China’s armed forces are openly seeking artificial intelligence tools to track undersea targets, analyse satellite orbits, generate deepfakes and fuse battlefield data at speed, according to a sweeping new study of more than 9,000 procurement notices.
The report, China’s Military AI Wish List, published in February 2026 by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), analysed public requests for proposal issued by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) between 2023 and 2024. What emerges is not a handful of pilot projects but a sprawling inventory of AI ambitions stretching from the seabed to low Earth orbit.
Space And Counterspace In Plain Sight
Among the most striking findings are explicit requests linked to space operations. The PLA sought algorithms to detect and classify space objects, determine satellite orbits and identify anomalies in orbital behaviour. Some notices referenced space target detection and systems capable of supporting operations under varying space weather conditions.
Such language matters. Orbit determination and anomaly detection are widely recognised components of space domain awareness. In military hands, they could underpin counterspace capabilities, including tracking or potentially targeting satellites. The report notes that several space-related requests were unusually concise yet specific, signaling focused experimentation.
Undersea Surveillance To Challenge Western Navies
If orbit is one theatre, the ocean depths are another. A persistent theme across the dataset is maritime domain awareness and undersea sensing. Requests included AI-enabled acoustic target recognition, sonar data enhancement and even a “global underwater marine environment dynamic analysis system”.
Establishing environmental baselines — mapping temperature layers, salinity and background noise — is not mundane science. Such baselines are central to detecting anomalies beneath the surface. By applying machine learning to oceanographic data, the PLA aims to make adversary vessels stand out against the acoustic clutter.
Decision Support And Data Fusion At Scale
Beyond sensors, the PLA is investing in AI-enabled decision support systems designed to ingest open-source news, social media and geospatial data to forecast events and assist commanders.
Some requests described systems capable of sorting event data by time and location and predicting future trajectories.
Short acquisition cycles stand out. Many RFPs specified three- to six-month timelines. That suggests rapid prototyping rather than lumbering defence bureaucracy.
Deepfakes And Cognitive Operations
The study also identified requests for an “intelligent deepfake system” able to build a multilingual synthetic media library and generate manipulated video and audio. Separate notices sought deepfake detection tools, indicating a dual-track approach: create and counter.
Published by Kerry Harrison
Kerry’s been writing professionally for over 14 years, after graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Canterbury Christ Church University. She joined Orbital Today in 2022. She covers everything from UK launch updates to how the wider space ecosystem is evolving. She enjoys digging into the detail and explaining complex topics in a way that feels straightforward. Before writing about space, Kerry spent years working with cybersecurity companies. She’s written a lot about threat intelligence, data protection, and how cyber and space are increasingly overlapping, whether that’s satellite security or national defence. With a strong background in tech writing, she’s used to making tricky, technical subjects more approachable. That mix of innovation, complexity, and real-world impact is what keeps her interested in the space sector.