Chang Guang, a Chinese commercial aerospace company, has released a brief video purportedly showing a satellite tracking a US F-22 Raptor fighter jet. The video, which dates back to 2020, was shared by Clash Report on X and reportedly utilizes the commercial Jilin-1 remote control satellite system.
The footage is notably short, lasting just six seconds, during which the satellite’s camera tracks the aircraft, identified as an American F-22 Raptor navigating through partly cloudy skies. This raises several questions: Is the aircraft truly an F-22? Was the video edited? Did the Jilin-1 satellite system actually perform the tracking? And why release only a brief segment?
While observing the F-22 in video footage isn't unusual, its stealth technology makes it nearly invisible to radar but not to the naked eye. If the satellite can track the F-22 beyond these six seconds, it suggests a significant advancement in combat capabilities, implying that satellites could detect aircraft that ground-based radars might miss.
Reports confirming that Chinese satellites tracked an F-22 flight would spark discussions on combat capabilities. Stealth planes like the F-22 are not completely invisible to radars but have "low observability," making them harder to detect. The F-22’s radar cross-section (RCS) is about 0.0001 m², akin to a small metallic pebble, making it detectable at 1/17.5 of the distance of a typical fighter jet. However, detection depends greatly on the viewing angle.
While the F-22’s radar signature is minimal, it is still detectable, meaning tracking a known stealth aircraft is feasible. This suggests that integrating orbital technology with ground stations could enhance radar focus on specific sectors, aiding in identifying stealth aircraft signatures, assuming clear skies and no interference.
China’s Jilin-1 Satellite System, developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., is a constellation of commercial remote sensing satellites providing high-resolution imagery and video for applications such as environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster response. It features diverse satellite types, including optical imaging, video, and hyperspectral satellites, allowing for a wide range of data capture. With a high revisit frequency, the system provides frequent updates of the same geographic area, crucial for real-time monitoring.
Launched initially in 2015, the Jilin-1 constellation has expanded significantly and now includes dozens of satellites, with plans for further growth.
Footage from 2020 has revealed that Chinese engineers are working on an advanced AI system to enhance the capabilities of low-cost commercial satellites, potentially transforming them into powerful surveillance tools. Reports suggest this system could improve success rates by up to seven times compared to current technology. Developed by researchers in the Chinese military, this AI system claims to track moving objects as small as a car with remarkable precision, achieving 95% accuracy in identifying small objects in Jilin-1 satellite videos, significantly surpassing existing methods.
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