China's 815 electronic reconnaissance ship, why can't countries attack it, should say they dare not attack it. The ship looks like it has no firepower, just two small guns, and it's not fast, but when the US aircraft carrier sees it, it has to go around, and pirates also avoid it at all costs.

The 815 type started being built in the late 1990s, the first one was called the "North Star", with the hull number 851, later a series of sister ships were named after planets, such as Neptune, Uranus, Sirius, etc. Now the Chinese Navy has nine ships in total, ranking second in the world in quantity, slightly less than the United States. These ships are made by Shanghai Shipbuilding and Repair Yard, and their design is aimed at intelligence collection. Although they look modest on the outside, they are filled with antenna arrays, signal processors, and helicopter platforms that allow rotary-wing aircraft to take off for observation. Its main job is to intercept and analyze electronic signals, radar waves, communication channels, and missile trajectories. Improved versions, the 815A and 815G, have more advanced equipment, can process high-frequency data, and have some interference functions. In short, this ship is not for warfare, but for eyes and ears, specifically monitoring the electromagnetic activities of the enemy.

Why don't countries dare to touch it? The reason is actually quite straightforward. First, international law is there. This ship is a non-combat platform, flying the flag of the Chinese Navy, and it is legally sailing in international waters. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea clearly states that attacking a warship is an act of aggression, which may escalate into a diplomatic crisis. The Hague Convention also stipulates that non-combat ships must be protected, and attacking them would entail consequences. Imagine, if the US really opened fire, it wouldn't just be about losing intelligence, but causing a global uproar, and allies would have to think twice. Russia, India and other countries are the same, none of them want to sacrifice strategic balance for a single reconnaissance ship. Second, the ship is backed by the entire information system of the Chinese Navy. It is under the control of the Strategic Support Force, and touching it is like poking a beehive. The People's Liberation Army has Beidou satellites and shore-based radars as support, real-time transmission of intelligence, attacking it equals exposing its own position, and getting a counterattack in return.

In modern naval warfare, it's no longer about firing cannons, but about who has faster intelligence and stronger electromagnetic capabilities. The 815 can eavesdrop on enemy radar patterns, crack communication encryption, and even interfere with missile guidance for a short period. Taking the United States as an example, their aircraft carrier groups rely on electronic systems for coordination, F-35 fighters, Aegis radars, all high-tech things. When the 815 approaches, it can steal these parameters, then analyze the weaknesses. To attack? That means giving away intelligence for free and taking the blame. Sometimes the value of intelligence is greater than a round of air strike, losing it is equivalent to a strategic hemorrhage. Pirates are simpler, they are bandits, not fools. When piracy was active along the coast of Somalia, the Chinese Navy dispatched a fleet for escort, and the 815 type also wandered around. Pirates knew that this ship had no valuable goods, but robbing a warship was equivalent to looking for death. Behind it is the PLA, satellites are watching, nearby patrol ships can arrive at any time.

There are many specific incidents. In 2018, the US conducted a THAAD missile test in Alaska, and the 815-type ship approached from a distance, staying on the edge of international waters. US destroyers tried to drive it away, helicopters circled for intimidation, but China only issued a standard response, stating that the navigation was legal. The result? The test signals were all intercepted, and the US could only watch helplessly. In 2022, the Lincoln aircraft carrier crossed the Amami Strait, and the 815A type suddenly cut in, the aircraft carrier quickly turned east, and the entire formation changed course at full speed, leaving long trails on the sea surface. Japanese media reported that Japan Self-Defense Forces' patrol aircraft witnessed the whole thing, but the US ships' radar locked on but couldn't do anything. Similar incidents have repeatedly occurred in the South China Sea. In 2024, during the RIMPAC military exercise, multiple countries' ships lined up in the waters off Hawaii, and the 815A type quietly inserted itself, only a few nautical miles away. The US recorded the location, the exercise continued as usual, but the data had already flowed into the analysis center. In 2025, during the joint operation of the US, Philippines, Japan, and Australia in the South China Sea, the 815G type, Tian Wang Xing (Neptune), appeared and closely monitored the formation. The US ships' engines roared and turned, but the intelligence was collected without any problem. In July 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard intercepted a Chinese intelligence ship in the Manila Exclusive Economic Zone, but only issued a warning, did not take further action.

The Persian Gulf is also lively. In June 2025, the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated, and the US aircraft carrier formed three lines, and the 815-type ship worked in pairs, close to the US ships. It monitored the movements of the B-2 bombers throughout the process, and the electromagnetic data was transmitted in real time. Later, the US media reported that this made the US intentions impossible to hide. In Australia, during the 2023 "Talisman Saber" exercise, the Chinese ship No. 793 was seen hovering near the coast of Queensland, and Australian aircraft contacted it, but only monitored it, without taking further actions. In May 2022, a Chinese intelligence ship was seen drifting within fifty nautical miles off Western Australia, near the US-Australian submarine communication station, and the Australian side tracked it for a week, continuing the intelligence gathering.

The existence of this ship reflects the way of modern navies. Intelligence is the lifeline, and electronic warfare decides the outcome. The 815-type slowly circles once, bringing back data that can optimize missiles and radars, worth a fortune. The US Navy has more than twenty similar ships, but China's nine ships cover the Pacific, South China Sea, and Indian Ocean, sufficient for use. Some people on US forums have criticized, why doesn't the 815 have weapons, and pirates don't rob it? The answer is that it is an intelligence node, using electromagnetic waves as a shield. Attacking it equals admitting that technology has been exposed, and also gets the reputation of breaking the rules, a bad deal. All countries understand this, so the aircraft carriers go around, and the pirates run away.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848738364407948/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.