As recently demonstrated by a recent clash between US and Chinese forces, China’s cutting-edge electronic warfare ( EW ) capabilities are altering the balance of power in the South China Sea.
This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP ) reported on China’s enhanced EW capabilities by shedding light on a December 2023 incident between a US EA-18 Growler carrier-based EW aircraft and China’s Type 055 cruiser Nanchang in the contested South China Sea.
SCMP says that in December 2023, the US Navy dismissed William Coulter, chief of US Electronic Attack Squadron 136 (VAQ-136), stationed on the USS Carl Vinson, citing a reduction of confidence in his ability to control.
The report says that a month later, the People’s Liberation Army ( PLA ) recognized the Nanchang’s crew for their actions against a US carrier fleet. It also notes that Chinese internet highlighted an face involving an EA-18G, believed to be from Coulter’s regiment, and the Nanchang ship.
The statement mentions that PLA researchers recently revealed in a Radar &, ECM blog content that the Nanchang had an advantage over the EA-18G’s jamming abilities thanks to AI-enhanced radar.
It claims that the EA-18G, manufactured by Boeing, has been upgraded since 2021 for future warfare but faces new challenges from the PLA–Navy’s ( PLA-N) integrated radar systems and communication strategies.
SCMP notes that these improvements allow PLA-N ships to form a “kill web” to store the EA-18G’s problems. Additionally, it claims that the Nanchang’s reported strategic strategies and successful relationship with US troops show a change in the PLA-N’s EW strategy.
After Nancy Pelosi, then-US Speaker of the House of Representatives ,’s contentious August 2022 attend to Taiwan, significantly improved Chinese EW features may have enabled a miracle.
Despite using Model 055 ships and J-16D EW plane, SCMP pointed out that the PLA failed to follow and monitor the US Air Force carry planes carrying Pelosi during her visit. According to the source, Pelosi’s escorting aircraft force’s electric disturbance caused almost all of the PLA’s EW technology to malfunction.
John Tkacik, a journalist for the Taipei Times in August 2022, claims that the USS Tripoli and the USS Ronald Reagan ship strike group supported the launch of a large army of US F-15s that were stationed in the Philippine Sea.
China may include quickly improved its EW features from that perspective by investing in new technology and placing them in a more substantial remove net made of dynamic and non-kinetic elements.
In February of this year, SCMP reported that Chinese scientists have created a new course of EW gear that is officially quickly detect, convey, and suppress enemy signals.
According to SCMP, the novel system enables the PLA to easily monitor signals entering the gigahertz zone, which includes frequencies used by amateur radio and actually Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites.
It points out that the technology includes cutting-edge AI integration and signal processing chips, improving China’s ability to combat enemy interference and keep communication flow.
However, SCMP claims that in encounters with US Navy ships with EW exercise, China has used electromagnetic-emitting products, including high-power phased range radars, to switch on to various targets including US carrier-based plane.
China may already be able to integrate EW into its multi-domain operations, along with other dynamic and non-kinetic capabilities, in a difficult kill web, by developing new technology.
A remove website is defined as numerous, connected nodes that increase the number and endurance of probable kill chains in a May 2023 article for the Mitchell Institute. The steps involved in identifying and removing particular targets are called a shoot chain.
According to Penney, kill webs provide a more flexible and less repetitive system, making it harder for adversaries to fight, in contrast to straight remove chains, which are easier to pin and destroy.
Asia Times noted in April 2024 that the rebranding of China’s PLA Strategic Support Force ( PLA-SSF ) into the PLA-Information Support Force ( PLA-ISF ) highlights China’s strategic shift towards technology-driven “intelligentized warfare”.
In China’s multi-domain operational strategy against potential adversaries like the US and its allies, emerging AI, quantum, and other technologies are being integrated into the PLA-ISF. The rebranding reflects a shift in Chinese military doctrine that includes EW, cyber operations, and signals intelligence ( SIGINT ), moving from “informationized wars” to “intelligentized warfare.”
EW is also a key component of China’s Multi-Domain Precision Warfare ( MDPW) concept, which leverages AI and big data to identify and exploit weaknesses in US operational systems.
By physically attacking information nodes like aircraft and satellites and by using EW and cyberattacks, China’s MDPW aims to demolish and destroy US kill chains.
Near-peer rivals like China and Russia may be bridging the gap, despite the fact that the US arguably still holds the EW title.
According to a primer on defense for the US Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) in November 2022, the National Defense Strategy Commission stated that the US is losing its” EW edge,” which limits its ability to conduct operations against capable adversaries.
Army Technology reported in May 2024 that the US spent US$ 5 billion on EW capabilities in 2024, accounting for 45 % of global EW spending from 2021-2023, compared to just 14 % by Russia and 13 % by China.
However, Army Technology says that the US ‘ dominant position in the EW market is being challenged, as Russia, China and India’s share is projected to increase by the next decade.
The report cites the alleged US complacency that Russia has used over the past 20 years to fuel EW strategies that have focused on counterinsurgency versus non-state actors.
It notes that in Ukraine, Russia has used EW to disrupt adversary battlefield networks, support conventional assault forces through SIGINT and jamming attacks, and secure captured territory against counterattacks.  ,
Additionally, the source mentions that Russia has used EW to disrupt regional civilian services like GPS and telecoms.
Army Technology also mentions that China has used EW in ways that are similar to those of Russia and has equated electromagnetic dominance with information dominance. In addition to shipborne EW equipment, China claims to have installed these items and more in its occupied features in the South China Sea.
In line with that, Matthew Funaiole and other writers highlight in a December 2021 CSIS article the expansion of China’s facilities on Hainan Island, Subi Reef, and Fiery Cross Reef, which now includes satellite tracking, communication platforms, and systems potentially used in EW and SIGINT.
Funaiole and others point out that these developments are intended to strengthen the PLA’s ability to operate in contested electronic and cyberspace environments.