The growing military presence of the United States in the Caribbean brought renewed focus on the balance of power in the region and, in particular, the comparison between American power and Venezuelan power. The recent arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Forddescribed as the US Navy’s deadliest combat platform, heightened tension and revived speculation about a possible confrontation scenario, although Washington continues to maintain that the main goal is to strengthen operations against drug trafficking.
According to published data cnnThe US is currently conversing in the Caribbean 15,000 soldiers deployed. Added to this number is a fleet of more than a dozen warshipswhich includes a cruiser, several destroyers, a command ship with air and missile defense capabilities, amphibious assault units and an attack submarine. Furthermore, at least they were shipped 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Ricowhich serves as a key operations center for U.S. forces in the region.
This deployment represents the largest U.S. military concentration in the Caribbean since the invasion of Panama in 1989 and represents a significant difference to Venezuelan capabilities. Caracas has a military apparatus that has for years projected an impression of regional strength thanks to continued purchases of Russian weapons during the administrations of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. However, much of this equipment comes from The design dates back to the Soviet era and faces maintenance issues and availability.
As for personnel, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) have some 123,000 active soldiers. The army concentrates the majority, with about 63,000 soldiers. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Navy has around 25,500 members, the Air Force has 11,500 and the National Guard has around 23,000, plus around 8,000 reservists cnn.
Venezuela is also appealing to the Bolivarian Militia, a civilian unit created as a reserve force. The size information is inaccurate. Before the recent increase in the US presence, it was estimated at around 220,000 members, but President Nicolás Maduro assured that he could mobilize between 4.5 and 8 million militiamen. Experts question these figures and warn about the real level of training of this structure.
Venezuelan land weapons include 92 Russian-made T-72B1 tanks, 123 infantry fighting vehicles BMP-3 And 81 AMX-30 tanks previously acquired from France. In artillery, it has Msta-S self-propelled howitzers and Smerch multiple rocket launchers. Despite this provision, analysts point out that operational capacity has been reduced by more than a decade of economic crisis, sanctions and underinvestment, as reported. CNN.
The Venezuelan Air Force, although small in number, is distinguished by its strength Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter. It is estimated that the country had up to 24 of these aircraft in service, although several units were lost in accidents. There are also anti-aircraft systems 12 S-300 long-range batteriesnine Buk and 44 Pechora medium-range systems, as well as Igla-S portable launch vehicles (CNN).
At the naval level, the Bolivarian Navy appears to be the weakest link. It operates a single Mariscal Sucre-class frigate, a Type 209 submarine and nine ocean and coastal patrol vessels. In contrast, the United States deploys aircraft carriers, attack submarines and long-range missile ships that can project energy over hundreds of miles.
The AMB shows its cards in its propaganda, in this case a Sukhoi Su-30 armed with a Kh-31 missile. The commander of one of the Sukhoi is Cindi Caraballo, alias Katara. Part of the video dates from at least May 2024. pic.twitter.com/LTVcv0U74G
— 𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤 (@Arr3ch0) September 15, 2025
The comparison of numbers shows a significant gap. While Washington marries thousands of troops with state-of-the-art technology, Venezuela maintains a heavily staffed military apparatus, but one constrained by economic, technical and logistical limitations that reduce its effective ability to respond.
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