China has constructed full-scale replicas of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the Taklamakan Desert for military training purposes, according to a defense monitoring report. The targets are reportedly used to practice missile strikes, enhancing China's capabilities against U.S. naval forces.
China has constructed full-scale replicas of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the Taklamakan Desert for use as missile target practice, according to a defense monitoring report cited by multiple sources. The two mock-ups are positioned at a training range in the remote western desert, where Chinese forces are practicing precision strikes on high-value naval assets.
The development reinforces a pattern of China's military buildup and target-specific training. As The Zioneer previously reported (June 20), China is expanding vast military and nuclear facilities in the Gobi Desert, including ICBM silos and bunkers. The replicas in the Taklamakan represent a different, operationally-focused exercise: rehearsing anti-access/area-denial strikes against the U.S. Navy's most capable surface combatants.
The construction of exact-scale targets for both a supercarrier and a guided-missile destroyer indicates the PLA is specifically training for a scenario involving a confrontation with a U.S. carrier strike group. China has not publicly disclosed the training program, and the report's sourcing remains single-source, limiting immediate corroboration.
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