‘New form of war’: an insider view of China’s AI strategy in electronic warfare

China is rapidly developing an "AI Plus" revolution in electronic warfare, aiming to redefine how militaries communicate, jam signals, and control the electromagnetic spectrum, according to industrial experts.

A paper published last month argued that by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with the physics of radio wave propagation, China could achieve dominance in a "new form of war." This would involve communications and radar systems that are faster, smarter, and more resilient than current technologies.

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AI Plus revolution in electronic warfare

The findings appeared in the Chinese journal Command Control and Simulation on April 29. The research team is led by senior engineer Li Fukai from the China Academy of Electronics and Information Technology and the National Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation, both key defense research and development institutes.

For decades, electronic warfare focused on jamming, spoofing, and intercepting signals. However, in an era of drone swarms and hypersonic missiles, traditional methods struggle with the chaotic and unpredictable nature of modern signal environments. The Pentagon has reportedly used AI in strikes, but even advanced systems like the F-35 fighter jet have faced vulnerabilities, as seen when Iranian air defenses exploited weaknesses in U.S. electronic warfare systems.

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new form of war