The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployed an electronic warfare (EW) vehicle during the two-day national college entrance exam, known as “gaokao,” which is the world’s largest academic test.
This electronic warfare system is designed to operate in all weather conditions, offering tactical electronic support and electronic attack capabilities. It provides military commanders with tools to detect, locate, and identify adversaries, enabling them to counter with non-lethal effects that disrupt and degrade enemy communications and coordination.
The deployment of this technology during the gaokao appears to be aimed at creating an image of equal conditions and ensuring the absence of external assistance for examinees. Authorities in Guangdong province, located in southern China, have also implemented artificial intelligence to monitor and prevent cheating among students.
During the exam, students are tested in three core subjects: Chinese, mathematics, and a foreign language. Additionally, they choose between physics and history.
Chinese state media has described the gaokao as “the world’s toughest” college entrance exam due to its high stakes, competitiveness, and intensity. Students must condense twelve years of learning into a series of tests that each last less than two hours.
This year, more than 13.4 million students registered for the gaokao, surpassing last year’s record of 12.9 million, making it the largest ever held in China.