Satellite images obtained last month from western China show the People’s Liberation Army apparently practicing for attacks on U.S. electronic warfare planes and aircraft carriers, according to a private intelligence company.
The company Allsource Analysis stated in a report made public Thursday that a satellite image from the desert in Xinjiang, western China, shows two mockups of what appear to be U.S. E-2 Hawkeye airborne warning and control aircraft.
Other warplanes have been spotted as targets in the past but not the E-2, which is a critical command-and-control aircraft for coordinating aircraft carrier strikes.
Outlines of the carrier-based propeller planes were spotted on the ground along with mockups of two aircraft carrier targets and one warship target.
“These new targets that first appeared in January 2025, are observed at a Chinese weapons testing range known for hosting naval targets, including U.S. carriers, warships, and rail-based moving targets,” the report said.
The targets are part of what the report said is a PLA effort to improve military strike capabilities against American naval forces.
DOCUMENT: Possible U.S. Military Aircraft Targets, Xinjiang, China
Naval forces are expected to play key roles in defending U.S. allies in the region from Chinese military attacks, including Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.
“Such simulations would also enable improved target acquisition techniques, bolstering the People’s Liberation Army’s ability to engage complex military assets across land, sea and air domains,” the report said.
The image was obtained by the commercial spy satellite company Planet Labs PBC.
Earlier satellite images taken in April by the company show mockups of 20 aircraft on a simulated runway including six models that appear to be F-22s, an advanced U.S. stealth fighter bomber.
The pictures also show apparent scorch marks and craters where bombing runs or missile strikes were suspected. F-35 mockups also have been spotted in the desert area.
In January of 2024, satellite photos also showed what appeared to be a desert simulation of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. Another target was shaped like a Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly called on PLA leaders to step up training to better reflect realistic combat training.
• Bill Gertz can be reached at bgertz@washingtontimes.com.