Iran reportedly explores use of Chinas BeiDou navigation system

China’s Satellite Navigation System Made Available to Iran: Experts Weigh In

Reports have emerged that China’s satellite navigation system, BeiDou, may be being used by Iran for military purposes in the Middle East. According to former French foreign intelligence director Alain Juillet, it is likely that Iran has been provided access to BeiDou due to its improved targeting accuracy since a recent conflict with Israel.

In June, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel, resulting in significant damage and casualties. While Israel’s defenses have intercepted many incoming missiles, some have breached their defenses, causing harm. Intelligence experts suggest that Iran may be using BeiDou to target Israeli military assets.

China launched its satellite navigation system in 2020, with the aim of providing global coverage and benefiting humanity. The system uses a significant number of satellites, with 45 orbiting the Earth, compared to 24 for the US GPS system and 24 for Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo system.

Iran has not confirmed or commented on its use of BeiDou. However, Juillet stated that a switch to China’s system could be a realistic explanation for Iran’s improved targeting accuracy since last year. It is unclear whether Iran can systematically switch to a different satellite navigation system in such a short period of time.

The US GPS system has been jammed or denied access by the US government, but it cannot interfere with BeiDou if that is what Iran is using. The implications of this development are significant, as it could potentially mark the end of the US monopoly on real-time satellite intelligence in the battlefield.

Source: Al Jazeera