The US military’s surprise attack on Venezuela on January 3, which resulted in the capture of President Maduro and his wife, shocked the world.
Reports indicate that Venezuela used a Chinese-made radar array touted as Aegis-like. Earlier this year, the Venezuelan Defense Minister claimed that the Venezuelan military used the Chinese-made JY-27A anti-stealth radar failed to detect American F-35 and Super Hornet fighter jets.
This radar system was allegedly “devastatingly paralyzed” during the US airstrike, possibly due to electronic warfare suppression by the F-35 stealth jets, allowing US forces to enter Venezuela with impunity. The US military also destroyed Chinese-made radars and Russian-made surface-to-air missile systems.
This news sparked widespread ridicule on social media platforms, with many calling it “South America’s strongest air defense turned into scrap metal.”
According to previous reports from multiple Chinese media outlets and independent media, Venezuela’s air defense network consists of various radars manufactured by China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, including the JYL-1 three-dimensional surveillance radar and the “anti-stealth radar” JY-27A radar, which is based on the Russian Nebo-M radar. The latter utilizes the meter-wave frequency band (240-390MHz) to excite the resonance effect of fighters, significantly increasing chances of detecting aircraft, according to Chinese propaganda news outlet Global Times.
The Venezuelan Minister of Defense once claimed that in 2025, Venezuela failed to detect the US F-35 stealth fighters, even though the aircraft was within a detection range of 30 kilometers. Neither Buk-M2 nor S-300VM fired a shot due to radar being suppressed by the F-35 stealth jet’s electronic warfare.
The report states that this radar, working in conjunction with the S-band JYL-1 and JY-11B radars, forms an air defense network combining early warning for HQ-9 series anti-air missiles.
It can also guide Russian-made S-300VM and Buk air defense missiles to fail to hit any aircraft or helicopters, failing to constitute a closed-loop “detection-lock-interception” system.
Venezuela purchased at least 12 such radars, building a nationwide surveillance network, becoming a typical example of China’s asymmetric defense technology export.
In addition, Venezuela has also introduced the Chinese FK-3 (export version of HQ-12) medium-range air defence missile system, which, in conjunction with Chinese radar systems, strengthens the air defence capabilities of the capital and key energy facilities. Once again FK-3 missile system’s H-200 failed to detect and launch an interceptor missile, showcasing zero efficacy against an American warplane.
The FK-3 missile system that failed in the Cambodia and Thai border Skirmish, now failed again in Venezuela.
However, Venezuela’s heavily invested “Chinese Aegis” system apparently failed to detect the US airstrike, drawing ridicule from foreign analysts and some Chinese netizens who said, “China’s strongest air defense system in South America has become an expensive decoration.”
Some reports suggest that hours before the operation, the US launched a powerful electronic warfare offensive, using electromagnetic interference to suppress Venezuelan radar screens. Subsequently, anti-radiation missiles rendered Venezuela’s air defense network ineffective in its “anti-stealth” function, essentially “blinding” it, causing the air defense system to completely collapse. This allowed US warplanes to enter Venezuelan airspace with impunity.
A report quoted Fang Wei, a senior American media professional, as saying in an article published on his social media account that this operation once again exposed the limitations of China’s air defense and ground systems in a high-intensity electronic warfare environment. The so-called system that can counter stealth fighters quickly became ineffective under the electromagnetic suppression of the US military; the FK-3, Su-30 and S-300VM completely lost their firepower advantages after coming under heavy electronic warfare and electronomagnetic suppression by the F-35 and EA-18G Growler.
Commentator Jiang Feng stated that three hours before the US military operation, a high-ranking Chinese envoy was still active at the presidential palace. This unusually concentrated movement of people and communication activities may have exposed Maduro’s specific whereabouts under a highly monitored environment.
Fancy propaganda and media manipulation do not work in actual combat; that’s the reason Chinese arms are failing in the Thailand and Cambodia border skirmish, now failed in Venezuela.
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