Satellite images show China made an apparent USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier target out in the desert

• China has a new carrier-shaped target, and it looks a lot like the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
• Satellite images show the suspected target on a range in the desert.
• The mock-ups may be opportunities for China to test elements of its missile force, which has grown in recent years.

New satellite images have captured what appears to be a mock-up of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier on a range in a Chinese desert.

The carrier-shaped object, like some of the others in the area, is likely there for target practice, allowing China to test its increasingly formidable missile force and may highlight Chinese efforts to build a force capable of keeping American warships at bay.