By Cai Siyun, Vision Times
Venezuela’s Chinese-made military defense network — once touted as the strongest in the region — collapsed rapidly under U.S. electronic warfare and precision strikes, exposing major technological gaps in Chinese weapons systems when confronted by top-tier U.S. forces. Military analysts say the operation decisively punctured the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) long-promoted “anti-stealth” narrative.
According to reports from “Liberty Times,” Venezuela’s air defense network, which was built around China’s JY-27 “anti-stealth” radar, was previously promoted as capable of countering U.S. stealth aircraft such as the F-22. The country’s marine units, equipped with Chinese-made VN-16 and VN-18 amphibious armored vehicles, were also described as an “elite regional force.”
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However, during the U.S. military operation in Caracas in the early hours of Jan. 3, these systems proved ineffective. Venezuelan radar installations were blinded in the opening wave of electronic warfare, while ground forces, which lacked air cover, were swiftly neutralized before they could even deploy. The operation resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The pair are set to stand trial at a court in New York.
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For years, Venezuela had served as a showcase for Chinese military exports in Latin America. Yet battlefield performance demonstrated that systems marketed as capable of challenging Western forces were highly vulnerable when facing U.S. integrated combat operations.
Radar ‘stealth killer’ neutralized
Reports indicate that Venezuela’s air defense relied heavily on radar systems manufactured by the China Electronics Technology Group (CETC), including the JYL-1 three-coordinate long-range surveillance radar and the JY-27 meter-wave radar, branded as a “stealth killer.”
Venezuelan officials had repeatedly claimed the JY-27 could detect U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth aircraft from hundreds of kilometers away and guide Russian-made S-300 missiles for interception.
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But actual combat results told a different story. Within hours of the operation’s launch, U.S. forces unleashed intense electronic warfare. According to battlefield assessments, Venezuelan radar screens were quickly overwhelmed by noise interference and subsequently destroyed by anti-radiation missiles. The system’s supposed “anti-stealth” capability never came into play, and the entire air defense command network collapsed at the outset of hostilities.
Chinese armored units reduced to easy targets
Venezuela’s marine corps, which was almost entirely equipped with Chinese mechanized platforms, had been described as one of South America’s most advanced amphibious forces. Its inventory included VN-16 amphibious assault vehicles armed with 105-mm cannons, VN-18 infantry fighting vehicles, VN-4 “Rhinoceros” armored vehicles, and SR-5 multiple rocket launch systems.
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Yet once radar coverage and air protection were lost, these expensive platforms became exposed targets for U.S. aircraft and drones. Battlefield footage showed that many VN-series vehicles were not destroyed in tank-on-tank combat but were instead abandoned by their crews after airstrikes on beaches and roadways. The SR-5 rocket systems, lacking data-link targeting support, were unable to conduct effective fire missions against U.S. troop concentrations.
After U.S. forces secured air superiority, Venezuela’s K-8W attack aircraft were unable to take off at all. Meanwhile, patrol vessels equipped with C-802A anti-ship missiles were rendered ineffective under U.S. electronic suppression and battlefield dominance.
Taiwanese lawmaker: ‘A devastating paralysis’
Taiwan’s SET News reported that Democratic Progressive Party legislator Wang Ting-yu described the outcome as a “devastating paralysis” of Chinese-made military systems.
He said Chinese radar systems were rendered completely blind in the first wave of electronic warfare, while ground forces were destroyed or abandoned before reaching operational effectiveness. Wang noted that a similar pattern had appeared earlier when Iran, which are also equipped with advanced Chinese systems, failed to defend against U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.
“This time, the CCP’s exaggerations have once again been exposed,” Wang said. According to the lawmaker, military experts widely agree that the operation highlights a substantial technological gap between Chinese weapons systems and those of the U.S. military.
A strategic blow beyond Venezuela
In September of last year, following tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela over anti-narcotics operations, Chinese state media claimed Venezuelan JY-27 radars had successfully locked onto U.S. F-22 and F-35 fighters, sparking celebration among Chinese nationalist commentators.
Those claims collapsed alongside the Maduro regime itself. Chinese netizens were quick to take their thoughts (and mockery) online: “Made in China has always been shoddy and fake,” wrote one user, while another noted, “Iran used Chinese air defense systems too, and during the recent seven-day war they were completely useless. Israeli jets operated over Iran like it was empty airspace.”
Others mocked the broader implications:
- “Trump is ruthless — fast, precise, and brutal. This operation ripped off the CCP’s mask. Turns out it was all bluster.”
- “The CCP just lost another old friend.”
- “How many people are now hoping the U.S. military will capture Xi next?”
- “Venezuela today, China tomorrow.”
Analysts say the collapse of Venezuela’s Chinese-made defense systems delivers more than a battlefield lesson — it undermines Beijing’s credibility as a military supplier and challenges its narrative of parity with Western forces.
The failure of the JY-27 radar in real combat has dealt a severe blow to the CCP’s long-standing “anti-stealth” claims, raising new doubts among current and prospective arms clients worldwide. As one observer put it, the myth did not just crack — it collapsed under the weight of reality.
Editorial note: Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Vision Times.
