# China builds mock targets of U.S. F‑35s and Japan’s E‑767 at Lop Nur test range

*Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 6:05 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-20T18:05:33.638Z (2h ago)
**Category**: intelligence | **Region**: East Asia
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/18390.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: New satellite imagery shows China has built mock targets of U.S. F‑35 and F‑16 jets, Patriot air defenses and Japan’s rare E‑767 airborne warning aircraft at a desert range near Lop Nur, part of a growing network of ranges in Xinjiang that use detailed replicas of U.S. and Japanese systems.

New satellite imagery indicates that China has added a fresh set of mock targets to a desert range near Lop Nur in Xinjiang. The targets replicate several high‑value U.S. and Japanese military systems, including F‑35 and F‑16 fighter jets, Patriot air‑defense batteries and Japan’s E‑767 airborne early‑warning aircraft.

The E‑767 stands out in the imagery. Only Japan operates this early‑warning and control aircraft, with four planes in total, making it a distinctive asset in any potential conflict scenario. Building a mock‑up of it at a Chinese test range highlights the specific systems Chinese planners expect they might have to neutralize in a crisis.

These new structures appear at a time when China has been expanding and refining its target ranges in Xinjiang, constructing increasingly detailed mock‑ups of U.S. and Japanese equipment. Over several years, analysts have tracked the emergence of targets shaped like aircraft carriers, destroyers and airfields, suggesting a focus on practicing strikes against particular platforms and facilities rather than generic shapes.

For the crews who would operate such systems in a real conflict, the implication is that Chinese forces are training against life‑size stand‑ins for their equipment. That kind of preparation can help missile and air units learn how to identify and aim at specific silhouettes, which in turn could improve accuracy in an actual engagement.

Strategically, the mock‑ups add to evidence that the People’s Liberation Army is paying close attention to the assets the United States and Japan would rely on for surveillance, air defense and command and control in East Asia. F‑35s, F‑16s, Patriot systems and E‑767s are core parts of that architecture.

Future satellite passes will show whether these mock targets are used in live‑fire tests or further expanded. Analysts will also be watching for changes in Chinese missile‑test activity around Lop Nur and for any visible steps by Japan and the United States to harden, disperse or adapt their own deployments of F‑35s, Patriots and E‑767s in response.