China uses desert decoys to simulate attacks on U.S. military assets

New satellite imagery has revealed that China is utilizing desert training grounds to simulate attacks on United States military assets. In the Alxa League of Inner Mongolia, full-scale contours of an American aircraft carrier have been constructed in the sand to serve as targets.

Reports indicate that China has operated similar exercise sites in its deserts for over 20 years. In the Taklamakan Desert of Xinjiang, a life-sized replica of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is positioned on a 37-kilometer rail system. These mobile decoys are equipped with technology designed to mimic the electronic signatures of actual U.S. warships, making them moving targets for missile tests.

Additional training sites include replicas of American fighter jets, such as the F-22, F-35, and F-16 models. Furthermore, in the Gobi Desert, China has constructed a replica of the U.S. Naval Base Yokosuka in Japan, with satellite images showing impact craters near the ship decoys.