FAS

China Takes Steps Against Imagery Reconnaissance

08.25.08 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

Chinese military authorities are paying increased attention to foreign satellite reconnaissance of Chinese forces and operations, and are pursuing countermeasures such as camouflage and deception to conceal sensitive material and activities, according to a newly-disclosed analysis (pdf) performed in 2007 by the DNI Open Source Center.

“A variety of Chinese open source reporting suggests that China is developing an increasingly sophisticated understanding of US imagery collection capabilities and is steadily taking steps to evade both Western intelligence and commercial satellite and aerial reconnaissance,” the OSC report stated.

“PRC domestic and military media clearly indicate that China is well aware of US intelligence’s imagery satellite reconnaissance activities, including some key specifications. Much of the knowledge could come from observation of US military operations or from authorized and unauthorized disclosure in US media,” the report said.

Like most other OSC analytical products, the report has not been approved for public release. But a copy was obtained by Secrecy News. See “China: PLA Training Emphasizes Countermeasures Against Imagery Reconnaissance,” Open Source Center, July 31, 2007.

publications
See all publications
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Strategies to Accelerate and Expand Access to the U.S. Innovation Economy

With targeted policy interventions, we can efficiently and effectively support the U.S. innovation economy through the translation of breakthrough scientific research from the lab to the market.

11.27.24 | 16 min read
read more
Government Capacity
day one project
Policy Memo
Collaborative Intelligence: Harnessing Crowd Forecasting for National Security

Crowd forecasting methods offer a systematic approach to quantifying the U.S. intelligence community’s uncertainty about the future and predicting the impact of interventions, allowing decision-makers to strategize effectively and allocate resources by outlining risks and tradeoffs in a legible format.

11.27.24 | 5 min read
read more
Clean Energy
day one project
Policy Memo
The Energy Transition Workforce Initiative

The energy transition underway in the United States continues to present a unique set of opportunities to put Americans back to work through the deployment of new technologies, infrastructure, energy efficiency, and expansion of the electricity system to meet our carbon goals.

11.27.24 | 5 min read
read more
Clean Energy
day one project
Policy Memo
Promoting Fusion Energy Leadership with U.S. Tritium Production Capacity

The United States has the only proven and scalable tritium production supply chain, but it is largely reserved for nuclear weapons. Excess tritium production capacity should be leveraged to ensure the success of and U.S. leadership in fusion energy.

11.26.24 | 12 min read
read more