Chinese-built mock Ford aircraft carrier for apparent target training

• China has a new aircraft carrier-shaped target, which looks a lot like the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford.
• Satellite images show a suspected target in a desert area.
• The mock tests could be an opportunity for China to test elements of its recently expanded missile force.

New satellite images have captured what appears to be a mock-up of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier at a firing range in the Chinese desert.

This aircraft carrier-shaped object, like several others in the area, is likely there for target practice, allowing China to test its increasingly formidable missile force and allowing the US This could highlight China’s efforts to build up a force capable of holding off its warships.

Satellite images taken by Planet Labs on January 1 show what appears to be a target in the Taklamakan Desert. The suspected target appears to match the shape, size and specific details of the USS Gerald R. Ford, according to The War Zone, which first reported the satellite images.

The Planet Labs image shows an island behind the Nimitz-class carrier and four catapult tracks marked on the model’s deck. The design is consistent with Ford’s, and its shape is over 1,000 feet long.

Work on the model began in November 2023, according to The War Zone’s review of historical satellite imagery. The outline existed for a while until more detailed goals were set.

Planet Labs also took photos of additional targets, one of which was apparently an American Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Previously it was a silhouette, but now it seems that the structure has been improved to match the destroyer.

The training range in the Taklamakan Desert, located in the Luoqiang region of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, is an area believed to be used for missile attack training. Satellite images repeatedly show what appears to be a model of a U.S. warship in the area.

In one example, an October 2021 satellite image captured what appeared to be a warship target on a rail system that could move back and forth.

In the Indo-Pacific region, The U.S. Navy regularly operates aircraft carriers and other warships, regularly patrols its waters, and conducts frequent military exercises. These activities sometimes cause friction with China.

In the event of a conflict, China would be expected to target U.S. airlines, given their high-profile status and role.

If China were to consider a missile test against the Ford model, it would be consistent with their stated goal of enhancing the capabilities of their rocket forces, including anti-ship elements.

In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense released its annual China Military Power Report, which analyzes China’s growing military power and combat capabilities. The report’s estimates of China’s missile stockpile showed a significant overall increase from the previous year.

The stockpile of intermediate-range ballistic missiles like the DF-26 has increased from 300 in 2021 to 500 in 2022. These missiles have an estimated range of 1,000 to 3,000 km, and are nicknamed the “Guam Killer” given their potential to attack U.S. forces on the Pacific island. ” was given the nickname.

A growing stockpile of DF-26s could threaten U.S. aircraft carriers like the Ford, allowing China to target them from a safe distance. China is also increasing its arsenal of intermediate-range missiles, some of which also have anti-ship capabilities.

The Chinese military also has a variety of anti-ship cruise missiles.

The Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has returned home from her first full deployment. Dubbed a supercarrier because of its size and capabilities, it first entered service more than five years ago and has been under construction for more than a decade. The warship’s hefty price tag exceeded her $13 billion, and was significantly increased due to delays and technology integration issues.

Until recently, Ford operated in waters near Israel. It was moved there in October in response to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war.