China Erects Full-Scale Arleigh Burke Destroyer Replica at Xinjiang Missile Range

The structure replicates the 510-foot hull, radar cross-section, and antenna array of the US Navy's primary surface combatant. Analysts first noted construction in early 2025; recent images show the completed model positioned amid tracked flat outlines of additional US ships. The site lies within an active People's Liberation Army Rocket Force range used for anti-ship ballistic missile trials.

This installation extends documented Chinese practice of building high-fidelity maritime targets. Earlier two-dimensional outlines at the same facility allowed overhead radar calibration; the new three-dimensional model enables full-spectrum electronic warfare and seeker-head testing. Parallel construction of a Taipei presidential compound at Zhurihe since 2015 indicates integrated training for Taiwan contingency operations.

US Indo-Pacific Command records show Arleigh Burke destroyers conducted 14 Taiwan Strait transits in 2024. Chinese defense white papers list counter-intervention capabilities as a core modernization priority. Both sides therefore treat the same platform class as the decisive variable in any blockade or amphibious scenario.

Next testing phase will likely include live missile firings against the replica to measure terminal guidance performance under realistic electronic emissions. Data from such trials will inform adjustments to DF-21D and DF-26 deployment patterns before 2027.