A recent test in China has highlighted what may be the world’s first AI-powered radar system for a military aircraft. Early reports suggest the experimental system demonstrated exceptional performance under conditions that typically disrupt conventional radar. 

Onboard an undisclosed aircraft, the AI-enhanced radar maintained almost flawless target tracking, even when exposed to advanced jamming techniques designed to confuse or disable sensors. 

In scenarios where standard radar systems lost track of a target nearly one-quarter of the time, the AI-driven approach adapted in real time, boosting detection rates to near perfection and suggesting a major leap in electronic warfare capability.

Nanjing scientists claim milestone in performance

Now, China’s radar research community is claiming a major leap in performance. In a peer-reviewed paper published last month in the journal Informatisation Research, Zhang Jie of the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation’s 14th Research Institute reported that radar target tracking continuity had risen from the earlier 70–80 percent range to more than 99 percent. 

He suggested that a paradigm shift in radar design philosophy is underway. The Nanjing-based institute, widely regarded as the cradle of China’s military radar industry, has overcome one of the toughest hurdles in airborne radar development – ensuring consistent tracking under hostile electronic suppression.

Fighter jets have long struggled to integrate AI into radar systems due to limited space, power, and processing capacity. China’s latest trial suggests those barriers may now be overcome. On today’s battlefield, dominated by an “electromagnetic fog” of jamming, stealth, and decoys, radars can no longer just detect targets – they must provide a wider perception of the combat environment, the South China Morning Post reported.

Zhang further explained that traditional anti-jamming techniques rely on static assumptions and often fail in rapidly changing conditions, causing serious performance losses. The new environment-aware approach for airborne radar is designed to adapt in real time, greatly improving interference suppression.

New radar system adjusts frequency and beam to stay locked on

The new smart radar goes beyond simple scanning by continuously analyzing the electromagnetic spectrum for interference. When it detects jamming, it rapidly shifts frequency, beam direction, and waveform to evade suppression, enhancing resilience and maintaining target tracking even in hostile environments.

Designed for flexibility, the radar can also adjust within milliseconds when enemy tactics shift. Instead of relying on the large language models popular in broader AI research, Chinese engineers have chosen traditional machine learning algorithms, reflecting a cautious and safety-focused approach to embedding AI in crewed combat aircraft.

While China has equipped electronic warfare drones with LLM-based AI that can autonomously analyze signals and execute jamming, for manned military aircraft, engineers opted for a more interpretable, deterministic AI framework, prioritizing reliability and control. The study reports that all test results, including algorithm design, simulations, and flight data, underwent rigorous validation.

Experts caution that if this AI radar lives up to expectations in combat, it could secure electronic supremacy. Its impact, however, goes beyond the battlefield: as China advances its smart city initiatives, the electromagnetic spectrum is growing increasingly congested, raising the risk of device interference.