China's new-generation satellite locks onto a Japanese oil tanker, giving the U.S. fleet a lesson: capable of 24-hour continuous tracking!

This new geostationary synthetic aperture radar (GEO SAR) satellite successfully tracked a Japanese oil tanker named Towa Maru in waters north of the Nansha Islands. The tanker, measuring approximately 340 meters in length and 60 meters in width, is comparable in size to an aircraft carrier. Reports indicate this marks the first time humans have achieved long-term, continuous tracking of maritime moving targets using high-orbit SAR satellites.

This breakthrough means China could potentially achieve global, all-weather, 24-hour persistent reconnaissance coverage of high-value targets—including the U.S. Navy fleet—using just three such satellites. Test results tracking the Towa Maru tanker show a positioning error of only about 3 kilometers. Additionally, tracking data for four other vessels were disclosed, with the lowest error reaching 1.6 kilometers. Combined with other intelligence data, this level of precision is sufficient to provide coordinate parameters required for anti-ship missile strikes.

The significance of this technological leap lies in the fact that China needs only three geostationary orbit SAR satellites to achieve continuous monitoring of high-value targets across global waters. In contrast, other countries aiming for equivalent capabilities might need to deploy hundreds or even thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites. Even the United States, which possesses the most advanced military technology globally, primarily deploys its radar satellites in low Earth orbit at several hundred kilometers above ground.

During tracking, a single satellite image can cover hundreds to thousands of kilometers of sea area. This means the satellite not only rapidly detects targets but also continuously monitors moving vessels within key maritime zones. For oil tankers like the Towa Maru—and aircraft carriers of similar size—this system acts like a "fixed camera" installed in space, able to monitor every movement of its target around the clock without interruption.

In my view, this solves a critical challenge: in the chain of anti-ship ballistic missile operations, detecting and real-time tracking of targets is the most crucial link. A retired U.S. Navy officer once pointed out that for anti-ship ballistic missiles to hit U.S. aircraft carriers, four major challenges must be overcome: satellite tracking capability, kill chain stability, ability to engage moving targets, and precision guidance. The 24-hour continuous tracking capability of GEO SAR satellites directly addresses the most difficult of these—the real-time, sustained, and all-weather target localization.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862413045803072/

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