China Builds U.S. Warship Replicas for Target Practice

China is building replicas of American warships as targets to better prepare for a future conflict with the United States Navy, Business Insider reported on January 11.

New satellite images of China’s Taklamakan Desert show a full-scale mock-up of the uss Gerald R. Ford, America’s newest and biggest nuclear aircraft carrier.

In October 2021, satellites captured images of targets in northwest China shaped like U.S. aircraft carriers and destroyers.

Advanced missiles: One likely function of these targets is to test and refine missile seekers with image recognition and to improve missiles’ ability to target specific ships or even areas on ships that would do the most damage, former U.S. Navy submarine commander Tom Shughart said.

The [People’s Liberation Army] wants to make sure the seeker can see a carrier, discern it from other ships in the area, and maneuver to hit it within only a few seconds.
—Bryan Clark, former U.S. Navy officer

The Trumpet says: These targets show that China is actively preparing for a naval war with America. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has long warned of China’s increasing belligerence as it seeks to challenge U.S. dominance, especially in the South China Sea.

Learn more: Read “China Is Steering the World Toward War.”