China's much-hyped radars appear to have been of little help when the US launched its massive air assault against Venezuela

Venezuelan forces had Chinese-made anti-aircraft radars in place during a surprise US air assault aimed at capturing Nicolás Maduro, but the radars offered little apparent protection. Operation Absolute Resolve deployed over 150 US military aircraft; none were shot down and only one helicopter sustained machine-gun damage yet remained operational. Venezuela operates multiple Chinese JY-27A mobile radars that China claims can detect stealth aircraft from more than 150 miles. The JY-27A is a long-range system introduced in 2014 with a mast, multiple antenna panels, and separate radar and control vehicles, and Chinese sources claim anti-jamming features. The raid's success points to problems in defense performance, possibly operator-related, and prompted public questioning of the practical utility of exported military equipment.

"Venezuela's military had Chinese-made anti-aircraft radars available when the US launched a surprise air assault against the country to capture the country's now-former leader, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this month. They appear to have been of little help. Operation Absolute Resolve involved over 150 US military aircraft, none of which were shot down. A helicopter was hit, reportedly by machine gun fire, but remained operational."

"Venezuela has a number of China's JY-27A mobile radars, which Beijing has touted as top-of-the-line systems. It has said the radar can detect stealth assets, like the American F-22 and F-35, from over 150 miles away. The Chinese-made JY-27A is a long-range radar used for detecting and tracking hostile aircraft in protected airpsace. Introduced in 2014, the radar system consists of a radar mast with multiple antenna panels supported by separate radar and control vehicles."

"The success of the surprise raid by US special operators into downtown Caracas, part of a larger mission which involved not only stealth airpower but also older fourth-generation aircraft and helicopters, suggests that something didn't go as planned on defense. That may be on the operators rather than the tech though. After the raid, a Japanese reporter asked a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson what Beijing thought about the "large amount of military equipment" China sold Venezuela apparently being "of little practical use.""

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