Is China readying for war with fake U.S. ships?

New satellite images show China has built mock-ups of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and destroyer in its northwestern desert—possibly for target practice. The images captured by Colorado-based satellite imagery company Maxar Technologies and dated Sunday show the outlines of the vessels sitting on a railway track.

What does this mean for the United States? At a news conference Monday, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said he had not seen the images and deflected when asked if Pentagon officials found them concerning. He said only that the United States finds China’s intimidation and coercive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region quite concerning. China has massively upgraded its military in recent years. Tensions continue to rise over the South China Sea, Taiwan, and military supremacy in the Indo-Pacific.

Dig deeper: Read Amy Lewis’ report about Australia pushing back against Chinese attempts to infiltrate its universities.