricbarc type/Simón Bolívar training sailboat.
 * BE-11 AB Simón Bolívar, in service since 08-6-1980
 * One oceanographic ship
 * BO-11 "AB Punta Brava", in service since 03-24-1991

Coast patrol

 * Four Spanish-made offshore patrol vessels of the BVL class.
 * GC-21 AB Guaicamacuto, in service since 02-Mar-2010[3][5]
 * GC-22 AB Yavire, in service since 29-Jan-2011
 * GC-23 AB Naiguata, in service since 1-Mar-2011
 * GC-24 AB Tamanaco, in order

Coast guard ships

 * Four USCG Point-class patrol boats,.
 * PG-31 ′′AB Petrel′′, ex Point Knoll 27 June 1967-11 September 1991,Transfer to Venezuela 30 August 1998
 * PG-32 ′′AB Alcatraz′′, ex Point Judith 26 July 1966-15 January 1992,Transfer to Venezuela 20 December 1991
 * PG-33 ′′AB Albatros′′, ex Point Ledge 18 July 1962-3 August 1998,Transfer to Venezuela 30 August 1998
 * PG-34 ′′AB Pelicano′′, ex Point Franklin 14 November 1966-23 June 1998,Transfer to Venezuela 3 August 1998
 * 12 Gavion-class patrol boats.
 * Damen Stan 2600 vessels, built in Venezuela, similar to the United States Coast Guard's Marine Protector class,.
 * PG-51 ′′AB Pagalo′′, in service since 10-09-08
 * PG-52, in order
 * PG-53, in order
 * PG-54, in order
 * PG-55, in order
 * PG-56, in order

Airplanes
Note: The Navy has others two or three light aircraft.