China uses US warship replica as target for missile tests, images show
The life-size model appears to support missile tests against U.S. naval targets, including anti-ship ballistic and hypersonic weapons, researchers said.
- On Wednesday, newly released satellite images revealed China built a 3D replica of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at a remote test range in the Taklamakan Desert, mirroring warships operated by the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
- China has constructed several U.S. vessel mockups in the Taklamakan Desert over the past five years at a maritime range believed to be used for testing anti-ship ballistic missiles, as Beijing aims to enhance its capabilities to strike adversaries at sea.
- Taipei-Based researcher Joseph Wen identified the new target, noting it sits near a 23-mile rail system designed to transport mobile targets that reportedly carry equipment mimicking the electronic signatures of U.S. warships.
- Analysts suggest these training complexes strengthen preparations for a potential "decapitation" strike targeting Taiwan, as China has also built replicas of key Taipei administrative buildings at the Zhurihe military training base to simulate live-fire exercises.
- A U.S. defense of Taiwan would require Navy elements to cover vast Pacific distances, as the U.S. and its allies in the Indo-Pacific accuse Beijing of assertive regional actions; the Pentagon declined to comment on the new imagery.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Satellite photo shows China’s US warship target at missile test site
New satellite imagery shows a 3D replica of a U.S. warship in the desert in the northwestern China, in apparent preparation for weapons testing, amid a growing military rivalry with the United States.
China seems to be working on military targets in the desert. Experts see this as a possible signal for preparing for a conflict over Taiwan.
China Builds Replica U.S. Destroyer To Test Missiles On
Satellite images revealed Wednesday morning that China has built a replica of a U.S. destroyer at a remote missile-testing location in one of its deserts. The image captured in May 2026 that was just released depicts the structure of a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in Xinjiang in the Taklamakan Desert that will be used to test missiles. The subject looks to be an exact copy of a ship currently used in the U.S. Seventh Fl…
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