China has orbited the 23^rd of 35 BeiDou/COMPASS satellites in the second generation BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) that aims to give it a truly global system for military and civilian use.

BeiDou is currently a regional navigational satellite system not up to par with the more widely used Global Positioning System (GPS) of the United States. It's also behind Russia's GLONASS or Global Navigation Satellite System and Europe's Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System. Japan and India are working on their own regional systems.

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The Compass-G7 satellite was the payload of a Long March-3C rocket that lifted-off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province last June 12.

The second generation system, also called COMPASS or BeiDou-2, became operational in China in December 2011 with 10 functioning satellites. BeiDou-2 began offering GPS services to customers in the Asia-Pacific region in December 2012 and intends to go global upon its completion in 2020.

There are two versions of the BDS service. The restricted military service has a location accuracy of 10 centimeters and is only used by the People's Liberation Army and the Pakistan Armed Forces, a Chinese ally. On the other hand, the free civilian service has a location accuracy of 10 meters. The U.S. GPS for civilian use is accurate to within one meter.

Western military analysts believe China will also use BeiDou-2 to track and guide its missile systems such as the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) and locate hostile foreign warships as far away as the Pacific Ocean.

Even with BeiDou-2, China won't have the continuous real-time tactical coverage that will allow an ASBM to accurately hit a maneuvering warship such as a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier a thousand miles away.

BeiDou-2, however, will allow China to identify, track and target warships. Hits on these warships are not assured.

TagsBeiDou Navigation Satellite System, china, Global positioning system, Compass-G7, Beidou 2