Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 19, 2025

Geostrategy-Direct

By Richard Fisher

China’s Dec. 9 launch of its TJS-22, or Tongshin Jishu Shiyan, a designator for a series of Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) missile early warning (EW), signals intelligence (SIGINT) and communication satellites — which could actually be the PLA’s 12th EW satellite — indicates a growing Chinese investment in the space-based element of missile defense.

This furthermore indicates that as the PLA builds up its offensive nuclear missile capabilities, an estimated 3,500 hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) warheads by 2035 according the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, there is also a potential for the PLA to be developing a national missile defense capability that mirrors President Trump’s “Golden Dome” national missile defense initiative.

The Dec. 9 launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March-3B space launch vehicle (SLV) amounted to the 20th launch in the TJS series of PLA satellites.

The PLA does not reveal many useful details about its 250 to 500 satellites, but based on the launch location, the orbit of the satellite and the size of the SLV, it has been assessed that the TJS series includes early warning, signals intelligence and communication series satellites.

Of these 20 TJS satellites, it is possible that up to 12 are dedicated early warning satellites, that are located in Geostationary Orbits that are following the same location on the Earth, or in elliptical-polar or Molniya Orbits that enable greater focus on the Northern Hemisphere — to watch potential missile launches from the United States and Russia.

Up to half, or 6 of these early warning satellites have been launched since early 2024, offering an impressive increase in this PLA capability.

These space-based early warning assets would then compliment at least six ground-based PLA long range phased array radar (LPAR) with ranges of thousands of kilometers, to track attacking missile warheads or bomber aircraft, providing vital data for ground-based strategic defense centers to formulate interception solutions and to conduct missile defense campaigns.

An initial PLA ABM capable-interceptor, the HQ-29, was revealed during the large Sept. 3 military parade in Beijing.

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