According to recent reports revealed by the Chinese state media, China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier has been spotted with a spinning optical device. In the video, it can be seen that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy J-15 is taking off from the Type 001 aircraft carrier. However, no authentic information has been released as of now regarding the exact location on which this spinning camera has been mounted, but it is certainly an impressive technology developed with a futuristic approach. It has been reported that this spinning camera is capable enough to detect possible threats during warfare and can also prevent radar technology from being disrupted.
Coupled with this, the spinning camera is based on the concept of a panoramic infrared search and track-type system (IRST) and emits infrared rays which help in developing a defensive layer against the enemy tracking system and prevent the radars of the aircraft carrier from being trapped. Moreover, the camera rotates at an angle of 360 degrees and gives a full-panoramic view to detect and avoid the carrier from potential warfare threats. Also, the system is protected from electronic warfare systems and contains an enhanced level of situational awareness which is way more than conventional aircraft carriers.
Not to mention, the IRST system uses machine learning and artificial intelligence system that enables it to automatically detect and estimate the coming target even before it reaches the carrier. It should be noted that the IRST systems do not work through emitting radio-frequency waves and in this way, they get the competitive advantage because the enemy remains unaware of the fact that their targets like drones and swarms have been tracked and detected. In this way, the army can generate a response through a more efficient defensive mechanism. Thus, the system can easily detect different small drones and hard-to-detect objects that have the potential of causing harm to the ship.
In a similar way, detecting anti-ship missiles can also be done through the same technique, and thus, the system becomes one of the most “critical defensive sensors” being used in China. To that end, the presence of such state-of-the-art technology on China’s aircraft carrier depicts that they are taking serious steps in their defensive technology measures and are coming up with contemporary technologies with every passing day.