The Chinese-made military hardware has failed to defend Venezuela during a secret & high-profile U.S. military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. This follows similar reported failures of Chinese equipment during the 2025 India-Pakistan air conflict.
A. Key Failures in Venezuela (January 2026)
1. Anti-Stealth Radars: Venezuela's JY-27 counter-stealth radars, which Chinese manufacturers claimed could detect stealth aircraft as recently as May 2025, reportedly failed to detect or track U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters.2. Air Defense Systems: The FK-3 and other Chinese-origin ground-to-air systems were reportedly rendered "ineffective" due to advanced U.S. electromagnetic suppression and electronic warfare.
3. Armored Vehicles: While Venezuela operated over 100 VN4 armored utility vehicles and VN-1/VN-18 infantry fighting vehicles, these systems were reportedly neutralized or overwhelmed early in the three-hour U.S. operation.
B. Context of Previous Failures
The "failure" in Venezuela is being compared to the May 2025 conflict between India and Pakistan ("Operation Sindoor"), where conflicting reports emerged regarding Chinese equipment performance:1. Missile Recovery: Indian forces reportedly recovered Chinese-made PL-15E air-to-air missiles intact after they failed to hit their targets.
2. Radar Blind Spots: Critics claimed Chinese JYL-1 long-range radars used by Pakistan failed to detect Indian Air Force jets during the 2025 engagement.
3. Conflicting Narratives: While some reports highlight these failures, others—particularly from Pakistani and Chinese sources—claimed success, including the alleged downing of Indian Rafale jets using Chinese J-10C fighters.
C. Implications
1. Market Credibility: These incidents have raised questions about the reliability of Chinese "cut-rate" military exports compared to Western or Russian alternatives.2. Strategic Deterrence: Going forward, the failure of Chinese defensive tech in Venezuela may embolden regional rivals and give pause to other nations relying heavily on Chinese defense systems.
