China’s communist regime avoided responding this week to direct questions about the effectiveness of military equipment sold to Venezuela following the United States air offensive that resulted in the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.
Chinese radars, such as the JY-27, integrated into Venezuela’s air defense network, were unable to detect or react effectively to the incursion by United States forces carried out on Saturday (3). The failure allowed the American air operation to take place without relevant advance warning, even with the presence of surveillance systems and anti-aircraft batteries in operation in the country.
When asked about the performance of this equipment, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs avoided commenting on possible technical limitations of Chinese weapons in the face of American forces and adopted a standardized speech, limiting himself to condemning the US action as a “violation of Venezuelan sovereignty” and the “norms of international law”.
Chinese “anti-stealth” radars, such as the JY-27, installed in Venezuelan territory, were unable to detect or prevent the US air incursion, even operating in conjunction with Russian anti-aircraft defense systems. The failure allowed US aircraft to conduct the operation without effective advance warning.
Military analysts noted to the international press that Chinese equipment depends on logistical support and operational integration with other systems to fulfill its functions, and that the lack of maintenance and robust technical support may have reduced its ability to operate in the face of a highly complex action such as the incursion by American forces.
