- Satellite images show China has built models of U.S. military aircraft in the Taklamakan Desert.
- Explosion scars and craters are visible, suggesting China may be using the area for target practice.
- China has previously built models of U.S. warships and aircraft carriers, possibly for a similar purpose.
Satellite images show what appear to be models of fifth-generation US-made aircraft floating in the Chinese desert.
Planes and suspicious The runway is covered in scorch marks and craters, suggesting China may be using the dummy aircraft and the area for target practice – this is not the first time such behavior has been observed in China.
Satellite images of the mock-up taken by Planet Labs PBC on April 19, 2024, and subsequently obtained by Business Insider, show both covered and uncovered aircraft next to a runway in the Taklamakan Desert. There appear to be around 20 aircraft near the structure, and three more near the runway.
Brady Afflick, an open-source intelligence analyst and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, said the model plane is different from others China has made so far and appears to be a training target of some kind.
Most of the aircraft pictured are covered, but nine appear to be exposed. Six of the uncovered aircraft bear a strong resemblance to the US Air Force’s fifth-generation fighter, the F-22. The others bear a slight resemblance to the P-8A Poseidon and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, but it’s hard to say for sure.
The latest satellite images, from late May, were posted on social media this week, showing what appears to be a mock-up of an F-35 among the fighter jets.
These satellite images, like those from April, appear to indicate that China has been using the plane and the surrounding area for target practice. Scorch marks and craters are clearly visible on one end of the apparent runway, and part of the aircraft model appears to be destroyed — marks not visible in images from several years ago.
A June 28, 2021 satellite image, also provided by Planet Labs PBC, shows the same scene, but with only seven planes and the runway area intact.
China has previously built models of American assets for target-shooting training.
In January of this year, satellite imagery showed what appeared to be models of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and a US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, also in the Taklamakan Desert. The models were believed to be targets and may be part of a Chinese effort to further strengthen its missile capabilities against naval targets.
In a war with China, the United States would likely rely on carrier strike groups for combat power projection.
One expert previously told BI that these mockups could allow China to improve its seekers with image recognition capabilities and develop the ability to precisely target specific ships or specific parts of ships where missiles could do the most damage.
China would benefit greatly from training with replicas of U.S. aircraft and ships. China has also built a replica of Taiwan’s capital city, including the presidential palace and government buildings, in the desert in the Al-Qaeda region. Such a facility could be used to train for potential conflicts.
