The Rise of Beidou: Strategic Analysis and NATO Countermeasures

The expansion of China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), with its claimed technological superiority and electronic warfare capability—as highlighted by Chinese accounts of GPS disruption on a U.S. aircraft carrier in 2021—represents a security threat that exploits dual-use (civilian and military) technology. A strategic analysis published by Extrema Ratio News in 2025 confirms that the BDS system requires urgent countermeasures from NATO allies, including the widespread adoption of the European Galileo system, investment in PNT resilience, and the necessity of considering a ban on Beidou’s civilian use in the West, given its strategic value to Beijing.

by Gabriele and Nicola Iuvinale

The Geostrategic Context: The Need for Autonomy

The impetus for developing Beidou is traced back, according to Chinese sources, to a 1993 incident where the U.S. allegedly blocked the GPS signal to a Chinese cargo ship, the Yinhe. This event, described by Chinese sources as a "maritime humiliation," served as the catalyst for massive, independent investment in the BDS project, which achieved full global operation in 2020. Beijing's primary goal is strategic self-sufficiency in Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT).

The GPS System: The Foundation of Western Navigation

Before analyzing Beidou’s capabilities, it is essential to understand the system that has dominated the global stage for decades: the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Feature	Description
What It Is	A satellite-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) owned by the U.S. government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is the most mature and widely used GNSS worldwide.
How It Works	GPS relies on trilateration of signals transmitted from at least four satellites in medium Earth orbit to calculate the receiver's precise position on Earth (latitude, longitude, altitude, and time).
Technical Principle	Each satellite transmits signals containing its precise orbital position and the exact time of transmission. The receiver calculates the distance to each satellite by measuring the time delay for the signal to arrive.
Application	Originally developed for military use, it was made available for global civilian use and is now critical for transportation, logistics, telecommunications, and rescue operations.

Chinese Claims and the 2021 Military Case

The point of greatest strategic concern relates to interference capabilities, with People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) accounts reinforcing the narrative of a battlefield advantage during crises:

• The 2021 Incident (According to Chinese Sources): Chinese sources state that during exercises in the South China Sea in 2021, a U.S. aircraft carrier experienced navigation anomalies. While the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the incident, these sources suggest that China, using Beidou in conjunction with electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, can influence GPS signals.

• The Operational Advantage: The incident is described with alarming detail: U.S. carrier-based aircraft reportedly had their deck positioning "shifted" and became "caotic" during landing maneuvers. Meanwhile, PLAN warships and fighters, relying entirely on Beidou, continued to operate with precision. This narrative implies that, at critical moments, Beidou grants China a decisive information advantage and the ability to seize the initiative on the battlefield.

Dual-Use Technology and the Case for a Western Ban

The episode, regardless of its independent verification, highlights the most critical aspect of Beidou: its dual-use (civilian and military) nature.

As for GPS, Beidou was developed for military purposes, but its integration into the civilian market is vast: Chinese sources state that 137 countries use the system and almost all new Chinese mobile phones integrate it.

This widespread adoption poses a strategic dilemma for the West:

1. Data Harvesting: Beidou’s pervasive civilian application (in vehicles, logistics, and smartphones) provides China with a vast global data collection network that, while civil, can yield crucial referencing information for military command and intelligence.

2. Military Normalization: Civilian acceptance of the system normalizes Chinese PNT infrastructure, making its eventual integration and diffusion in sensitive domains easier.

In light of this clear military objective and demonstrated potential for electronic warfare, the argument is strengthened that the Chinese Beidou system, while promoted for civilian use, should be banned from civilian use in Western and NATO countries. Such a ban would be justified by the need to:

• Mitigate National Security Risks: Protect critical infrastructure and positioning systems from potential Chinese manipulation or denial.

• Support Allied Systems: Mandate the exclusive use of the GPS (U.S.) and Galileo (EU) to maintain the sovereignty and reliability of PNT capabilities within the Alliance.

The expansion of Beidou underscores that technological independence and electronic warfare capability are central to great power competition. The Chinese claims, even if amplified for propaganda, are a clear indication of the challenges Western allies must address to maintain a strategic advantage in the modern era.

The NATO Strategic Response

For allied nations, the rise of Beidou demands immediate action:

• Diversification and Resilience: Accelerate the adoption of Multi-Constellation Navigation (Multi-GNSS) solutions, integrating GPS with the European Galileo system, and investing heavily in advanced anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technologies.

• Sovereign Standardization: Promote a regulatory mandate for the use of Galileo for all critical applications in Europe, ensuring the Alliance is not vulnerable to systems controlled by strategic rivals.

A strategic analysis published by Extrema Ratio News in 2025 confirms that the BDS system requires urgent countermeasures from NATO allies, including the widespread adoption of the European Galileo system, investment in PNT resilience, and the necessity of considering a ban on Beidou’s civilian use in the West, given its strategic value to Beijing.