The billion-dollar air defense system of Venezuela failed to fire a single shot nor detect and intercept assaulting aircraft during the January 3 strike by the United States. The entire system, with most of its critical components coming from China and Russia, was neutralized in about 30 minutes.
How the Billion-Dollar Chinese and Russian Defense Technologies Failed the Integrated Aerospace Defense Command of Venezuela
In the wee hours of 3 January 2026, the United States, under the second Trump administration, launched a surprise attack in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. The military operation, which was codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, included an airstrike that shut down the entire aerial defense system of Venezuela in about 30 minutes.
Background
The Integrated Aerospace Defense Command of Venezuela, also called the Comando de Defensa Aeroespacial Integral in the local language or CODAI, is the specialized branch of the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Armed Forces for the Venezuelan airspace. It was first established in 1978 as a layered system intended to modernize the air defense of the country.
Specifically, when it was first pitched and pursued, Venezuela relied on aging Western technology to monitor and protect its airspace. A massive upgrade in the mid-2000s occurred under former President Hugo Chávez. Specifically, after the U.S. imposed an arms embargo in 2006, Venezuela abandoned U.S. suppliers for Russian and Chinese technologies.
The system has been one of the most expensive military projects in Latin American history. It cost between USD 2 billion and USD 5 billion over the last 15 years. Much of it was funded through oil-for-loan agreements with China and Russia. This means that Venezuela is paying China and Russia for their defense technologies through crude oil shipments.
Defense Components
Remember that CODAI is designed as a layer system. This is similar to the multi-layered aerial defense system of Israel. The purpose was to build and maintain a shield that was impenetrable to aerial assaults. Hence, as part of its layered defense design, it has different weapons for different ranges and altitudes. The following is a general overview of its components:
• Missile Systems: Russia provided the anti-cruise and anti-ballistic missile system called the S-300VM, the Buk and the Pantsir families of mobile self-propelled and surface-to-air missile systems, the S-125 Pechora-2M for short-range and low altitude defense, and the Igla-S very-short-range and compact missile defense system.
• Sensor Systems: China provided the JYL-1 three-dimensional surveillance radar system, which is capable of long-range detection, and the JY-27 metric-wave counter-stealth radar system. The Chinese, particularly the China Electronics Technology Group, marketed these radars as stealth-killers capable of seeing F-22s and F-35s.
Hence, in breaking down the composition of the Integrated Aerospace Defense Command, China fundamentally provided the sensors for monitoring the airspace and detecting airborne threats, while Russia provided the missiles and firing units. Belarus provided the heavy-duty chassis and trucks that housed and carried the mobile missile systems from Russia.
The large-scale U.S. strike in Caracas on 3 January 2026 tested the actual capabilities and limits of the layered aerial defense system of Venezuela. Of course, as it turned out, it proved to be unable to perform its intended purpose. U.S. air assets flew largely undetected by the Chinese radar systems either via electronic warfare or a tactical aerial maneuver.
Failure
Reports surrounding the Operation Absolute Resolve, including accounts from General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. President Donald Trump, noted that electronic warfare was also used to cut power and plunge the capital city of Venezuela into darkness just as the airstrike and specific ground raid to capture Maduro began.
More than 150 aircraft carried out the airstrikes. These included F-22 Raptors, F-35 Lightning IIs, B-1 Lancer bombers, and MQ-9 Reaper drones. Precision targets hit Fuerte Tiuna, the largest military complex in Venezuela and primary residence of Maduro, the La Carlota airbase at the heart of the city, and areas in the states of Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua.
Both the layered aerial defense and communication systems of Venezuela were targeted to prevent the Venezuelan military from responding. The JYL-1 and JY-27 radars from China failed to detect or track the incoming U.S. fifth-generation fighters, specifically the F-22s and F-35s, either because they were successfully jammed or bypassed via cyber-infiltration.
The Russian-made defense systems were largely unutilized during the air assault. Note that defense contractors from Russia have been having problems servicing their military products due to economic sanctions and a lack of access to relevant components or spare parts. The existing military hardware may be suffering from severe maintenance neglect.
Nevertheless, from what can be seen from Operation Absolute Resolve, both Chinese and Russian technologies failed the Integrated Aerospace Defense Command of Venezuela. The radar systems from China proved ineffective against U.S. airstrikes, and the Russian missile defense systems may be suffering from operational decay that rendered them non-functional.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Abad, A. 3 January 2025. “U.S. Strikes Venezuela: Trump Announced the Capture of Maduro.” Konsyse. Available online
- Abad, A. 29 October 2025. “AP Details U.S. Attempt To Capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro By Bribing His Pilot.” Konsyse. Available online
- ABC News. 3 January 2025. “Gen. Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Details Timeline of Venezuelan Operation.” YouTube. Available online
- Dimolfetta, D. 3 January 2026. “US Spy Agencies Contributed to Operation that Captured Maduro.” Defense One. Available online
- Kinnard, M. and Price, M. L. 3 January 2025. “How U.S. Forces Captured Venezuelan Leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.” PBS. Available online