China Builds Full-Scale US Warship Models for Missile Drills

Satellite images show the People’s Liberation Army constructing full‑scale mock‑ups of the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke‑class destroyer and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at a training site in the Taklamakan Desert. The installations allow Chinese forces to rehearse realistic missile and air‑strike scenarios against major U.S. naval assets. Reports also say a replica of Taiwan’s capital region has been built to train troops for potential strikes on the island’s command and government centers. The exercises are part of China’s broader Pacific and Taiwan Strait readiness program, reflecting ongoing strategic competition with the United States.