China has made America’s Ford supercarrier its new serious target

Images of a new aircraft carrier target on range in the Taklamakan Desert in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region were taken on January 1 by Planet Labs. Authentic black silhouette inspired by the USS Gerald R. Ford, and future aircraft carriers of that class can clearly be seen measuring approximately 1,085 feet in length.There are also structures at the same location. fordisland and four catapult tracks marked on the “deck” in the same locations as they appear on the actual ship. Distinctive sponsons and other outcrops (such as a wider, squarer stern) ford It is also present in the silhouette of the target.

Various masts can be seen scattered around the new bridge. ford the goal. Generally, these masts are used as radar reflectors and can be used in combination to mimic the complete radar signal of a real ship. This will help create a complete “phantom” aircraft carrier in the desert without the need for further extensive construction. Masts can also be used as stand-ins for individual features when used in smaller groups.

Part of the mast can also be fitted with antennas and other equipment for various testing purposes. Such masts have also been observed at other targets in the Taklamakan Desert region and elsewhere, including at sea. In the past, war zone We highlighted how these capabilities are particularly relevant to the development of new and improved radar seekers for weapons, other sensors, countermeasures, and electronic warfare systems.

Work on the new carrier target began in November 2023. A review of historical satellite images available through Planet Labs also shows that the general outline of the carrier has been there for some time. Since 2021, at this location in the Taklamakan Desert, the silhouettes of several small aircraft carriers have also been built within a large outline and then removed multiple times.

new site in china ford The target is less than 2.8 miles (about 4.5 kilometers) southeast of another serious aircraft carrier target, Taklamakan, which received a lot of attention in 2021. This target also has the same general dimensions as an aircraft carrier. ford class carrier, but still missing important structural additions.

Additional ship type targets, including other targets representing aircraft carriers and targets that appear to be based in the U.S. Navy early burke class destroyers dot the Taklamakan Mountains. Satellite images show that at least one of her destroyer targets, previously just a silhouette with various radar reflector towers, has been upgraded with additional structural features. Similarly hardened destroyer targets have been observed at this range in the past.

The Taklamakan Mountains complex is also home to at least one very large rail-based mobile vessel target. Learn more about.

All of this reflects a steady trend on the part of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) over the past few decades to create higher-fidelity land-based naval targets for training and testing.new ford The targets are a world apart from the concrete rectangles and other crude ship-shaped targets used by the Chinese military years ago. Using targets that better represent the real thing can help generate more accurate data during testing. Mountain ranges like the Taklamakan Desert can also add an extra layer of realism during training exercises, although the focus is on supporting research and development and test and evaluation activities.

At the same time, the PLA’s ability to detect and track aircraft carriers and other warships, and to do so persistently further and further from the coast, has increased in recent years. For China, drones are an increasingly important part of this equation. The PLA also continues to expand its space-based surveillance and intelligence-gathering assets to rival those of the United States. These are all capabilities that can be particularly important for the targeting process of long-range weapons such as anti-ship ballistic missiles.

“Recent Improvements in China’s Space-Based ISR” [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] This capability focuses on the development, procurement, and use of increasingly capable satellites equipped with digital camera technology and all-weather, 24-hour space-based radar. The Pentagon’s most recent annual report on China’s military capabilities, released last October, said, “These improvements will improve China’s surveillance capabilities, including surveillance of U.S. aircraft carriers, Expeditionary Strike Groups, and deployed air wings. “Space capabilities will enhance potential PLA military operations.” It is even further from the coast of China. These capabilities are enhanced by electronic reconnaissance satellites that monitor radar and radio communications. ”

Still, even with these other developments, the new goal of the Taklamakan Desert, representing the USS Gerald R. Ford It became clear that the People’s Liberation Army remains focused on being able to challenge American aircraft carriers in future conflicts.