Chinese Defence Today - Radar, Electronic Warfare, and C4ISR

The acquisition of modern command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems is one of the key aspects of China’s military modernisation. The PLA has been watching closely how the revolution of military affair (RMA) transforms the U.S. armed forces, and helped the success of the U.S.-led military operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The PLA’s latest operational doctrine highlights the importance of information technology, electronic and information warfare, and long-range precision strikes in future warfare.

China is developing its C4ISR capabilities based upon indigenous development, supplemented by foreign technology acquisition and procurement of complete foreign systems. China’s success in commercial information technologies and telecommunications market in recent years has been used to benefit the military programmes. The PLA aims to improve its C4ISR systems in terms of all-weather capability, miniaturisation, artificial intelligence, survivability, and integration between different systems.

The PLA has acquired and deployed a range of space-, air-, sea- and land-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems which will enhance its ability to detect, monitor, and target military activities in Asia and the Western Pacific Ocean regions. The latest space programmes include electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar, and oceanological satellites. China has also deployed sky- and surface-wave Over the Horizon Radars (OTHRs) for early warning and targeting aircraft carriers, and is known to be highly interested in acquiring the Czech-made VERA-E passive surveillance systems which could be used to detect stealthy aircraft.

All three services of the PLA operate various types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for a variety of strategic and tactical roles, including reconnaissance, surveillance, battlefield targeting, communications intelligence, electronic intelligence (ELINT), electronic countermeasures (ECM), data-link relay, and decoy. In addition, the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) and PLA Naval Air Force (PLANAF) both operate manned aircraft for conventional surveillance, airborne early warning, and ELINT roles. The PLAAF may also obtain 4 to 6 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft in the near future.

Command and control modernisation and automation has been a priority of the PLA’s modernisation for nearly 25 years. China has constructed a command network capable of rapidly passing orders and information up and down the chain of command and moving intelligence to decision makers at the national and theatre level, though it is still regarded behind western standards for integrating and controlling complex joint military operations.

The PLA has made electronic warfare (EW) a key component of its ‘Three Attacks and Three Defences’ initiative to meet requirements of a “local warfare under high-tech conditions.” The PLA is procuring state-of-the-art technology to improve its intercept, direction finding, and jamming capabilities, and experimenting with new EW units to field test the latest EW systems and new operational concepts. At the same time, both military and civilian sectors in China are actively exploring the information warfare (IW) concept, which could be gradually developed into a corps of “network warriors” able to defend China’s telecommunications, command, and information networks, while uncovering vulnerabilities in foreign networks.