Iran Adopts China’s BeiDou Navigation for Missile Guidance
चैत ४, २०८२ १७:३
Kathmandu. It has been reported that Iran has adopted China's BeiDou navigation satellite system in place of the U.S.-controlled GPS to improve the precision of its missile and drone strikes. This change is not only a technical advancement for Iran but also a strategic move that could alter the balance of military power in the Middle East.
Senior defense analysts have termed this new military structure “Eyes and Fists.” According to Defense Security Asia, China provides intelligence through its vast satellite network, while Iran delivers lethal strikes with its missiles and drones.
Due to this partnership, Iran has now begun to receive accurate information about Israeli and U.S.military locations 24 hours a day, in all weather conditions, and in real time. This Chinese system has enabled Iran to “find, fix, track, and target” a capability previously limited to major superpower nations.
How did the missile strikes become precise?
Iran accelerated the process of abandoning GPS after the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025. Former French intelligence chief Alain Juillet claimed on the Tocsin podcast that the main reason Iranian missiles are much more accurate than before is their access to China’s BeiDou system. He said, “One big surprise of this war is the precise targeting of Iranian missiles, which indicates a significant change in their guidance system.”
According to military analyst Patricia Marins, it is almost impossible to jam or evade (through spoofing) the military-grade B3A signal of BeiDou-3 (BDS-3). In the 2025 war, Israel successfully misled many Iranian drones by jamming GPS signals. However, the BDS system has the ability to automatically filter out such disruptions. As a result, Iranian missiles now have a circular error probability of less than five meters.
Other fundamental features of BeiDou
According to BNE IntelliNews and Firstpost, the “Short Message Communication” (SMC) feature in the BeiDou system has proven to be a massive advantage for Iran. This feature allows commanders to communicate in real time with missiles or drones flying up to 2,000 kilometers away. A Chinese satellite can instantly inform a flying drone to change course or hide if it detects a U.S. "Patriot" missile battery or F-35 fighter jet in the area.
Statements and Strategic Constraints of Iranian Officials
Iran's deputy minister of communications, Ehsan Chitsaz, has confirmed that Iran had to choose alternative options like BeiDou due to both internal and external disruptions to GPS. Iran is now implementing the BeiDou system not only for missiles but also in transportation, agriculture, and internet infrastructure.
Zhang Heqing, the counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Tehran, publicly confirmed the entire transition to BeiDou in Iran. According to him, this step has helped reduce dependence on Western digital infrastructure.
Geopolitical Influence and Future Warnings
The 25-year strategic partnership signed between China and Iran in 2021 laid the foundation for this space cooperation. Theo Nencini, researcher of the ChinaMed Project, says, “This move by Iran shows what future wars will look like. Wars will be won not only by missile launchers on the ground but also by satellite networks in space.”
According to Chinese military commentator Zhan Hao, the era of blindly relying on U.S.-controlled infrastructure is over. This successful implementation by Iran may also encourage other nations in the Middle East to abandon the U.S. GPS and seek alternatives, potentially altering the world's digital and military landscape.
Experts have warned that although Iranian missiles targeting Israeli or U.S. bases will physically come from Iran, the “brains” guiding them will be Chinese satellite systems.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: चैत ४, २०८२ १७:३
