China’s USS Ford Mock Up
(U) Located in China’s Xinjiang region, the Taklamakan Desert is home to a vast PLA training area used for missile and strike training. In the SE corner of the desert, one training range appears to have a full scale outline of the American Ford class nuclear powered aircraft carrier. For greater context, the USS Ford is America’s flagship power projection platform, commissioned in 2017, the Ford boasts several new upgrades and is widely known as a generational step in Western carrier design.
Look to the upper left side of this map to see the approximate location of the mock up in the Xinjiang region.
Sources claim that the mock up can be located utilizing GIS software such as ArcGIS but I found it relatively easy using Google Earth Pro.
According to several sources, these training areas likely serve three main purposes: missile/sensor testing, military training, and strategic messaging to signal its ability to target U.S. carriers. The mock-ups help China refine its anti-ship ballistic missile program (e.g., DF-21D, DF-26), practice strike planning, and showcase deterrence.
The strategic implications are significant: improved targeting accuracy, better operational readiness, and psychological pressure on the U.S. Navy. However, the training environment has key limitations: the targets are static, lack real ship defenses, and differ from conditions at sea. While they demonstrate intent and capability, they cannot replicate the full complexity of striking a carrier strike group in combat.
This mock-up does represent China’s focus on developing carrier killing capabilities, or is it just part of a messaging campaign to the West? another component of their propaganda machine?
Analysis:
If it isn’t just a PSYOP, then this mock up would suggest that adversary missile systems are being calibrated against high-value assets and that possible vulnerability (or at least exposure) of U.S. carrier strike groups is being taken seriously in adversary planning. Countermeasures (both technical — better missile defenses, stealth, rapid maneuver, etc. — and operational — dispersal, unpredictability, reconnaissance) will likely become more emphasized. Even though it’s static, the outline matches key visible features of the real Ford class such as the flight deck layout, the catapult track, etc. The presence of craters in the image suggests that some type of live fire or dummy munition testing is indeed taking place. This implies that China is working to reinforce it’s anti-access / area denial (A2/AD) posture in the Asia-Pacific region and in my opinion should be taken seriously. To US planners, this is a warning, they are not just talking about capability but showing the World that they are visibly preparing for an engagement with our premier power projection platform.
