Israeli-made air-to-air missiles and targeting pods once used by Venezuela’s US-made fighter jets could have been turned against American forces in the recent operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Before former president Hugo Chávez began distancing Venezuela from Washington and aligning with US and Israeli adversaries such as Iran, Venezuela maintained a defense relationship with Israel. It had been a customer of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and other Israeli defense firms.
During that period, Rafael sold Python 4 heat-seeking air-to-air missiles to Venezuela. At the time, the system was considered more advanced than the American-made Sidewinder missiles.
These missiles were installed on Venezuela’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets, which were also outfitted with Rafael’s Litening targeting pod. The US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps also use the system.
The Litening pod, which enhances a pilot’s ability to strike ground targets, could have assisted Venezuela if it had attempted to target nearby US military assets during the operation.
However, Venezuela’s defense capabilities have sharply deteriorated over the past two decades, largely due to sanctions imposed by the US and its allies. These restrictions made it increasingly difficult for Venezuela to operate and maintain its F-16s. Technical support from Rafael was also halted as a result.
According to foreign reports, only four of the 18 F-16s Venezuela purchased in the 1980s remain operational. The country has reportedly relied on black-market spare parts to keep them flying.
In 2006, Caracas was also forced to withdraw from service a land-based version of Rafael’s Barak 1 missile system. The system, acquired shortly beforehand, was intended to protect military installations from air attacks.
A year earlier, in 2005, the US blocked a $100 million deal to upgrade Venezuela’s F-16s. Israeli officials at the time suspected that Washington aimed to redirect the contract to Lockheed Martin, the aircraft’s original manufacturer.
A step to limit the military capabilities of Chávez
More broadly, however, the move was viewed as a step to limit Chavez's military capabilities. He died in 2013 and was succeeded by Maduro.
Following the breakdown in relations with the West, Venezuela increasingly turned to Russia for weapons. It acquired Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, which are considered comparable to the F-16, as well as the Russian-made S-300 and SA-17 air defense systems.
The effectiveness of these systems has also come under question. Iranian and Syrian S-300 batteries, once regarded as a serious threat to Israel Air Force aircraft, were reportedly destroyed in the past year without causing losses. American forces also succeeded in neutralizing the Russian air defense systems deployed in Venezuela.
This development has further damaged the reputation of Russian-made weapons and has raised concerns for countries such as China, whose military systems are heavily based on Russian designs.