US flexes air power in Maduro extraction mission

The extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on Saturday showcased US air dominance, deploying stealth fighters to control the skies, jets to jam enemy air defences, and covert reconnaissance drones and satellites to feed commanders real-time intelligence.

The Defense Department, open-source data reviewed by Reuters and industry analysts indicate the US employed a full arsenal of helicopters, fighter jets, refuelling aircraft, and drones, in a major coup for US defence companies and a display that China is likely to note.

Aircraft included Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor, and Northrop Grumman's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and B-1 bombers, the Pentagon said in a statement that noted more than 150 rotary-wing, fixed-wing, and unmanned aircraft were deployed.

Lockheed shares have gained 6.2 per cent this week, while Northrop rose 4.4 per cent and Textron was up 3.5 per cent.

SIGNAL TO CHINA

The mission signalled to adversaries the United States' ability to execute complex overseas operations at a time of rising tensions with China, which is rapidly expanding and modernising its military presence in the Pacific.

"It's indicative of something that we alone can do," said former US General Tim Ray, who was commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, responsible for the US' long-range nuclear and conventional strike capabilities. Ray, currently CEO of Business Executives for National Security, added, "It's a sign we will compete geographically and economically against the Chinese in our own backyard."

Maduro, 63, pleaded not guilty on Monday in New York to narcotics charges.

To establish control of the airspace over Caracas before the operation began, Trump said power blackouts were caused by “a certain expertise that we have." Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that US Space Command and other agencies used multiple capabilities to “create a pathway” for US aircraft to fly into the country undisturbed.

Reuters could not determine all that was used to clear a path for US aircraft. Space Command provided multiple capabilities as "overwatch" that ensured "freedom of maneuver" for US aircraft during the mission, a spokesperson said, declining to provide details.

The US military created a similar protective corridor in June when it flew bombers into Iran to strike its nuclear facilities. The US Space Force’s Delta 3 electromagnetic warfare unit used ground-based satellite jammers positioned in the region to take out Iranian communications along the route of US bombers, Delta 3 commander Angelo Fernandez told Reuters in December.

HELICOPTERS AND FIGHTER JETS

The Venezuela extraction itself relied heavily on helicopters, including MH-60L Direct Action Penetrators - specialised assault helicopters equipped with advanced weapons systems - supported by Boeing Little Bird M/AH-6M light-attack and support helicopters and Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters capable of transporting troops and equipment in contested environments. AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, armed with Hellfire missiles and 30 mm chain guns, provided close air support during the extraction phase, according to defence industry executives who researched the raid.

Fighter jets used to dominate Venezuela's airspace included the Lockheed F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter, which is capable of evading advanced radar systems. It operated alongside the F-22 Raptor - a fighter designed to hunt enemy aircraft. Additional jets included the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Navy's primary strike fighters, and EA-18G Growlers, a specialised electronic warfare variant that jams enemy communications and radar to make it difficult for ground-based air defences to track and shoot attacking aircraft.

Long-range strike capability came from B-1B Lancer supersonic bombers, which can deliver precision-guided munitions from outside the range of air defences. These aircraft required mid-air refuelling from Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, aerial refuelling platforms that extended the operational range of both the bombers and fighter aircraft throughout the multi-hour mission.

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance proved critical to mission success. Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes - carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft - provided battle management and threat detection. RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drones, previously used in the 2011 operation that located Osama bin Laden, conducted covert reconnaissance, while additional satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles supplied real-time intelligence to ground commanders.

One defence industry official said it was unlikely much of the Defense Department's latest equipment was involved, as operators have not completed training on next-generation platforms.

The executive said if this operation follows the pattern of past Pentagon post-mission analysis, industry would be briefed on what equipment had worked and what did not. Following Operation Midnight Hammer - airstrikes against Iranian drone facilities - the defence industry received an hour-long briefing at an industry day after the operation detailing equipment performance and operational challenges.