Exovera’s report, China Developing New Methods to Counter Overhead ISR Systems, examines how China is advancing next-generation electronic warfare (EW) capabilities aimed at degrading traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. Drawing on recent research by Chinese institutions, the report highlights three emerging technologies: radar deception using Non-Linear Chirp Scaling and Low Azimuth Sampling Reconstruction (NLCSR), electromagnetic stealth enabled by Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS), and cognitive EW systems powered by Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs).
These developments mark a shift from traditional jamming toward adaptive, AI-driven deception tools capable of misleading ISR platforms in real time. NLCSR introduces false targets into synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, IRS dynamically alters radar reflections to obscure or misdirect, and GAN-based systems enhance spoofing effectiveness across the Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) loop. While still under development, these capabilities demonstrate China’s ambition to lead in intelligent electromagnetic warfare and highlight the growing need for effective countermeasures in the ISR domain.
