China Claims AI System Tracked U.S. B-2 Stealth Bombers Over Iran

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

Chinese defence technology company Jingan Technology claims its artificial-intelligence-driven “Jingqi” monitoring system intercepted radio emissions from four U.S. Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers during Operation Epic Fury, signalling a potential shift in the global balance between stealth airpower and AI-enabled surveillance networks.

The claim by Chinese defence technology firm Jingan Technology that its artificial-intelligence-driven monitoring platform intercepted radio emissions from United States Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers over Iran suggested that AI-enabled signal intelligence challenge assumptions about uncontested US airpower operations in high-intensity conflict environments.

The announcement, amplified across Chinese military-technology channels, asserts that the company’s “Jingqi” war-monitoring system detected radio transmissions from four B-2A bombers operating under the call signs Petro 41 to Petro 44 during the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury. 

By publicly presenting the detection as evidence that artificial-intelligence-enabled intelligence fusion can reveal patterns of US force deployment even under strict emissions-control doctrine, Jingan’s statement signalled that the era of uncontested American air superiority may face increasing pressure from multi-source surveillance networks rather than traditional radar-based detection alone.

Jingan Technology, a Hangzhou-based private defence-technology firm founded in 2021, stated that its AI-powered “Jingqi” monitoring platform combines open-source intelligence, satellite imagery, aviation tracking data, signal analysis, and publicly available military records to generate early-warning assessments of force posture changes across major conflict theatres.

The company described the system as capable of reconstructing operational activity sequences by correlating radio emissions, movement patterns, and deployment indicators, allowing analysts to infer escalation trajectories before open hostilities begin, which it claims enabled detection of the largest United States military buildup in the Middle East in approximately two decades.

According to the firm, the platform identified abnormal patterns beginning in January 2026, with intensified activity observed from February 6 onward during the period of US-Iran missile-related negotiations, which the company interpreted as early indicators of a pending high-intensity military operation rather than routine regional force rotation.