Chinese military targeting DOD tech

“Annual Report to Congress: The Military Power of the People’s Republic of China 2005”

Defense Department officials acknowledged in a new report released this week that the Chinese military is developing sophisticated communications systems and computer network operations.

The People’s Liberation Army is developing modern, integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, the DOD report states. The Chinese military is bolstering its ability for computer network attacks, defense and exploitation, according to “Annual Report to Congress: The Military Power of the People’s Republic of China 2005.”

“The People’s Liberation Army has likely established information warfare units to develop viruses to attack enemy computer systems and networks, and tactics to protect friendly computer systems and networks,” according to the report.

DOD officials said the Chinese military believes the use of information technology and electronic warfare weapons can increase its effectiveness early in a battle. “The People’s Liberation Army sees computer network operations as critical to seize the initiative and ‘electromagnetic dominance’ early in a conflict, and as a force multiplier.”

DOD said the Chinese military calls this strategy “local wars under conditions of informationalization.” The U.S. and Chinese militaries could face each other if China attacks Taiwan.

DOD’s evolving military strategy is called network-centric warfare. That involves building fast, secure, connected computer networks, posting intelligence on those networks much more quickly, and giving warfighters access to them anywhere in the world to increase their knowledge and efficiency.

The DOD report on China’s increasing military capability including its emphasis on IT follows recent statements from department and military officials that U.S. military systems are increasingly under attack from adversaries.