1. What recent operations demonstrate U.S. military capabilities?
In a two-week period, U.S. forces destroyed over 70 Islamic State targets in Syria, struck extremists in northern Nigeria and executed a raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from a heavily guarded compound in Caracas. These operations, along with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, showcased America’s ability to conduct complex missions simultaneously across multiple continents — a capability unmatched by any other military, including Russia and China.
2. How did the U.S. capture President Maduro?
More than 150 U.S. aircraft, including fighter jets, bombers and helicopters launching from 20 locations, supported a Delta Force commando team that infiltrated Maduro’s compound inside the Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas on Saturday. Intelligence sources helped build a replica of the compound for rehearsal, and the U.S. used electronic warfare to jam Venezuelan military radars. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called it “an audacious operation that only the United States could do.”
3. What makes U.S. military power unique?
The combination of three elements — superior training, cutting-edge equipment, and high-quality personnel — gives the U.S. military unrivaled global reach, according to analysts. The U.S. military budget of $901 billion for fiscal year 2026 significantly exceeds China’s official military budget of $247 billion, reflecting decades of sustained investment. This funding, coupled with the ability to fuse intelligence-gathering capabilities with advanced defense technology and careful planning, creates capabilities no other nation possesses.
SEE ALSO: Venezuela, Nigeria, Syria: U.S. military shows its power to strike anywhere on Earth
4. What other operations has the U.S. conducted recently?
On Christmas Day, U.S. forces struck Islamic State targets in northwestern Nigeria using Tomahawk missiles fired from a Navy warship. On Dec. 20, U.S. troops hit more than 70 sites across central Syria with over 100 precision munitions in retaliation for an ISIS ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter. Throughout 2025, the U.S. also conducted more than 100 strikes in Somalia, repeated attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen, and an intense campaign targeting drug boats in the Pacific and Caribbean.
5. Why do these operations matter beyond their immediate objectives?
These missions send a powerful deterrence message to adversaries worldwide, reminding them that the U.S. has the world’s strongest armed forces and is willing to use them. “We throw a punch every now and then. That has a positive effect on the perceptions of our adversaries that we’re not all talk,” said Bradley Bowman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The operations demonstrate that the U.S. can deliver “overwhelming force at the time and place of our choosing against any foe anywhere in the world,” according to Gen. Caine.
Read more: U.S. military shows its power to strike anywhere on Earth
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
