On February 28, the US-Israeli coalition launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, targeting the country’s top leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and several key officials in a precise strike that garnered global attention. In this decapitation operation, Chinese radar and air defense systems “suffered a collective defeat” in real combat, becoming the focus of global public opinion.
Prominent individuals from Taiwan remarked that the airstrikes by the US-Israeli coalition were like “stepping into a deserted place,” while the touted Chinese radars designed to detect stealth aircraft remained unresponsive, rendering them ineffective.
Renowned Taiwanese media figure, Zhan Lingyu, posted on social media with the title “China: Giant in words, Dwarf in actions,” highlighting China’s tendencies to threaten others and issue statements when allies are targeted.
Zhan Lingyu analyzed Iran’s air defense system as a combination of Russian (S-300/S-400), Chinese (Red Flag series/JY radar), and domestic Iranian equipment. While such a setup may function well in routine drills, it proved dysfunctional when faced with the complex electronic warfare environment posed by the US military.
Prior to this, the US military launched a surprise attack in Venezuela and arrested the country’s President Maduro. Zhan Lingyu noted that despite investing heavily in purchasing Chinese anti-stealth radar JY-27, for which nine sets were bought to establish the “most powerful air defense network in South America,” the result was a complete failure when US special forces easily penetrated Caracas, capturing Maduro within three hours and toppling his regime without any of the radars detecting a single American aircraft. Even Chinese netizens themselves ridiculed the situation, commenting, “The most powerful air defense network in South America turned out to be a pile of scrap metal.”
Zhan Lingyu sarcastically remarked that as Maduro and his wife were captured in their sleep by the US military and brought to New York for trial, China (CCP) issued a statement of “strong condemnation, demanding an immediate stop.” However, such rhetoric was followed by no further actions.
In another incident involving the US-Israeli joint airstrikes on Iran, where Iran also utilized the Chinese-made YLC-8B air defense radar, touted to counter stealth aircraft, Israeli jets seemingly navigated Iranian airspace with ease, once again exposing the ineffectiveness of the Chinese radar, while key figures like Ayatollah Khamenei lost their lives without any proper response from Beijing beyond the usual rhetoric of “unacceptable, immediate stop.”
Zhan Lingyu concluded that both bloody lessons led to the same realization – Chinese arms sold abroad are “useless,” and the assurances provided by China (CCP) are “false.” Investing huge sums in Chinese military equipment only results in a scenario where “if you get hit, you have to bear it yourself, and I will offer verbal support from the sidelines,” portraying the true face of the so-called “community of shared destiny.”
Zhan Lingyu mockingly pointed out that despite China (CCP) boasting and flexing its muscles towards Taiwan for so many years, the country did not dare to intervene when its own ally was attacked; therefore, there is no need for fear.
On March 2, Chairman Chang Yumeng of the Taiwan Youth Generation Goodwill Association expressed in a Facebook post that during the “Twelve-Day War” initiated by Israel last June, Iranian air defense systems were almost destroyed, and Israeli jets operated unimpeded. Following a ceasefire, Iran urgently purchased the “Red Flag-9B” air defense system from China. The Red Flag-9B is actively used in the Chinese Air Force, boasting a range of up to 200 kilometers and capable of intercepting ballistic missiles within a range of 30,000 meters.
Chang Yumeng revealed that in November of the previous year, Iran openly displayed advanced radar systems manufactured in China, including the “JY-26 long-range anti-stealth radar” and the “JY-10 air defense command and control system.” China claimed that the JY-26 radar had a detection range of 260 kilometers, was resistant to jamming, capable of identifying stealth aircraft and cruise missiles, and in conjunction with the JY-10, significantly expanded Iran’s air defense warning range.
In reality, it became evident that Chinese radar systems are essentially “as worthless as scrap metal.” During the recent US-Israeli strikes, Iran’s so-called “anti-stealth” radars were precisely destroyed or suppressed by F-35, F-22, B-2 stealth platforms among others.
A report in Asia Defence Security on February 6, 2026, revealed that to enhance strategic early warning capabilities and counter the threat of joint US-Israeli airstrikes, Iran had deployed Chinese-made YLC-8B ultra-long-range anti-stealth radar systems in key areas along its western border and southern coastal regions.
The report also stated that this radar is recognized within the industry as a significant achievement in China’s long-range early warning technology integration, designed to detect highly stealthy airborne platforms while maintaining excellent target identification accuracy in complex electromagnetic interference environments.
According to Chinese technical documents, the YLC-8B has a maximum detection range of over 500 kilometers for conventional fixed-wing aircraft and can effectively detect high-speed targets such as medium-range ballistic missiles up to 700 kilometers away. This system has successfully undergone multiple tests, maintaining stable capture and continuous tracking of Western fifth-generation stealth aircraft platforms like the F-35A/B/C and B-2A “Spirit” bomber. Western military analysis institutions widely acknowledge it as one of the few land-based radars in the world with the capability to track Western fifth-generation stealth fighters over long distances.
User “Bin Xie” on the platform indicated that the most advanced anti-stealth radar system YLC-8B, manufactured in China, has been operational for over 20 days. The question that arises is why these radar systems did not function as intended. They claim that all actions by the US and Israel are under Iran’s control, and the anti-stealth radar would “end the air superiority of the US and Israel.” Could it be that these Chinese radar systems are made of tofu?
User “Matthew J Sybrant” commented that they completely missed the essence of warfare… all that Chinese technology has now turned into scrap metal at the bottom of bomb craters.