Starlink Satellites Serve as Radars and Help China to Detect US Stealth Fighter Jets

An unprecedented radar experiment conducted by Chinese scientists could change the course of future warfare. During the experiment, scientists showed that electromagnetic radiation from Starlink satellites can help identify stealth aircraft.

Starlink satellites as a radar system

In an experiment conducted by Chinese researchers off the coast of Guangdong province in the South China Sea, a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone was used to simulate a stealth fighter jet.

This drone model was chosen because its radar cross-section resembles modern US fighter jets like the F-22.

Despite the drone’s having all the characteristics of a stealth aircraft, the researchers could detect and identify it with their radar.

According to the scientists, this was possible because the drone was exposed to electromagnetic radiation from the Starlink satellite that passed over the Philippines during the experiment.

The process involved using a receiver capable of picking up and analysing signals from Starlink satellites in orbit.

The Chinese government’s State Radio Monitoring Centre monitored the experiment, and the results were peer-reviewed before publication.

Due to political restrictions, users in China cannot access Internet services from SpaceX, and all signals from Starlink are heavily encrypted.

However, the research team developed a system using commercially available components to detect and analyse these signals.

Professor Yi Jianxin of Wuhan University, the team leader for the report, noted that stealth aircraft, such as the US Air Force’s F-22, hide their positions using absorbing coatings and specific geometries.

Nevertheless, the Starlink signal covers almost the entire planet and ‘offers significant advantages in detecting small and stealthy targets.’ Moreover, adversaries often easily identify radar systems.

Detection method

When an aircraft passes through the airspace between communication satellites and ground antennas, it can scatter some of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the satellites.

Scientists can analyse these minor disturbances to identify and track a target of interest.

This method does not require the radar to emit signals, making it difficult for an enemy to detect or jam it.

The radar antenna used in the experiment was the size of a frying pan, and the drone flew at a relatively low altitude. Despite these limitations, the system successfully detected complex details, such as the movement of the drone’s rotors.

The researchers used an undisclosed algorithm and an unspecified high-performance processor to process the captured signals.

The team is refining the detection model and improving the system’s ability to detect stealth aircraft at operational altitudes.

Possible consequences and potential threats

The method still needs to be independently verified and is not yet ready for military deployment.  However, the technology shows the potential to detect drones and stealth aircraft, which would give China and any other country an unforeseen advantage.

This experiment is part of China’s efforts to strengthen its stealth capabilities.

Other approaches include using prominent satellite constellations, over-the-horizon radars and advanced radar defence systems against stealth aircraft with minimal radar reflection through improved geometries and radio-absorbing materials.

In 2020, China said it had developed a metre-band anti-stealth radar that can detect advanced stealth aircraft. ‘Metre-band radars can be deployed on vehicles, land and warships, creating a dense web that prevents hostile stealth aircraft from hiding,’ Chinese military experts said.

This could revolutionise airspace monitoring and defence systems and is aimed at countering any US military presence in the region.