US developed ‘non-kinetic’ cell ahead of Venezuela mission to push cyber operations

In the months leading up to an unprecedented operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from the capital of Caracas, the U.S. military developed a “non-kinetic effects cell” that has helped push cyber operations to the forefront of specialized U.S. missions, a top official told lawmakers Wednesday.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s cybersecurity panel, Joint Staff Deputy Director for Global Operations Brig. Gen. R. Ryan Messer said the cell is “designed to integrate, coordinate and synchronize all of our non-kinetics into the planning, and then, of course, the execution of any operation globally.”

Non-kinetic effects are military actions that influence or disrupt an adversary’s systems without using physical force or causing direct destruction, rather than weapons like missiles or bombs. They often include cyber operations, electronic warfare and influence campaigns.

The operation that ousted Maduro from Caracas included cyber effects that targeted radar and ...