We Have Been Fighting Against Russian & Chinese Capabilities; Their Weapons Are Not Impressive”Kelman

Retired Israeli Air Force Major General Tal Kelman delivered a surprisingly critical assessment of Russian and Chinese military technology, stating he is “not deeply impressed” with their capabilities after Israeli forces encountered them extensively over the past two and a half years of conflict.

The frank evaluation came during a wide-ranging interview with the Jerusalem Post, where Kelman, who served nearly 40 years in the Israeli military and now leads strategy and defense at Protega Ventures, shared insights from Israel’s recent combat experience against systems supplied by both major powers to Iranian proxies and regional adversaries.

“We have been fighting against Chinese and Russian capabilities for quite a few years, but in the past two and a half years, I can’t say that I’m deeply impressed,” Kelman stated bluntly. He drew a distinction between the two suppliers, expressing particular disappointment with Russian systems: “I’m very not impressed with the Russian capabilities.”

Regarding Chinese technology, Kelman noted a similar gap between reputation and battlefield performance. “I think there is a gap between what we think about the capabilities and then when we meet them,” he explained, suggesting that both nations’ military exports have failed to live up to their marketed potential when confronted by Israeli forces.

However, Kelman was careful to note that the challenge posed by China extends far beyond the quality of individual weapons systems. “The issue is China’s challenging supply chains and China is basically challenging us in influence around the region,” he said, identifying these as more significant strategic concerns than technological prowess.

The assessment carries particular weight given Israel’s extensive recent combat experience. Over the past two and a half years, Israeli forces have engaged with Russian and Chinese weapons systems deployed by Hezbollah, Hamas, and other Iranian-backed groups across multiple theaters of operation.

Kelman’s comments also reflected a broader shift in the defense technology ecosystem regarding Chinese involvement. “More and more companies understand that there’s—you know, US’s biggest threat is China,” he explained. This recognition is driving Israeli defense firms to distance themselves from Chinese components and partnerships.

“More and more Israeli companies understand that they need to move away with Chinese capabilities, Chinese anything to do with China if they want to sell in the US and Europe,” Kelman said. For Protega Ventures, this has become a strict investment criterion. “If a company has been kind of flirting with Chinese capability, we say look, you’re very interesting but we’re not going to invest in you because there’s no way that you’re going to succeed in the big markets.”

The fund’s position reflects practical business realities as much as security concerns. Companies hoping to access American and European defense markets face increasingly stringent requirements to demonstrate their supply chains are free of Chinese components or intellectual property.

“It’s not happening in all areas but I think in the area of defense it’s happening faster,” Kelman noted, suggesting the defense sector is leading a broader decoupling from Chinese technology partnerships.

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