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Venezuelan Army Showcases 106mm M40A1 Recoilless Guns in Large-Scale Anti-Tank Drill.
The Venezuelan Army has released footage of large-scale drills featuring 106 mm M40A1 recoilless rifles and anti-armor rounds. The exercise underscores a renewed focus on anti-tank capability amid regional tension and internal messaging on military readiness.
On 9 November 2025, the Venezuelan Army published footage and commentary showcasing large-scale exercises featuring vehicle-mounted 106 mm M40A1 recoilless rifles. The display marked a clear effort to highlight renewed anti-tank training and operational readiness. Presented on the Army’s official Facebook page, the drills hold particular significance amid growing regional tensions. Their timing and tone suggest a dual purpose: reassuring domestic audiences of the army’s defensive capabilities while signaling strength and resolve to external observers. The professionalism shown in the imagery, the precision of troop maneuvers, and the assertive tone of the official statement indicate that this event was far more than a routine training exercise.
The Venezuelan Army’s November 2025 drills highlighted vehicle‑mounted 106 mm M40A1 recoilless guns as a clear signal of renewed anti‑tank readiness and regional deterrence (Picture Source: Venezuelan Army/Mindex)
The imagery shows U.S.-designed 106 mm M40A1 recoilless rifles vehicle-mounted and operated by small, trained crews conducting rapid emplacement and handling drills; the M40A1 is a breech-loading, single-shot recoilless gun that uses a rearward venturi to vent propellant gases and cancel most recoil, allowing relatively light pintle-mounting on soft-skinned vehicles, quick manual reloading by a two- to three-person team, and modest elevation and traverse for direct fire. Visible details, pintle mounts, optical day sights often compatible with clip-on night/thermal modules, and ammunition stowage, match typical field configurations; several frames show 106 mm HEAT projectiles whose projectile geometry, driving band and external markings make Israel Military Industries a plausible manufacturer but do not conclusively prove origin.
Technically, HEAT warheads use a shaped-charge metal liner to form a high-velocity penetrative jet on detonation, with terminal effectiveness described in equivalent RHA penetration and strongly influenced by stand-off distance, liner design, fuze type and the presence of ERA or composite/spaced armour; common 106 mm variants include single-charge HEAT, practice/spotting rounds and, in some inventories, tandem or specialized warheads to counter reactive protection. Operationally, the recoilless principle creates a significant backblast and overpressure cone that constrains safe firing arcs, vehicle positioning and nearby personnel, while the system’s low logistical footprint, simplicity and direct-fire lethality at tactical engagement ranges make it a persistent, fieldable anti-armor solution whose real-world effectiveness depends on optics, crew training, target aspect and modern armor countermeasures.
Venezuela has employed legacy anti-tank systems intermittently over recent decades, generally favoring maintainable and proven platforms when procurement and sustainment constraints make high-end guided missiles impractical. The publicized drills reflect a doctrine that emphasizes crew proficiency, mobility, and area denial: vehicle mounting enables shoot-and-scoot tactics, rapid repositioning along likely avenues of approach, and integration with other ground units for layered defense. By showcasing these capabilities in a visible, choreographed manner, the Army signals that it retains the ability to deploy effective, distributed anti-armor defenses without relying exclusively on limited guided-missile inventories.
The M40A1’s practical advantages are straightforward: mechanical simplicity, lower per-round cost, ease of maintenance, and shorter training cycles compared with modern anti-tank guided missiles. These characteristics make it well suited for broad distribution across defensive formations and for operations in complex terrain where the logistics burden of guided systems would be greater. Against these strengths are clear limitations: direct-fire range and hit probability lag those of contemporary ATGMs; shaped-charge rounds are less effective against vehicles fitted with advanced explosive reactive armor or active protection systems; and crew exposure remains a concern even when the weapon is vehicle-mounted. In operational terms, the M40A1 occupies a tactical niche between disposable shoulder-fired systems and costly long-range guided missiles, offering a cost-effective deterrent for large-scale, decentralized defensive deployments.
Strategically, the public demonstration carries layered implications. Militarily, it reinforces a posture focused on territorial denial and rapid, localized counteraction rather than power projection. Politically, broadcasting the drills during a period of regional friction amplifies deterrence by raising the perceived cost of any aggressive move against Venezuelan forces. Logistically and procurement‑wise, pairing a U.S.‑designed recoilless platform with likely Israeli‑origin HEAT rounds suggests a pragmatic approach: adapting available munitions to extend the life and effectiveness of legacy systems rather than undertaking costly platform replacements. Geopolitically, the exercise complicates calculations for neighboring states and external powers by showcasing readiness and the ability to absorb and respond to armored thrusts across varied terrain.
The imagery and messaging conveyed by the Venezuelan Army leave little room for ambiguity: maintain readiness, defend national territory, and deter aggression through visible capability. By combining a proven recoilless platform with likely modernized HEAT munitions, the drills highlight a pragmatic defense philosophy, leveraging legacy systems to achieve credible deterrence within existing logistical and economic limits. Far from a mere training exercise, this display communicates strategic intent: to preserve operational flexibility, project resilience under constraint, and signal to both domestic and external audiences that Venezuela retains the means and resolve to counter armored threats across its borders and key approaches.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.