Inside China’s Secret Plans To Bomb U.S. Warships

More satellite images have been captured showing China’s scheme to bomb American ships, planes, and potential bases by testing weaponry on exact replicas of them.

In June 2026, images taken the month prior were released to the United States, showing a replica of a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in the Taklamakan Desert that was surrounded by debris from previous missile testing. The Telegraph revealed additional photos of the same site in a Wednesday report. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated that he wants to “reunify” Taiwan and China — a plan which has broadly been interpreted as more of an annexation than a reunification — causing extreme tensions between the two. 

In preparation for the United States potentially sending naval support, China has been building and destroying replicas of American warships for years. Hidden behind mountains in a remote stretch of the desert, the site holds debris from tests dating back to 2021, along with replicas ready to serve as targets

A 23-mile railway was made to recreate how ships move across the ocean. The copies of the U.S. warships are placed onto railcars and moved across the tracks for training purposes to simulate a moving target for guns and missiles. Currently, the destroyed target on the tracks is the same one that has been publicly known for five years.

Surrounding the tracks are multiple other mock-ups of American warships, including at least two replicas of the USS Gerald R. Ford and the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that was revealed to the public last month.

In the same region of the desert, U.S. aircraft and runways were built for simulated attacks on other types of American weaponry. Craters surrounded the testing grounds. The runway has 20 planes split into two separate groups. 

The first group features two rows of F-22 model jets, four of which have already been destroyed. The second group is made up of four F-16 planes and six F-35s — the most advanced stealth aircraft in the world and currently in use by the U.S. Air Force. While the U.S. has yet to sell any of those specific models to Taiwan, it seems Xi still wants testing done on the plane.

Satellite images also uncovered a recreation of Yokosuka Naval Base, the largest American naval base, that would likely be involved in a potential conflict between Taiwan and China. The naval base, located on the eastern coast of Japan, is home to ten of the Arleigh Burke ships.

In addition to the Chinese replicating numerous targets that resemble an array of American maritime assets, they have also created Taiwanese bases and political buildings to practice tactics ahead of a potential invasion.