China’s AI-powered satellites imperil US aircraft carriers

China’s Taijing-4 03 radar imaging satellite has recently captured detailed images of the US Navy’s critical Naval Station Norfolk, underscoring its advanced space-based intelligence technologies and striking surveillance capabilities.

The images show three US aircraft carriers, two Arleigh Burke-class warships, and four unidentifiable vessels, The National Interest (TNI) reported. Norfolk is one of the US Navy’s most important bases on the US East Coast, which supports 75 ships and 134 aircraft with 14 piers and 11 hangars.

The National Interest report notes that the Taijing-4 03 is believed to be privately made and part of a “five-satellite constellation” used nominally for scientific research and environmental surveys. It comes equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and AI processors for rapid detection and identification of targets at sea and airports and real-time image transmission.

China has previously used AI to enhance significantly the capabilities of its commercial satellites, enabling them to become powerful intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets.

In April 2022, Asia Times reported that China had equipped its Jilin-1 commercial Earth observation satellite with AI that allows it to serve as a powerful spy platform, achieving a 95% precision rate in identifying small objects, seven times greater than the satellite’s previous technology.

The AI can reportedly track moving objects even if they turn sharply or disappear into a tunnel. Traditional satellite AI assumes it made a mistake when losing track of a target, resulting in a mere 14% success rate when analyzing satellite video.

The new AI estimates a moving target’s direction based on experience and continues tracking it based on the