Compañía Anónima Venezolana de Industrias Militares | |
Native Name: | Spanish; Castilian: Compañía Anónima Venezolana de Industrias Militares |
Type: | State-owned company |
Industry: | defense |
Hq Location City: | Caracas, Capital District |
Hq Location Country: | Venezuela |
Area Served: | Worldwide |
Products: | Ammunitions, firearms, explosive |
Owner: | Venezuelan Ministry of People's Power for Defense |
Homepage: | www.cavim.com.ve |
CAVIM (Compañía Anónima Venezolana de Industrias Militares or Venezuelan Company of Military Industries in English) is a Venezuelan state-owned firearms manufacturer, which was created by Presidential Decree No. 883 of the then Venezuela President Carlos Andrés Pérez on 29 April 1975.[1]
CAVIM is run by Venezuelan Ministry of People's Power for Defense and its products are used by the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela. It's based in Caracas.[2]
CAVIM manufactured the Zamorana in 2006, which is Venezuela's first indigenous small arm.[3] This was made with some parts from the Czech Republic.[4] [5]
The AK-103 was also licensed to CAVIM for manufacturing in Venezuela with initial licensing fee payments made in 2006 and the transfer of Russian-made AK-103s to Venezuela in 2008.[3] CAVIM's AK-103 factories opened officially in 2012 without the necessary manufacturing equipment.[3] [6] CAVIM-made AK-103s were delivered to the Venezuelan Army in 2013.[7]
Due to trouble with the plant with the Russian contractor failing to meet deadlines with a case of fraud, which forced CAVIM to finish the rest of the construction,[8] full-scale production was initially stated to start in 2019,[9] however, no progress on the project has been officially stated.
In 2016, CAVIM unveiled the M66 Hunter commando mortar for the Venezuelan Marine Corp.[10]
CAVIM unveiled the Arpia, a licensed version of the Qods Mohajer in 2012,[11] although it was first shown restricted to VIPs on November 2011 at the El Libertador Air Base after Iran and Venezuela signed an agreement to purchase the Mojader in 2007.[12]