Operation Absolute Resolve: Inside the 150 aircraft Venezuela air strike mission
January 5, 2026
The US strike on Venezuela, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, offered one of the clearest demonstrations in recent years of how American airpower is now assembled, sequenced, and executed at scale. While political objectives remain contested and many operational details are still emerging, the aviation dimension of the mission is unusually revealing.
Around 150 aircraft were involved in the operation, which was designed to dismantle Venezuelan air defences and create the conditions for special operations forces to insert near Caracas. The mission reportedly unfolded over roughly two hours and twenty minutes.
Rather than a single strike package, the operation appears to have been a layered air campaign, integrating stealth aircraft, electronic warfare, airborne command and control, long-range strike platforms, and special operations aviation.
5th-generation fighter jets at the core of Operation Absolute Resolve
Open-source imagery and reporting suggest the presence of both F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning IIs, an increasingly common pairing in high-end US operations. While neither aircraft’s specific tasking has been confirmed, their complementary roles are well established.
Spotter Leonel Albino got a close photo of the F-22s that have temporarily deployed to Ceiba as part of Operation Absolute Resolve. https://t.co/R2OI7ZsLmE pic.twitter.com/TKHaFdvImy
— SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) January 4, 2026
The F-22 is optimised for air dominance, capable of sanitising the airspace and deterring any Venezuelan fast-jet response. The F-35, by contrast, brings sensor fusion and targeting capabilities that make it a force multiplier, likely contributing to the detection, tracking, and cueing of surface-to-air missile systems.
Uncrewed aircraft quietly shaped the Venezuela operation
While fast jets and bombers dominated attention, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) were central to Operation Absolute Resolve. U.S. officials referred to the use of “numerous remote piloted aircraft,” without disclosing the types involved.
Open-source reporting suggests the presence of high-end ISR platforms, including a possible RQ-170 Sentinel, designed to operate inside defended airspace. It has also been reported that the Sentinel was over Caracas for weeks before, building up a picture of Maduro’s daily life.
U.S. RQ-170 stealth drone returning to Puerto Rico this morning.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 3, 2026
This is a quiete rare footage of the drone, spotted after supporting US strikes on Venezuela last night.
[📹 Nando Curbelo Rodriguez]pic.twitter.com/dYVHcfGvbQ
Other uncrewed platforms involved could have included the MQ-9 Reaper, which is capable of strike as well as ISR, and the RQ-21A Blackjack, used by the Navy and Marines for forward reconnaissance.
Electronic warfare, bombers and AEWC aircraft also involved in Venezuela
Electronic attack almost certainly played a decisive role. The reported involvement of EA-18G Growlers points to a deliberate effort to degrade Venezuelan radar coverage and command links, particularly those associated with Russian-supplied systems such as the Buk medium-range surface-to-air missile.
Meanwhile, E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft would have provided command-and-control for a dense and geographically dispersed air picture, coordinating fighters, strike aircraft, drones, and tankers across multiple launch bases.
Footage circulating online appears to show secondary explosions at Higuerote Airport consistent with a strike on air defence infrastructure, reinforcing the likelihood of a rapid SEAD campaign early in the operation.
The reported participation of B-1B Lancer bombers is particularly notable. Although non-stealthy, the B-1 remains a highly effective stand-off strike platform, capable of launching precision weapons from well outside defended airspace. Its presence also carries strategic weight, underlining the US’s ability to project firepower without relying solely on regional bases or carrier aviation.
The aircraft launched from around 20 bases across the region. It’s unclear how many were launched from the USS Ford aircraft carrier that was moved into the region recently.
Special ops move into Venezuela with MH-47 Chinooks
Once air defences were suppressed, rotary-wing assets appear to have moved in. Reporting indicates that the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers) with MH-47 Chinooks took part. Axios states, “The Night Stalkers, as the regiment is known, train extensively for nighttime operations inside dangerous territory.”
Footage showing a massive explosion earlier at Higuerote Airport in the State of Miranda, Northern Venezuela, with the secondary explosions and fire suggesting a strike against a surface-to-air missile launcher with the Venezuelan Air Force. pic.twitter.com/VlSRMMdgE1
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026
Even with air superiority established, helicopter operations remain vulnerable, as evidenced by videos showing at least one MANPADS launch against US aircraft. That such threats were quickly neutralised underscores the value of integrated ISR and overwatch from fixed-wing assets.
WATCH: Footage seems show Venezuelan forces firing a MANPADS at a helicopter during Operation Absolute Resolve pic.twitter.com/3MtALIruhh
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) January 4, 2026
While the US targeted a number of Venezuelan airports (including Higuerote), it doesn’t appear that the country’s limited fleet of F-16 and Su-30s was hit. Several Venezuelan vehicles were destroyed. Port infrastructure was attacked seemingly to create confusion.
The mission took around two hours and 20 minutes. The New York Times also quoted an unnamed senior Venezuelan official as saying that at least 80 people were killed.
The US ability to project airpower remains unrivalled
The ease with which the US executed the operation has led some to claim Venezuelan forces were compromised and chose not to fight. For now, that remains little more than conjecture.
Reports of Aviación Militar Bolivariana activity at the two primary fast jet bases (F-16/Su-30) at Base Aérea El Libertador and Luis del Valle Garcia https://t.co/C3WurmZQD9
— Latin American Military Aviation (@LatinMilAv) January 3, 2026
The US and Israel have repeatedly demonstrated their abilities to suppress Russian-supplied air defence networks in Syria (before the fall of Assad) and Iran, and achieve air superiority or air dominance.
Their aircraft have repeatedly operated with seeming impunity, as Israeli fighter jets did over Iran in 2025 during Operation Rising Lion.
The operation to decapitate the head of the Venezuelan government recalled the opening stages of Russia’s war in Ukraine in February 2022. Russia sent its elite VDV paratroopers to capture Hostemel Airport as part of an effort to eliminate Zelenski and topple Ukraine’s government.
Ukraine quickly defeated the VDV paratroopers, and numerous Russian aircraft were shot down. Almost four years later, Russia has failed to secure air superiority over Ukraine and limits its operations to firing outside of Ukraine’s air defence umbrella.
The unmatched capabilities of US airpower were also put on display during Operation Midnight Hammer. During that operation, the US dropped bombs larger than any other country is known to have, from the world’s only operational strategic stealth bomber, using more tanker aircraft than any other country possesses.
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Featured Image: US Navy
