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Chinese military force tricked a foreign spy plane in South China Sea: report

No operational details given, but the vehicle-mounted jamming system is said to have generated a false radar signature

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The Chinese system can precisely replicate the characteristics of enemy radar frequency bands to generate highly realistic false target signals, according to a report in the September issue of Ordnance Industry Science Technology. Photo: Shutterstock
Liu Zhen
China’s electronic warfare (EW) force successfully tricked a foreign spy plane during a South China Sea operation, a Chinese military magazine recently revealed.
In the incident, a false radar signature generated by a Chinese military vehicle-mounted jamming system deceived a surveillance aircraft from an unspecified country over the South China Sea, Ordnance Industry Science Technology reported in its September issue.

It was a rare public mention of a combat operation situation and outcome involving China’s EW force. Ordnance Industry Science Technology is regarded as an influential magazine focused on military technology.

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The report did not elaborate on the time, location or circumstances. But it cited official data saying the EW system was capable of simulating radar signals such as those of a super-large vessel from up to 300km (186 miles) away.

The report hinted that the foreign spy plane might have been misled to travel towards a wrong location or tracked a non-existent aircraft carrier or amphibious landing ship.

A Chinese coastguard ship sails near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters
A Chinese coastguard ship sails near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters
Loaded on small jeep-sized vehicles, the Chinese system was showcased in the electronic countermeasures formation during the large-scale military parade held in Beijing on September 3, the report stated. The name of the platform remains classified.
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