The Evolution of Coercive Air Power
In recent history, the United States has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability not merely to wage wars, but also to introduce innovations that surprise everyone: adversaries as well as observers and analysts. Each major campaign, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and others, has introduced a new operational concept, particularly in the realm of air power and network-centric warfare. Similarly, in its recent operation in Venezuela, the most striking development was the reported employment of advanced electronic warfare (EW) tools, including electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects allegedly directed at humans in Caracas. This development marks a significant evolution in coercive air power capabilities, blurring the line between kinetic and non-kinetic force, and therefore deserves closer examination.
Electronic Warfare as an Enabler
During the last couple of decades, EW has emerged as an important enabler for the offensive employment of air power. Through electronic surveillance, mostly conducted during peacetime, it maps the adversary’s air defence and communication networks, known as the electronic order of battle (EOB). Electronic Attack (EA) assets form an essential part of an offensive air power package. By electronically interfering with adversary surveillance and tracking radars and communication systems, a process known as Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD), they create an enabling environment for kinetic operations ahead of an offensive package. EA can also employ anti-radiation missiles to physically destroy the adversary’s command-and-control structures as part of the Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD) mission, thereby providing a conducive environment for manned and unmanned platforms to perform assigned tasks with minimal attrition.
Directed-Energy Weapons and EMP Capabilities
In recent years, all major powers have invested significantly in directed-energy weapons (DEWs) and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) capabilities to achieve EW dominance. DEWs employ concentrated high-power lasers or microwaves to burn and damage physical structures or electronic systems. EMP targets electronic circuits and power systems across a relatively broad area with intense bursts of high-voltage electromagnetic energy, which can cause significant damage. Until recently, there was a perception that Russia and China were technologically leading the development of DEWs and EMP capabilities, primarily to offset the US conventional advantage. The way the US reportedly employed these capabilities in Venezuela surprised many observers and also lends credence to reports that it accelerated the testing and fielding of operational DEWs and EMP systems in recent years. European states such as the UK and France, and India in South Asia, also have active research programmes in this domain. However, they remain in relatively early stages of testing and deployment.
Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela
The US operation in Venezuela on 3 January 2026, named Operation Absolute Resolve, witnessed what appears to be a next-level employment of DEW and EMP capabilities. Leading a package of about 150 aircraft – including F-22, F-35, F/A-18, and B-1B aircraft, helicopters such as Chinook and Black Hawk, and various types of UAVs – multiple EA-18G Growlers were reportedly employed in the EA role. Besides the traditional roles of SEAD and DEAD, reports indicate that US forces employed a classified weapon alluded to as a ‘discombobulator’ by President Donald Trump during one of his media interactions. Reports suggest that microwave or sound-wave weapons targeted the Venezuelan president’s security detail in Caracas, causing severe disorientation, nausea, vomiting, and physical collapse. Witnesses on the ground described a sensation as if their heads were ‘exploding from the inside’ due to the intense sound waves. Some guards reportedly experienced bleeding from the nose and ears before collapsing. As a result, almost 200 US troops on the ground reportedly encountered little resistance, killing around 100 Venezuelan security personnel in about 30 minutes and managing to kidnap the Venezuelan president and his wife before the inner security cordon could coordinate an effective response.
Future Developments in Directed-Energy Systems
Given the level of baseline technology in countries pursuing directed-energy and high-power microwave (HPM) systems, the effects these systems can deliver, their operating costs, and the plausible deniability they may offer, it appears that this capability will grow rapidly, both vertically and horizontally. Vertically, these systems are likely to achieve increasing power density, improved beam control, and greater mobility. Developments in solid-state and fibre laser technology should enable compact designs that can be integrated with aerial platforms, including unmanned systems. Technological advances toward higher-frequency agility, greater power, and better thermal management should allow increased range with much improved accuracy. Horizontally, influenced by the way the US has reportedly employed this capability in Venezuela, countries with active programmes in this domain will likely expedite their development efforts, leading to expanded use in the future.
Humanitarian and Ethical Implications
The kinetic and non-kinetic leverage these systems provide in the military domain notwithstanding, the humanitarian and ethical dimensions of such weapons are complex and deserve careful attention. They can cause indiscriminate neurological distress, permanent hearing loss, and internal injuries with severe long-term health implications. In the legal domain, these weapons – because of their invisible effects and inability to distinguish between combatants and civilians – fall into a grey zone. Serious debate is therefore required among international humanitarian organisations and the legal community.
