{
  "id": "china-isr-satellites",
  "name": "Chinese ISR satellite fleet",
  "aliases": [
    "PLA ISR satellites"
  ],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "CHN",
  "category": "National ISR satellite inventory",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": null,
  "operators": [
    "CHN"
  ],
  "summary": "Aggregate of PLA-accessible intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, per U.S. Space Force intelligence.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "sats_count",
      "v": 510,
      "src": [
        "ussf-space-threat-2025"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "510+ ISR-capable satellites (optical, multispectral, radar, RF)"
    },
    {
      "k": "mission",
      "v": "Detect and track U.S. carriers, expeditionary forces and air wings; supports long-range precision strike",
      "src": [
        "ussf-space-threat-2025"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "program",
      "v": "China had more than 1,301 satellites in orbit (November 2025) and 70 launches in 2025; at least 10 satellites conduct space situational awareness",
      "src": [
        "ussf-space-threat-2025"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "image": null,
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/china-isr-satellites.html",
  "sources": {
    "ussf-space-threat-2025": {
      "title": "Space Threat Fact Sheet (current as of December 2025)",
      "publisher": "U.S. Space Force, Headquarters Space Force Intelligence",
      "url": "https://www.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Display/Article/4297159/space-threat-fact-sheet",
      "published": "2025-12-01",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}