# Chinese State TV Shows DF‑26B Missile Hitting Mock U.S. Carrier in Xinjiang Desert

*Monday, November 2, 2026 at 6:18 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-11-02T06:18:10.582Z (2h ago)
**Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Global
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/22237.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: China’s CCTV has aired footage that appears to show a DF‑26B ballistic missile striking a full‑scale replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier at a test site in Xinjiang, signaling progress in anti‑ship capabilities and sending a pointed message about risks to large surface vessels.

China’s main state television channel has broadcast new footage of its long‑range missile forces, showing what appears to be a DF‑26B ballistic missile hitting a life‑size mock‑up of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Xinjiang desert.

The images, aired by CCTV, depict the impact of a missile against a carrier‑shaped target at a test field in Xinjiang. Reporting around the footage identifies the weapon as a DF‑26B, an anti‑ship variant of the Dongfeng‑26 operated by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force.

The DF‑26 family is designed to engage distant targets, and the DF‑26B version is tailored for strikes on ships. Using a full‑scale carrier replica as the impact point indicates that Chinese planners are refining weapons specifically for large surface combatants.

From a technical perspective, testing against a fixed target in a known location differs from tracking and attacking a moving warship at sea. Even so, each demonstrated hit on a carrier‑sized target improves engineers’ understanding of guidance, warhead effects, and target damage.

Choosing to show these images on state television gives the test a public dimension. It broadcasts to domestic and foreign audiences that China is developing missiles meant to challenge large surface vessels, including those similar in size and layout to U.S. aircraft carriers.

For navies operating in regions within reach of DF‑26B launch areas, this kind of testing underscores the need to plan around long‑range anti‑ship missiles launched from China’s interior.

Future indicators to track include any further publicized DF‑26B tests, visible changes in Rocket Force deployments, and adjustments in how other navies exercise and position their carrier groups in areas the DF‑26B can theoretically cover.