China has spent years building U.S. ships, fighter jets and bases in the middle of the desert. Satellites have revealed what they were really for

Commercial satellite images show China building full-scale replicas of U.S. destroyers, Japanese and Taiwanese naval bases, and key Taipei buildings for military training.

Some of the mock targets include Arleigh Burke-class ships, Yokosuka facilities, airfields, and Taiwan’s Presidential Office, with signs of missile strikes on certain structures.

The sites suggest the People’s Liberation Army is rehearsing concrete conflict scenarios involving the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan, especially around a Taiwan contingency.

The report also highlights how commercial geospatial intelligence is making these preparations more visible from space.