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Amid the rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, reports have emerged that China has deployed hundreds of surveillance satellites near Australia. The main purpose of this deployment is to collect intelligence data on joint military exercises involving the US, India, and other regional partners. According to commercial space data obtained by a news outlet in Australia, China is conducting a full-scale surveillance operation in the region. The surveillance has been observed during the recently completed “Exercise Talisman Sabre” and the ongoing “Exercise Malabar” naval drills off the coast of Sydney.

The Australian news outlet revealed that three Chinese geostationary orbit satellites were detected during the Talisman Sabre war games in Northern Australia. Beijing’s Shiyan 12-01 satellite was detected drifting over Northern Australia, while the Shijian-17 and Shijian-23 satellites were tracked drifting eastwards. Additionally, since the commencement of Exercise Malabar, hundreds of smaller low-orbit satellites have been detected across the region, undertaking thousands of flights at lower altitudes over the continent.

Exercise Malabar is a joint military drill operation conducted by Australia, the United States, India, and Japan. Telescopes stationed outside Canberra and at Learmonth in Western Australia have been used to collect data on China’s ongoing surveillance operation.

The Australian defense company, EOS Space Systems, believes that China is utilizing its dominance in space to monitor its adversaries. Optical surveillance data collected during the Talisman Sabre and Malabar exercises showed significant activity in surveying the ground. Over 300 satellites were observed surveying ground-based activities, with over 3,000 overflights since the start of the Malabar exercise.

These low-orbit satellites provide persistent observation of offshore and mainland activities, raising concerns about security risks. The country’s Defense Department has not disclosed details about how it plans to mitigate this major risk.

The deployment of surveillance satellites near Australia highlights China’s increasing interest in the Indo-Pacific region and its willingness to gather intelligence on joint military exercises conducted by regional partners and the United States.

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