Mauro Gilli
@maurogilli.bsky.social
Professor of Military Strategy and Technology at the Hertie School in Berlin. Great powers rivalry, future of war, tech competition. Born 🇮🇹, 9y 🇺🇸, 9y🇨🇭, 🇩🇪 https://sites.google.com/site/maurogilli2/
Thanks Joanna! I didn't know this book. I will look for it!
January 14, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Thanks Joanna! I didn't know this book. I will look for it!
Thanks Frank. I didn’t know it.
January 7, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Thanks Frank. I didn’t know it.
Ok, I will finish it here. I hope it helps. Apologies for typos/bad syntax.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Ok, I will finish it here. I hope it helps. Apologies for typos/bad syntax.
On top of all the information that the US has been able to retrieve thanks to Ukraine, whether because of the air defense assets that the Ukrainian military managed to take, or because of the electronic intelligence the US and the Ukrainian military has been able to collect.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
On top of all the information that the US has been able to retrieve thanks to Ukraine, whether because of the air defense assets that the Ukrainian military managed to take, or because of the electronic intelligence the US and the Ukrainian military has been able to collect.
Of course, to accomplish these tasks effectively, a country needs to possess information on the enemy radar - specifically, on their waveform, modulation, etc. Well, here we know the US has been collecting these information for quite some time
www.twz.com/air/rc-135-a...
www.twz.com/air/rc-135-a...
RC-135 Accompanied By Fighters Off Venezuela Testing Maduro's Air Defenses: U.S. Official
The flights are part of a massive U.S. military presence in the Caribbean aimed at putting maximum pressure on Venezuela's Maduro.
www.twz.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Of course, to accomplish these tasks effectively, a country needs to possess information on the enemy radar - specifically, on their waveform, modulation, etc. Well, here we know the US has been collecting these information for quite some time
www.twz.com/air/rc-135-a...
www.twz.com/air/rc-135-a...
For example, by generating a large amount of background returns (noise jamming), which impedes the ability to see an incoming aircraft; or by deceiving the system through the generation of false returns (spoofing); or through other means.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
For example, by generating a large amount of background returns (noise jamming), which impedes the ability to see an incoming aircraft; or by deceiving the system through the generation of false returns (spoofing); or through other means.
Such signals, in turn, can interfere with the capacity of adversary radar to detect threats (i.e., to capture radar returns and distinguish them from the background) in multiple ways.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Such signals, in turn, can interfere with the capacity of adversary radar to detect threats (i.e., to capture radar returns and distinguish them from the background) in multiple ways.
Instead of relying on a physical obstacle, jamming and spoofing accomplish their goal by emitting electromagnetic signals of a very specific type.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Instead of relying on a physical obstacle, jamming and spoofing accomplish their goal by emitting electromagnetic signals of a very specific type.
Whereas a tunnel or an elevator leads to an accidental loss of signal, jamming and spoofing are intentional means aimed at degrading the performance of an adversary’s system.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Whereas a tunnel or an elevator leads to an accidental loss of signal, jamming and spoofing are intentional means aimed at degrading the performance of an adversary’s system.
This occurs because a physical obstacle impedes the electromagnetic waves used for modern mobile communications from reaching the antenna of a smartphone. This example is helpful because radars also use electromagnetic waves, albeit at different frequencies and with different signal designs.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
This occurs because a physical obstacle impedes the electromagnetic waves used for modern mobile communications from reaching the antenna of a smartphone. This example is helpful because radars also use electromagnetic waves, albeit at different frequencies and with different signal designs.
One way to think about it is to consider interferences that obstruct mobile communications, such as when we enter a tunnel or an elevator and our smartphones lose coverage and hence cannot make calls or receive messages.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
One way to think about it is to consider interferences that obstruct mobile communications, such as when we enter a tunnel or an elevator and our smartphones lose coverage and hence cannot make calls or receive messages.
This is why neutralizing enemy radars, and in particular any still active fire-control radars, is so important. And this is where electronic warfare comes into play.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
This is why neutralizing enemy radars, and in particular any still active fire-control radars, is so important. And this is where electronic warfare comes into play.
