What is China’s BeiDou system and why analysts say Iran may be using it

Intelligence analysts say Iran may be using China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System to improve the accuracy of missile and drone strikes against Israeli and US military assets in the Middle East.

The assessment follows observations by analysts that Iranian targeting has become more precise since a 12-day conflict in June 2025. Analysts say the Chinese system could offer Tehran an alternative to the US-run Global Positioning System (GPS), which Washington can jam or restrict in contested areas, reports Al Jazeera.

Iran has not publicly confirmed using the Chinese network for military operations. However, analysts say a transition away from GPS has likely been developing for several years.

Below is what is known about the system and its potential impact.

What is BeiDou?

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is China's global satellite navigation network, designed to provide positioning, navigation and timing services worldwide.

China commissioned the latest version of the system in July 2020 as an alternative to the Global Positioning System.

China began developing the system after the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, when Chinese leaders feared the United States might restrict GPS access during a conflict.

According to the Chinese government's BeiDou website, the aim of the system is to "serve the world and benefit mankind."

How does the system work?

BeiDou operates through three main components: a space segment of satellites, a ground segment consisting of monitoring and control stations, and a user segment that includes chips, modules, terminals and application services.

The Chinese government says the user segment includes "various kinds of BDS basic products, systems, and services as well as those compatible with other navigation systems, including basic products such as chips, modules and antennae, terminals, application systems and application services."

How does it compare with GPS?

The BeiDou constellation includes about 45 satellites, compared with roughly 24 satellites in the Global Positioning System network.

Analysts say a larger constellation can improve signal coverage and positional accuracy in contested environments.

Elijah Magnier, a Brussels-based military and political analyst, said the level of accuracy depends on the service used.

"Accuracy varies depending on the level of service. The open civilian signal generally provides positioning accuracy of around five to 10 metres, while restricted services available to authorised users can offer much higher precision," he said.

How could it improve weapons guidance?

Military analysts say satellite navigation signals can improve missile accuracy when combined with other guidance systems.

"Typically, a missile uses inertial navigation to maintain its general trajectory while satellite signals refine the path and enhance targeting precision. This approach results in a substantial improvement in accuracy," Magnier said.

He added that "simultaneous use of multiple satellite systems provides an additional advantage: resilience against jamming or signal disruption."

"The evolution of satellite navigation has transformed the landscape of modern warfare. Precision strike capability, once the preserve of a handful of advanced military powers, is increasingly shaped by the availability of global navigation infrastructure," Magnier said.

Why do analysts think Iran may be using it?

Some analysts say Iranian missile accuracy appears to have improved in recent months.

Alain Juillet, former director of intelligence at France's external intelligence agency, said: "One of the surprises in this war is that Iranian missiles are more accurate compared to the war that took place eight months ago, raising many questions about the guidance systems of these missiles."

"There is talk about replacing the GPS system with a Chinese system, which explains the precision of Iranian missiles. … Significant targets have been hit," he added.

Juillet also pointed to the difficulty of locating mobile missile launchers across the country.

"Iran is three times the size of France, and the missiles are mounted on trucks dispersed across the country. How can one track these trucks in such a vast area?" he said.

When did Iran begin moving toward BeiDou?

Analysts say the shift may have been under discussion for years.

Theo Nencini, a research fellow at the ChinaMed Project, said: "Back in 2015, Iran reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate BeiDou-2 into its military infrastructure – particularly to improve missile guidance with signals far more accurate than those provided by the civilian GPS system previously used by its armed forces."

He added that access to encrypted signals could have provided a technological advantage.

Access to the military-tier signal is "significantly better than what was possible under the civilian GPS signal, given that the US restricts access to its encrypted military signals to its adversaries," he said.

"Iran's move towards BeiDou thus reflects longstanding concerns, demonstrating Iran's awareness of the technological challenges that would shape future battlefields," Nencini said.

Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology has said the country uses "all existing capacities in the world and does not rely on a single source of technology."

What military features does BeiDou offer?

Analysts say the latest version of the system includes several features designed for contested environments.

Patricia Marins, a military analyst, said: "Unlike the civilian-grade GPS signals that were paralysed in 2025, BDS-3's military-tier B3A signal is essentially unjammable."

She added that the system uses "complex frequency hopping and Navigation Message Authentication (NMA), which prevents 'spoofing'."

BeiDou also includes a short-message communication function that analysts say can allow operators to communicate with drones or missiles up to about 2,000 km away while they are in flight.

Why is this important strategically?

Analysts say the possible use of BeiDou could reduce reliance on US-controlled satellite navigation and complicate attempts to disrupt guidance systems during conflict.

Nencini said the conflict could also provide data for Beijing.

"This war, therefore, allows China to assess the effectiveness of its systems against American 5th generation fighter aircraft like the F-35, while collecting valuable data on the US ability to intercept Iranian missiles and drones guided by BeiDou," he said.

Some analysts say that if the system proves effective in conflicts, other countries in the region may consider diversifying their satellite navigation systems rather than relying solely on GPS.