Analysis: U.S. Navy Airpower in the Caribbean vs. Venezuela’s Air Force Amid Rising Regional Tensions.

Army Recognition Group provides a deep analysis comparing U.S. naval air power in the Caribbean with Venezuela’s current air force structure amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas. The assessment focuses on the nearly 100 U.S. aircraft deployed with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, versus Venezuela’s 79 combat-ready jets and limited attack helicopter fleet.

A new analysis from Army Recognition Group examines the sharp imbalance in air power now taking shape in the Caribbean, where the United States has positioned the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group close to Venezuelan airspace. The report notes that the U.S. deployment brings between 94 and 98 naval and Marine aircraft to sea, creating a layered mix of strike fighters, early warning platforms, and rotary-wing assets. Venezuela’s air force, built around Su-30MK2 Flankers, aging F-16A fighters, and Army-operated Mi-35M2 attack helicopters, remains the core of Caracas' defense posture but lacks the reach and survivability of a modern carrier air wing.
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Graph comparing U.S. naval airpower deployed in the Caribbean with the full Venezuelan air and helicopter force structure, highlighting the sharp imbalance in fighters, strike aircraft and electronic warfare assets. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

Open-source configurations of the Gerald R. Ford air wing place approximately 44 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets aboard the carrier, forming the principal strike and air superiority component. These aircraft carry AIM-9X and AIM-120C or AIM-120D air-to-air missiles, giving them long range and high off-boresight engagement capability. Their strike roles rely on a broad inventory of precision weapons, including JDAM-guided bombs, GBU-12 and GBU-16 laser-guided munitions, AGM-154 JSOW glide weapons, Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, and AGM-88E AARGM for the suppression of enemy air defenses. Five EA-18G Growlers provide electronic attack, saturating radar networks with powerful jamming systems while carrying AARGM if tasked to directly target Venezuelan air defense emitters. Four E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft extend the American radar picture far beyond the horizon with persistent airborne command and control. Two CMV-22B Ospreys support carrier onboard delivery missions, and the helicopter component, composed of roughly 14 MH-60R and MH-60S aircraft, conducts anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike, and search-and-rescue missions with Hellfire missiles, torpedoes, and machine guns.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group adds a second, independent air component. The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit typically deploys six AV-8B Harrier II aircraft capable of using AIM-9M or AIM-9X missiles and a variety of precision bombs, including GBU-12, GBU-32, and conventional Mk-82 and Mk-83 series ordnance. Twelve MV-22B tiltrotor aircraft provide long-range assault lift while four CH-53K or CH-53E aircraft ensure heavy lift. The AH-1Z Viper helicopters embarked aboard the ARG carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 70 mm APKWS guided rockets, and a 20 mm cannon for close air support and armed reconnaissance, supported by UH-1Y Venom helicopters for utility and reconnaissance tasks. Together, the Ford carrier wing and the Iwo Jima ARG air element approach one hundred operational aircraft positioned within reach of Venezuelan territory.

Across the region, the Venezuelan Air Force fields seventy-nine combat-capable aircraft supported by an overall personnel strength of 11,500. Its core fighter presence includes 15 F-16A and 3 F-16B Fighting Falcons, equipped with AIM-9L or AIM-9P missiles and Python 4 weapons. The country’s most modern aircraft are the twenty-one Su-30MKV Flanker multirole fighters, which carry R-73 short-range infrared missiles, PL-5E short-range options, and multiple medium-range weapons, including R-27R, R-27ER, R-27T, R-27ET, and the R-77 active radar missile. These aircraft also support a sizeable inventory of heavy strike munitions, including Kh-29L and Kh-29T missiles, Kh-59M standoff weapons, Kh-31A anti-ship missiles, Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles, and the French AM39 Exocet. Venezuela’s older fighter presence includes a squadron of F-5 Freedom Fighters, along with two squadrons of K-8W Karakorum light strike and training aircraft, and one squadron of EMB-312 Tucano for ISR and ground attack.

The Venezuelan rotary wing component is divided between the air force and the army. Air Force helicopters include eight Mi-17 Hip aircraft and twenty-one medium lift helicopters across AS332B Super Puma, AS532 Cougar, AS532UL Cougar, and Mi-172 variants, supplemented by Enstrom 480B light helicopters. However, the most potent rotary-wing offensive capability resides with the Venezuelan Army’s nine Mi-35M2 Hind-E attack helicopters. The Hind-E fleet provides anti-armor and close air support roles, carrying Ataka anti-tank missiles, S-8 rockets, and a 23 mm twin-barrel cannon. Although formidable at low altitude, the Mi-35M2 is constrained heavily by the requirement to operate in an air environment contested by U.S. fighters, ship-based sensors, and Marine AH-1Z helicopters.

Support for aviation in Venezuela is broad in type but shallow in depth. The electronic warfare component relies on Falcon 20DC and SA-227 Metro III aircraft. Transport aviation is spread across multiple fleets, including A319CJ, B-737, C-130H, G-222, Y-8, and various Cessna, Do-228, and Falcon aircraft. Venezuelan UAV coverage is provided by Mohajer 2 systems, with Mohajer 6 reported in limited testing. The tanker fleet consists of a single KC-137, a critical vulnerability that sharply limits sustained fighter operations during crises.

The contrast between the two forces centers on survivability, mobility, and sustainability. The U.S. forces operate from two mobile sea bases protected by Aegis-equipped escorts and supported by continuous resupply. This allows for uninterrupted sortie generation, robust early warning through E-2D aircraft, and coordinated electronic warfare through EA-18G platforms. The Venezuelan forces depend entirely on fixed bases at El Libertador, Barcelona, Barinas, and Maracay, all of which are vulnerable to early JSOW and JDAM strikes. The single KC-137 tanker limits range and endurance for Su-30 and F-16 fighters. The Mi-35M2 Hind-E helicopters, while capable on the tactical level, cannot maneuver freely once U.S. carrier aircraft and Marine helicopters establish a layered security bubble over coastal and littoral areas.

Taken together, this comparison reveals a decisive imbalance in operational reach, air-to-air performance, strike depth, and survivability. The U.S. naval group can conduct continuous combat air patrols, precision strike missions, and maritime interdiction, all supported by a complete command-and-control ecosystem operating from the sea. Venezuela fields pockets of high capability, particularly within its Su-30MKV and Mi-35M2 fleets, but lacks the infrastructure, logistical sustainment, and electronic warfare resilience required to contest a modern American carrier and amphibious air force for more than short periods. The Caribbean balance of airpower remains overwhelmingly in the United States' favor.

U.S. Naval Airpower (Ford CSG + Iwo Jima ARG) vs. Venezuela Air Power (Air Force + Army Aviation)

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.