Here a premise is needed. Radars are very effective for air defense because they allow long-range detection and ranging, they work day and night, (mostly) in all weather, they allow to discriminate between irrelevant objects and potential threats, and to identify the latter as such.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Here a premise is needed. Radars are very effective for air defense because they allow long-range detection and ranging, they work day and night, (mostly) in all weather, they allow to discriminate between irrelevant objects and potential threats, and to identify the latter as such.
With regard to electronic attacks, this is once again something that has existed for very long time and it refers to the use of electromagnetic signals for degrading enemy radars.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
With regard to electronic attacks, this is once again something that has existed for very long time and it refers to the use of electromagnetic signals for degrading enemy radars.
You need to create a temporary "corridor" through which your aircraft (in this case: rotary-wing aircraft, or helicopters) could transit safely. More on this later.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
You need to create a temporary "corridor" through which your aircraft (in this case: rotary-wing aircraft, or helicopters) could transit safely. More on this later.
We know the US hit some targets in Venezuela with precision munitions, I haven't followed whether any of these was part of the air defense network, but I suspect at least some were. Important in this regard is that you don't need to strike the whole air defense network. www.twz.com/air/u-s-kami...
Did The U.S. Use Kamikaze Drones To Strike Venezuela?
An unmistakable banshee-like wail is heard before detonations in videos taken on the ground during Operation Absolute Resolve.
www.twz.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
We know the US hit some targets in Venezuela with precision munitions, I haven't followed whether any of these was part of the air defense network, but I suspect at least some were. Important in this regard is that you don't need to strike the whole air defense network. www.twz.com/air/u-s-kami...
With regard to kinetic attacks, this is something that militaries have been doing since World War II: trying to either destroy enemy ground-based air defenses (radars, anti-air artillery, surface to air missile batteries, command and control centers, etc.).
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
With regard to kinetic attacks, this is something that militaries have been doing since World War II: trying to either destroy enemy ground-based air defenses (radars, anti-air artillery, surface to air missile batteries, command and control centers, etc.).
I haven't read anything about other type of cyber attacks, but it would be surprising that the US hadn't also try to disable the air defense network itself - which the US has done since the 1999 war against Yugoslavia.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
I haven't read anything about other type of cyber attacks, but it would be surprising that the US hadn't also try to disable the air defense network itself - which the US has done since the 1999 war against Yugoslavia.
We don't know much about the cyber attacks, but again this is not a surprise, as the US allegedly used it for the first time in 1999 against Yugoslavia. Apparently, the US shut down electricity/power generation to degrade part of the Venezuelan air defense network.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
We don't know much about the cyber attacks, but again this is not a surprise, as the US allegedly used it for the first time in 1999 against Yugoslavia. Apparently, the US shut down electricity/power generation to degrade part of the Venezuelan air defense network.
According to available information, the US has used three main ways to disable Venezuelan air defenses: cyber attacks, kinetic attacks (precision missiles) and electronic (electromagnetic) attacks.
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
According to available information, the US has used three main ways to disable Venezuelan air defenses: cyber attacks, kinetic attacks (precision missiles) and electronic (electromagnetic) attacks.
In other words, air defense is a network, and the goal of suppression/destruction of enemy air defenses is to disable this network, ideally in multiple points. This is what Russia tried but failed to do in Ukraine. This is what the US succeeded in doing in Venezuela (and others).
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
In other words, air defense is a network, and the goal of suppression/destruction of enemy air defenses is to disable this network, ideally in multiple points. This is what Russia tried but failed to do in Ukraine. This is what the US succeeded in doing in Venezuela (and others).
As a result, air defenses generally keep fire-control radars switched off until they are ready for engagement. But this makes them dependent on early warning radars as well as on communication systems & command & control centers
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
As a result, air defenses generally keep fire-control radars switched off until they are ready for engagement. But this makes them dependent on early warning radars as well as on communication systems & command & control centers