Overview
- Satellite images captured in May 2026 and released in late June show a full‑scale Arleigh Burke‑class destroyer replica at a test site in the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang.
- Analysts say debris visible around the structure is consistent with prior missile strikes and indicates the mock‑up is likely being used to test anti‑ship weapons against realistic targets.
- The feature joins earlier desert mock‑ups of U.S. ships documented since 2021 at Ruoqiang, showing a pattern of building realistic targets at Chinese missile ranges.
- China’s Defence Ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense declined to offer substantive comment when contacted about the replica and its use.
- Taken with signs of higher missile production and public displays of anti‑ship missiles in 2025, the testing raises concerns about Beijing’s growing ability to threaten surface warships and the security of Taiwan and Western Pacific sea lanes.