China has built what appears to be a full-scale replica of a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer at a remote missile testing site in the Taklamakan Desert, according to recent satellite imagery.
The three-dimensional mock-up warship was spotted at the Ruoqiang Test Range in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region. The replica has been visible since at least June and was first identified by Joseph Wu, co-founder of the Taiwan Defense Studies Initiative.
我國國安會秘書長吳釗燮 @josephwutw 自五月底便陸續於X公布中共船艦於台海周邊動態。
而觀察共軍於新疆夏普勒克之反艦裝備試驗場發現，其於五月中建成一「伯克級驅逐艦」立體靶標，表明除對台灰色地帶侵擾外，共軍亦加強試驗反艦裝備，旨在反制並威脅美第一島鏈軍事存在。
(Image via @vantortech) pic.twitter.com/dh8gVZBDGu
— Joseph.W 約瑟 (@JosephWen___) June 20, 2026
The mock destroyer appears to be the latest in a series of replica U.S. Navy vessels China has constructed in the desert over the past five years.
In 2021, satellite images showed targets resembling a U.S. aircraft carrier and two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers at a testing range in the Ruoqiang area of the Taklamakan Desert. Both types of warships are operated by the U.S. Seventh Fleet, which patrols the western Pacific and the waters around Taiwan.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is a vessel used by the U.S. Navy for carrier escort missions, air defense and long-range strike operations.
Defense analysts believe the mockup is likely intended to support testing of China’s precision-guided anti-ship missiles such as the DF-21D.
They say it could help improve missile guidance and artificial intelligence algorithms designed to distinguish real warships from decoys, potentially increasing strike accuracy against advanced naval vessels.
Some analysts have suggested the replica could also be used to study the effects of missile strikes on the ship’s structures.
The discovery comes amid heightened tensions between China and Western nations over Taiwan, following renewed concerns about Beijing’s military activities around the island.
On Wednesday, the British, French and German embassies in Taipei issued a joint statement expressing concern over recent Chinese operations off Taiwan’s east coast. The statement said Beijing had increased coast guard patrols that were “threatening regional stability and the freedom of navigation.”
