It is claimed that Chinese commercial vessels are tracking military communication signals
Commercial vessels belonging to the major Chinese shipping company COSCO may be used as covert electronic intelligence platforms. According to US administration officials interviewed by Reuters, such ships are capable of intercepting communication signals emitted from maritime and air transport vehicles in Europe, North America, and Asia. The Chinese side, however, has denied these claims.
Chinese commercial vessels are reportedly tracking military communication signals
Reuters, citing two unnamed officials from US President Donald Trump's administration, reported that China's COSCO shipping company is using its vessels to gather signals intelligence.
US officials assess that COSCO has been cooperating with Beijing in the field of intelligence gathering for decades. It is noted that such a system could allow China to intercept communication signals emitted from vessels and aircraft operating in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Washington have denied these allegations.
Special equipment designed for signals intelligence can vary depending on its size, structure, and capabilities. They can range from relatively small and simple devices to complex intelligence suites.
It is noted that since modern large commercial vessels are typically equipped with numerous antennas, communication, and navigation tools, it is technically possible to install such special equipment in a way that is unnoticeable from the outside.
It is not clear how the intelligence gathered through the vessels is used afterwards. However, onboard systems can record the received data and later transmit them to other centers via physical media or communication channels under secure conditions.
Simple passive signals intelligence suites can operate autonomously. More complex systems can be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world if the vessel is connected to satellite communications. Currently, high-speed satellite communication is widely used on commercial vessels worldwide.
Additionally, such systems can be managed by specialists directly on board the vessel. Along with monitoring the operation of the equipment, they may also have the capability to conduct preliminary analysis of intercepted signals of intelligence interest.
If the vessels are equipped with special data transmission channels, it becomes possible to send the gathered information in near real-time to other points of the intelligence network, including centers in China. There, the data can be processed for further analysis and use.
According to Reuters sources, one of the priority tasks of commercial vessels adapted as intelligence platforms could be to gather information on the development of military communication technologies and encryption tools.