Chinese military researchers seek to draw electronic warfare lessons from Ukraine jamming

Stephen Chen

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When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 satellite navigation signals were one of its first targets.

The jamming started with civilian navigation systems, but within less than two weeks, military bands had been targeted as well. All satellite navigation systems in the war zone, including the US GPS system, the European Union’s Galileo, China’s Beidou and even Russia’s own Glonass, fell victim.

Western powers, led by the United States, immediately launched a counter-jamming mission to stall Russia’s attempts, according to a paper by Chinese scientists.

While this did not receive a great amount of coverage at the time, some analysts have described it as the first major bout of electronic warfare between major military powers.

It also presented a golden opportunity for Chinese observers, particularly given that Beidou was among the systems affected.

Electronic warfare has emerged increasingly as a decisive factor in modern military conflicts, as demonstrated in the latest air battle between India and Pakistan, where China’s relatively untested J-10 downed at least one French Rafale fighter jet. The electronic guidance system, powered by Beidou, was believed to be the key,according to some Chinese defence technology analysts.

Even though Beijing has not been directly involved in the Ukraine war, a study of Russia’s electronic warfare tactics and subsequent American countermeasures offers “crucial implications for addressing challenges in future wars”, according to Chinese researchers who closely studied the case.