Key facts
- China has built a full-scale, three-dimensional replica of a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
- The replica is located at a weapons-testing facility in the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang.
- Construction began around October 2025 and was largely complete by May 11, 2026.
- The mock-up is designed to test missile seekers and refine strike capabilities against realistic targets.
- The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is a key U.S. naval asset in the Western Pacific and a priority target for China's anti-access strategy.
- The facility also includes replicas of American fighter aircraft, naval installations, and Taiwanese government buildings.
China has constructed a detailed, three-dimensional replica of a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the Taklamakan Desert, thousands of kilometers from the nearest coastline. The mock-up, located at the Ruoqiang Test Range in Xinjiang, is intended for weapons testing and military exercises aimed at simulating attacks against American forces that might intervene in a Taiwan contingency.
The replica, which began construction around October 2025 and was largely assembled by May 11, 2026, is the most structurally detailed warship mock-up identified to date. Unlike earlier flat targets, this three-dimensional structure includes the hull, bridge, funnel, and helicopter flight deck, allowing for testing against imaging infrared seekers that identify targets by physical shape.
Experts suggest the precision of the replica indicates a specific focus on potential adversaries. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is considered the operational backbone of U.S. naval power projection in the Western Pacific and a key target for China's anti-access strategy. The training complex also features replicas of American fighter aircraft, naval installations, and Taiwanese government buildings, illustrating China's extensive preparations for potential conflict.
Previous discoveries at the Ruoqiang range include flat outlines of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and a carrier, as well as a 37-kilometer railway system designed to simulate moving naval targets.