China Builds Full-Scale Model Of US Destroyer In Remote Desert

Security analysts poring over satellite photos of China have shared a surreal image: There’s a detailed, full-scale replica of a US Navy destroyer in the middle of a remote stretch of Chinese desert. It’s a vivid indication of the seriousness with which the Chinese government takes preparations for a potential war with the United States, perhaps over Taiwan. Thousands of miles from the nearest ocean, the mockup sits amid the sands of a missile-testing range near Ruoqiang in Xinjiang Province. It’s an exceedingly precise replica of a 510-foot-long US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. That type of vessel is a core workhorse…