A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the ChinaSat 3B satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, Hainan Province, China. Photo by Liu Fang / XINHUA / EPA
July 30 (Asia Today) -- China has increased its imaging, navigation and signals intelligence satellite payloads nearly sixfold over the past decade, rapidly narrowing the United States' technological advantage in space, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
The number of Chinese payloads in those categories rose from 99 in 2016 to 595 in 2026, according to the newspaper.
China has combined remote-sensing satellites, its independent navigation network and artificial intelligence to improve its ability to continuously monitor U.S. aircraft carriers and combat aircraft and support long-range precision strikes.
U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that China's counterspace capabilities could weaken the American military's ability to project power.
