Satellite images suggest the Chinese Army has been conducting drills in the desert on replica U.S. fighter jets and an aircraft carrier, according to multiple recent reports.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) was the latest to report on the images, which seem to show the People's Liberation Army, the military arm of the Chinese Communist Party, has been practicing strikes on fifth-generation U.S. jets.
Business Insider reported in June the airfield located in the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang province appeared to show F-22s, P-8A Poseidon aircraft as well as a U-2 reconnaissance plane, citing satellite images in April. Later satellite images appeared to show F-35 mockups, according to BI and the Turkish-based outlet Clash Report.
Several of the replica jets appeared to be severely damaged, according to the Hong Kong-based SCMP, which is owned by Alibaba. Alibaba founder Jack Ma was identified in 2018 as a member of the CCP.
A senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told the SCMP it appears that Beijing is practicing wartime scenarios that are aimed at counter-intervention against the Americans.
"U.S. and allied naval forces in general would be a natural target because of their power projection capabilities, which are perceived by Beijing as a threat," Koh told SCMP.
Eurasian Times reported Thursday that China had built a full-scale mockup of the U.S. Navy supercarrier USS Gerald Ford in January in order to practice its anti-carrier capabilities, again in plain view of satellites.
A senior defense researcher at Rand Corporation also noted "the Chinese are not hiding the mock-ups, so they may not care if Westerners observe them."
"It may also be the case that the Chinese want the U.S. military to see this as a reminder that China is serious about military training and preparation and as a warning against the United States," Timothy Heath told the SCMP.