China’s Version Of GPS Is Nearly Complete

(h/t to TX2Guns) China’s version of GPS, called BeiDou, is nearly complete according to PopSci. This will allow China to work independently from other systems, namely US’ GPS and Russia’s GLONASS.

The latest satellite in the navigation system, a third-gen craft (known as BeiDou-3) now in a geostationary orbit, lifted off earlier this month from the Xichang Center in southwestern China. The system’s final satellite, scheduled for launch in May, will give it full global capability.

So they have a timeline of one more month for full operational capacity, and evidence supports that they’re using the system now. The People’s Liberation Army has already converted much of its new equipment to implement its use.

For the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), BeiDou acts as a domestically-controlled alternative to international systems. A cornerstone of the PLA’s modernization has been working toward being able to fight modern wars that require precision-guided weapons and advanced communication networks. Those need positioning, navigation, and timing satellites like BeiDou.

Further, China is telegraphing their own intend on targeting India by exporting weapons and equipment to Pakistan specifically designed for the navigation system:

China is also beginning to export weapons systems powered by BeiDou—most prominently with its “all-weather strategic partner” Pakistan.

Additionally, Pakistan’s homegrown Ra’ad-II cruise missile tested in February reportedly uses BeiDou as well as part of its effort to decrease reliance on GPS.

The target frequencies of interest for the BeiDou system, according to open sources, are:

  • B1C / B1I / B1A : 1575.42 mHz
  • B2A / B2B:           1191.795 mHz
  • B3I / B3Q / B3A: 1268.52 mHz
  • Bs Test Freq:        2492.028 mHz

Intelligence is useless without exploitation.

 

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

4 Comments

  1. Anonymous April 4, 2020 at 18:21

    5

  2. GT April 7, 2020 at 12:18

    Very interesting. UBLOX GPS receivers are capable of receiving GLONASS and GPS, but I wonder if they’ll be capable of receiving the BeiDou system in the future. Are these satellites clustered in geostationary orbit over China, or will they be a network over the whole planet? Might lead to some insight into their intentions for use of this system.

    • NC Scout April 7, 2020 at 12:50

      They’re working all over the planet. It’s still unclear if they have civilian applications, but it is online for military use now.

  3. […] in the month I covered information on China’s new GPS system, called BeiDou, with its primary purpose to modernize China’s guided weapon systems. Using satellite […]

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