US Venezuela Raid Exposes Limits of Russian and Chinese Air Defenses
A US-led operation in Venezuela overwhelmed Russian- and Chinese-made air defenses, with failures blamed on maintenance gaps, inactivity, and poorly integrated defense networks by Venezuelan operators. The mission, which used tools like AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles and electronic jamming, underscores Western airpower advantages but cautions against generalizing the results to Russia or China, noting that export variants and training levels differ and the broader air-defense network has not faced the same test. The ongoing takeaway emphasizes maintaining advanced aircraft like the F-35 to preserve U.S. air superiority.
