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The collapse of Venezuela’s air defense exposes the limitations of Chinese military systems in the face of the U.S. operation
https://www.zona-militar.com ^ | January 2026 | Unknown

Posted on 01/05/2026 9:15:28 AM PST by Enterprise

The U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which neutralized air bases, military barracks, and strategic nodes across the country—and ultimately achieved its objective of removing Nicolás Maduro from power—laid bare one of the main structural weaknesses of the Venezuelan Armed Forces: the fragility of its Chinese-origin air defense system when confronted by an adversary with supremacy in electronic warfare, intelligence, and precision strike capabilities. During the short duration of the operation, U.S. assets succeeded in degrading and blinding key sensors within the defensive network, paving the way for the employment of expeditionary air-mobile capabilities from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers, and the Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D).

At the core of Venezuela’s defensive architecture was a network of radars supplied by the China Electronics Technology Group, including JYL-1 three-dimensional surveillance systems and the JY-27 metric-wave radar, which for years had been promoted as a supposed “stealth aircraft hunter“. Based on assessments of the swift and decisive operation, these sensors were disabled during the initial phase through intensive electronic jamming, leaving the integrated air defense system without early-warning capability. This was compounded by a widespread electrical power outage across large areas of Venezuela, aimed at dismantling command-and-control capabilities.

The neutralization of the radar network prevented any effective employment of longer-range air defense systems, including the S-300V and Buk-M2 complexes acquired from Russia to establish a layered defense. In parallel, suppression strikes against several Buk-M2 systems—at least two confirmed—completely nullified their ability to respond. With no functional data links and no control of the airspace, air defense units were disconnected from central command, allowing U.S. forces to achieve total air superiority within minutes.

(Excerpt) Read more at zona-militar.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: airdefense; fail; lol; madeinchyna; venezuela
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LOL!!! The CIA needs to repudiate this report and strongly urge other rogue nations to purchase Chinese air defense technology.


1 posted on 01/05/2026 9:15:28 AM PST by Enterprise
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To: Enterprise

I’d be shocked if ccp didn’t have ELINT assets pre-staged for what was an inevitable assault.


2 posted on 01/05/2026 9:20:33 AM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 "/!i!! &@$%&*(@ -')
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To: Enterprise

lolz


3 posted on 01/05/2026 9:21:04 AM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: Enterprise

When do we take down Cuber?


4 posted on 01/05/2026 9:21:41 AM PST by Tom Tetroxide (Psalm 146:3 "Do not trust in princes, in the Son of Man, who has no salvation.")
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To: Enterprise

China isn’t going to sell them the best stuff they have. They probably have a Dollar Tree version they sell to 3rd world nations


5 posted on 01/05/2026 9:23:22 AM PST by BigFreakinToad (107 Days of Kamal's BS.)
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To: Enterprise

Maybe so but most likely the chicoms sell others their crap and keep the better stuff for themselves. In like fashion they must do the same for what they import to sell us otherwise it would not be possible to build anything there if the tools they use are the same as they sell us.

It is nearly impossible to buy quality tools these days. It may be branded by US companies but much of it is made in china. You get the same stuff from name brand suppliers as you do from Amazon and Walmart as you do from Vevor.


6 posted on 01/05/2026 9:24:34 AM PST by Sequoyah101
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To: Tom Tetroxide

Soon, I’d guess. Best not to rush but not loiter either.
Will there be a Trump hotel and casino in Havana?


7 posted on 01/05/2026 9:24:46 AM PST by desertsolitaire (hite sea. My grandfather shouted warning to anyone who would listen that the Titanic was going to st)
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To: Tom Tetroxide

I read or saw sometime over the weekend that they were tracking Monduro with his Chinese supplied phone.
Apparently he switched military bases where he slept every night. So, they knew which one he was staying at that night.


8 posted on 01/05/2026 9:26:16 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: Enterprise

Thanks for posting. Interesting.


9 posted on 01/05/2026 9:27:34 AM PST by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: BigFreakinToad

Everything China makes is Dollar Tree. 😉


10 posted on 01/05/2026 9:28:17 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: BigFreakinToad

Temu stealth hunter system.


11 posted on 01/05/2026 9:28:55 AM PST by Sirius Lee ("Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.)
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To: Enterprise

Prior to the operation, the US convinced some Venezuelan generals to “stand down.”


12 posted on 01/05/2026 9:29:00 AM PST by PGR88
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To: Enterprise
One one of the best executed military operations I've ever seen.
Go into a well armed country like Venezuela and capture the president who lived on a military base and was super well protected, and bring him to America without even one US casualty,
Impressive.
BTW, what happened to all these “fearsome” Cuban protection guards Maduro was supposed to have?
13 posted on 01/05/2026 9:35:26 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: PGR88; Enterprise

“Venezuelan generals standdown” -
Yep, this.
Most likely most of the commanders told their folks to stand down and everything was powered down.
Either they want El Presidente to go away knowing that nothings ultimately going to change AND they will have a job to go back to or they are not wanting it to get blown away so it’s still a future asset.


14 posted on 01/05/2026 9:37:10 AM PST by SavannahWonderer (First do no harm)
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To: Enterprise

Maybe the Chinese forgot to include instructions in Spanish.


15 posted on 01/05/2026 9:37:38 AM PST by xp38
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To: BigFreakinToad
China isn’t going to sell them the best stuff they have. They probably have a Dollar Tree version they sell to 3rd world nations

So, they sell cheap, Chinese knock-offs of cheap, Chinese military crap to communist crap-hole countries that trade sovereignty for supposed security. What could go wrong?! It’s such a deal! /s

16 posted on 01/05/2026 9:39:09 AM PST by paulcissa (The left hates you and wants you dead.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Except most of Venezuela’s military weapons and equipment come from Russia.


17 posted on 01/05/2026 9:39:16 AM PST by SmokingJoe
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To: SmokingJoe

“what happened to all these “fearsome” Cuban protection guards “

The Cuban President is sniffling about them this morning. Apparently about 32 were um...eliminated.

In addition to Chinese and Russian air defense radars and missiles, the value of Cuban DGI thug muscle has been rather heavily de-valued...


18 posted on 01/05/2026 9:42:38 AM PST by Regulator (It's fraud, Jim)
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To: BigFreakinToad

When a country’s military designs a system, they have a holistic approach that integrates a lot of different systems. At least, the US does. But when someone buys “defense system” they’re likely getting bits and pieces which, individually, will not function the same as the overall system. It would be a mistake to assume China’s system would be as easy to breach.


19 posted on 01/05/2026 9:46:50 AM PST by Gen.Blather (Has anyone seen my tagline? ...I know it was here...)
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To: Enterprise

Once upon a time, the Chinese thought point-to-point microwave shots transmitting in the clear were secure. But we Americans are the ones who are fat and stupid… If anyone thinks Dunning-Kruger is bad in this country, just travel around the world.


20 posted on 01/05/2026 9:50:55 AM PST by mikey_hates_everything
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