Venezuelan shipyards maintain repair deliveries for Venezuelan naval fleet

Venezuelan shipyards have fixed and returned four ships to the Venezuelan navy since late September.

The interceptor craft AB Capaya (LI-05) and AB Catatumbo (LI-03) were delivered back to the Venezuelan navy on 7 October, after undergoing maintenance at the service's Maintenance and Construction Directorate (Dirección de Mantenimiento y Construcción: DMACON).

Capaya and Catatumbo are two of the 10 small interceptor craft that are getting maintenance work by DMACON, the navy said on 29 September. The work and other craft have not been specified or verified, although the navy released photos of AB Arauca , assigned to the coastguard, when announcing the maintenance work.

On 25 September the coastal patrol boats AB Albatros (PG-33) and AB Alcaraván (PG-53) were also delivered. The ships underwent maintenance and repairs at the Venezuelan state-run shipyard Unidad Naval Coordinadora de los Servicios de Carenado, Reparaciones de Casco, Reparaciones y Mantenimiento de Equipos de y Sistemas de Buque (UCOCAR).

With the navy relying more on its existing vessels because of diminishing defence funding, the service is coming to depend on the country's state-run shipyards and maintenance centres to preserve some of the fleet's capability.

UCOCAR is providing maintenance work on the Federación-class combat patrol boat AB Libertad (PC-14), and coastal patrol vessel AB Pagalo (PG-51). With the assistance of other local shipyards and naval facilities, UCOCAR is also doing maintenance work on the Capana -class Landing Ship, Tank Capana (T-61). Four photos posted on a Venezuelan navy Twitter account on 8 October show one of Capana's hull plates being replaced.

The Los Frailes-class multipurpose vessel Los Testigos