WASHINGTON — A new report for Congress’s US China Economic and Security Review Commission warns that China’s rapidly expanding remote sensing capabilities already have raised risks to US national security, as well as created economic challenges.
The report, shared with Breaking Defense ahead of its formal release, is authored by the OTH Intelligence Group and entitled “China’s Remote Sensing.” The bipartisan China Economic and Security Review Commission was created by Congress in 2000 to provide recommendations to Congress on the security implications of the US-China trade relationship, and has been influential in shaping member concerns about Beijing’s economic policies.
The OTH report was designed as a discussion paper both for members of the commission and Congress, a commission spokesperson told Breaking Defense. And while its publication does not represent endorsement by the commission, recommendations from similar reports in the past also have found their way into the commission’s annual report to Congress, the spokesperson added.
The key findings of the report states that “China’s development of advanced remote sensing poses current and long-term risks to U.S. security,” including:
1) “continued advancement of PLA military modernization by strengthening its abilities to observe, detect, track, and target U.S. and allied assets and personnel through both dedicated military sensing and dual-purpose civil government and commercial remote sensing capabilities;
2) the potential for China to gain an entrenched advantage in remote sensing platform and technology areas vital to the growth of emerging market areas, such as electric and autonomous vehicles, commercial satellite remote sensing and the space economy, and small UASs [uncrewed aerial vehicles].”
In addition, the report finds that “China is currently leading the world in research impact in several remote sensing technology areas, including applications of multispectral and hyperspectral imaging sensors, radar, and satellite positioning and navigation.” Beijing also is streaking ahead in the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance its remote sensing chops, the report added.
For example, “reporting from April 2024 revealed that China’s Taijing-4 03 satellite, which is equipped with AI processors for rapid detection and identification of targets at sea, captured detailed images of three U.S. aircraft carriers, two Arleigh Burke-class warships, and four other vessels at U.S. Naval Station Norfolk. Taijing-4 03 is part of a five-satellite constellation operated by Chinese commercial remote sensing company MinoSpace, reflecting the connections between the PLA and China’s emerging commercial remote sensing industry.”
The findings echo concerns expressed by a raft of top Space Force brass at last week’s Spacepower 2024 conference in Orlando, Fla., that the PLA will use the growing number of Chinese military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites and commercial remote sensing satellites to target US terrestrial forces.
Among the report’s 12 specific recommendations is a call for Congress to “consider regulatory and financial measures to support the domestic remote sensing industry and incentivize investment in areas such as small drones and LiDAR [light detection and ranging] for autonomous systems and higher-risk next-generation remote sensing technologies such as quantum sensing.” This could be done, it elaborates, by “expanding targeted funding for the National Science Foundation, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) as well as investment credits.”
Another recommendation is that Congress “encourage” the Defense Department to work more closely with allies to better understand how China might use its improve remote sensing capabilities in crises and conflicts, as well as how to reduce US and allied vulnerabilities.
Further, the report suggests that Congress “support DoD efforts to accelerate the procurement of commercial remote sensing from both the United States and allied nations,” and “consider funding in future defense appropriation bills for measures that would mitigate the effects of improved Chinese remote sensing, such as counter-intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, electronic attack and cyber capabilities, antiradiation ordnance, base hardening, close-in weapons systems, and air defense capabilities.”