China Cracks A Code On Invisible Battlefield Surveillance

2025-06-10 03:14:17

(MENAFN- Asia Times) This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese radar scientists have demonstrated a breakthrough system enabling aircraft to detect moving ground targets with high clarity while remaining completely radio-silent.

Led by Li Zhongyu of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the team used two Cessna 208 planes in formation, with one actively transmitting radar signals and the other passively receiving echoes, to test their“space-time decoupling two-channel clutter cancellation method.”

As reported in the Journal of Radars , the test tracked three vehicles across terrain previously inaccessible to traditional radar due to clutter, range migration and Doppler noise.

Through advanced motion correction, spectrum compression and a novel matrix-based clutter suppression technique, the system isolated targets with over 20 decibels more clarity than current technologies.

The passive aircraft never transmitted signals, making it nearly impossible to detect or jam, ideal for low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) missions, according to the Journal of Radars report.

Instead of relying on artificial intelligence, the method utilizes efficient mathematical models specifically designed for real-world applications. The development could allow Chinese aircraft and missiles to silently scan battlefields, oceans or skies, identifying mobile threats without alerting adversaries.

Li called the system a world first, positioning China at the cutting edge of stealth radar capabilities amid growing global electronic warfare competition.

Explaining the complementary nature of passive and active radars, Eric Hundman mentions in a March 2025 report for the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) that passive radars can often detect stealth aircraft, as they're hard for anti-radiation weapons to target because they emit no signals.

However, Hundman says the applications of passive radar remain relatively limited due to its reliance on unpredictable external signals, narrow usable frequencies and relatively unsophisticated processing algorithms.

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