China's burgeoning undersea sensor net aims to turn the ocean transparent
a day ago
- #Undersea Surveillance
- #Kill Web
- #China Military
- China's PLA is developing a 'Transparent Ocean' strategy with a five-layer sensor network to track submarines in the western Pacific.
- The network includes space-based surveillance, surface/near-surface smart buoys, underwater autonomous vehicles, seabed observatories, and a data fusion command layer.
- The system aims to automate target tracking and enable real-time rerouting of 'kill paths' to maintain resilience under attack.
- Recent advancements include undersea observatories, long-endurance gliders, and cross-domain communication buoys.
- China is focusing on improving power systems for persistent underwater operations, including high-energy batteries and seabed recharging.
- The U.S. and allies should adopt a 'mesh-vs-mesh' approach, emphasizing counter-sensing and counter-UUV tactics to challenge China's network.
- Collaboration with regional partners like Australia and Japan is crucial to counter China's expanding undersea surveillance capabilities.