Chinese researchers have announced a significant advancement in electronic warfare technology, claiming that adversaries will have “nowhere to hide” on the battlefield. This team from Beijing has successfully developed a method for continuous, broad bandwidth, real-time monitoring and analysis of the electromagnetic spectrum, rendering enemy forces completely exposed during conflict.
This cutting-edge technology enables the Chinese military to swiftly detect and target enemy signals, decode their physical characteristics almost instantaneously, and effectively neutralize them, all while ensuring uninterrupted communication for their own forces, as stated by the scientists, a report in the South China Morning Post said.
The details of this revolutionary technology were disclosed in a peer-reviewed article published in the Chinese academic journal Radio Communications Technology on January 17 by project leader Yang Kai, a professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology’s school of information and electronics, and his team, the SCMP report said.
Yang described the new electromagnetic spectrum monitoring equipment as “small in size, high in performance and low in power consumption.” The technology represents a significant leap forward, as the immense data processing demands in combat situations had previously rendered such capabilities unattainable.
The researchers believe this innovation will fundamentally alter the nature of warfare.
The struggle for dominance over the electromagnetic spectrum is a key aspect of the ongoing tension between China and the United States. Recent incidents of mysterious interference with civilian weather radars in the South China Sea have led some military analysts to speculate about a covert confrontation between Chinese and American naval forces. While direct conflict has not yet occurred, the electronic battlefield is already active.
China, which was previously at a disadvantage in this domain, appears to be making strides, with reports indicating an increase in assertiveness from its military. Chinese state media recently highlighted an incident where its advanced Type 055 destroyer successfully halted the progression of an entire US aircraft carrier strike group, showcasing a level of capability previously thought unattainable.
Although some skepticism surrounds the claims made in China’s propaganda, interviews with officers and soldiers have revealed a significant detail: they had activated electromagnetic emitting equipment, including high-power phased array radars, and secured a lock on multiple targets, including US carrier-based aircraft, in the electronic warfare skirmish.
While specific details about the People’s Liberation Army’s electronic warfare capabilities are limited, the research conducted by Yang’s team provides insight into China’s advancements in this area.
The team’s new equipment has expanded the frequency range of seamless detection and real-time monitoring into the gigahertz zone, encompassing frequencies used by amateur radio enthusiasts and even Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites. This enhancement means that even if the US military were to switch to civilian frequencies and emit pulse signals briefly, the Chinese military could still detect and analyze these signals, potentially disrupting or interrupting wireless communications between US military units.
To achieve this broader capability, the scientists developed a series of new signal processing chips capable of handling the massive data flow generated by the multitude of military units and civilian facilities emitting electromagnetic signals on the battlefield.
Yang’s team also introduced artificial intelligence (AI) into the critical data analysis process, employing at least two different AI technologies to tackle various challenges. This integration of in-house chips and AI has granted the Chinese military unprecedented capabilities in information perception, allowing them to identify and counter enemy weaknesses effectively, even amidst strong background noise.
Yang’s involvement extends beyond military applications to civilian technologies such as mobile phone communications and satellite links. His international contributions include work at Bell Labs and participation in the development of multiple international telecommunications standards.
The rapid advancement of China’s military electromagnetic technology is attributed by some scientists to its leading position in the telecommunications industry, with major firms like Huawei investing heavily in state-of-the-art wireless communication technologies.
In contrast, the US primarily relies on European companies for equipment and technology in constructing its 5G networks, which are significantly smaller than China’s.
This cutting-edge technology enables the Chinese military to swiftly detect and target enemy signals, decode their physical characteristics almost instantaneously, and effectively neutralize them, all while ensuring uninterrupted communication for their own forces, as stated by the scientists, a report in the South China Morning Post said.
The details of this revolutionary technology were disclosed in a peer-reviewed article published in the Chinese academic journal Radio Communications Technology on January 17 by project leader Yang Kai, a professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology’s school of information and electronics, and his team, the SCMP report said.
Yang described the new electromagnetic spectrum monitoring equipment as “small in size, high in performance and low in power consumption.” The technology represents a significant leap forward, as the immense data processing demands in combat situations had previously rendered such capabilities unattainable.
The researchers believe this innovation will fundamentally alter the nature of warfare.
The struggle for dominance over the electromagnetic spectrum is a key aspect of the ongoing tension between China and the United States. Recent incidents of mysterious interference with civilian weather radars in the South China Sea have led some military analysts to speculate about a covert confrontation between Chinese and American naval forces. While direct conflict has not yet occurred, the electronic battlefield is already active.
China, which was previously at a disadvantage in this domain, appears to be making strides, with reports indicating an increase in assertiveness from its military. Chinese state media recently highlighted an incident where its advanced Type 055 destroyer successfully halted the progression of an entire US aircraft carrier strike group, showcasing a level of capability previously thought unattainable.
Although some skepticism surrounds the claims made in China’s propaganda, interviews with officers and soldiers have revealed a significant detail: they had activated electromagnetic emitting equipment, including high-power phased array radars, and secured a lock on multiple targets, including US carrier-based aircraft, in the electronic warfare skirmish.
While specific details about the People’s Liberation Army’s electronic warfare capabilities are limited, the research conducted by Yang’s team provides insight into China’s advancements in this area.
The team’s new equipment has expanded the frequency range of seamless detection and real-time monitoring into the gigahertz zone, encompassing frequencies used by amateur radio enthusiasts and even Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites. This enhancement means that even if the US military were to switch to civilian frequencies and emit pulse signals briefly, the Chinese military could still detect and analyze these signals, potentially disrupting or interrupting wireless communications between US military units.
To achieve this broader capability, the scientists developed a series of new signal processing chips capable of handling the massive data flow generated by the multitude of military units and civilian facilities emitting electromagnetic signals on the battlefield.
Yang’s team also introduced artificial intelligence (AI) into the critical data analysis process, employing at least two different AI technologies to tackle various challenges. This integration of in-house chips and AI has granted the Chinese military unprecedented capabilities in information perception, allowing them to identify and counter enemy weaknesses effectively, even amidst strong background noise.
Yang’s involvement extends beyond military applications to civilian technologies such as mobile phone communications and satellite links. His international contributions include work at Bell Labs and participation in the development of multiple international telecommunications standards.
The rapid advancement of China’s military electromagnetic technology is attributed by some scientists to its leading position in the telecommunications industry, with major firms like Huawei investing heavily in state-of-the-art wireless communication technologies.
In contrast, the US primarily relies on European companies for equipment and technology in constructing its 5G networks, which are significantly smaller than China’s.