China has built an array of replica ships, aircraft and bases in its desert expanse.
New images show an extensive buildup of targets and a focus on the US and Taiwan.
One former military official said the scale of this training was "unprecedented."
China is not just building replicas of US warships.
Satellite images analyzed by The Telegraph — a member of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network that includes Business Insider — reveal it is also building models of fighter jets, naval bases and Taiwanese presidential buildings.
Beijing has been using these models to test its ever-growing stockpile of long-range weapons and new AI systems as it prepares to take control of Taiwan — a top priority of Xi Jinping, the Chinese president.
The accuracy of the replicas "signals a highly specific focus on potential adversaries rather than generic capability building," said Damien Symon, a geo-intelligence researcher at the AI-analysis firm The Intel Lab, who first identified several of the maritime models.
While it is unknown if the US would officially come to Taiwan's defense, most experts agree that Washington would probably step in. Without American support, Taiwan would struggle to remain autonomous.
China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has also built to-scale models of Taiwan's presidential office and key government buildings so soldiers can practice storming the capital in the most realistic setting possible.
"They're basically creating replicas to provide them with the ability to maneuver through there on a training operation as though they were standing in Taipei," said Sean O'Connor, lead satellite image analyst at defence firm Janes.
Satellite images last year showed that China had built a 280km-long tunnel connecting the different replicas of Taiwan's government buildings to prepare for a scenario in which the country's leaders attempt to flee underground.
While it's not uncommon for countries to train with specific scenarios and enemies in mind, Monty Khanna, a former rear admiral in the Indian navy, said that the scale at which China had been training was "unprecedented."
And these satellite images show just how expansive it is.
The next set of satellite images reveal a mock-up of the Yokosuka Naval Base — America's largest naval base in Japan and one which would almost certainly be used in the event of a Taiwan contingency.
The US has more than 55,000 troops stationed in Japan — the largest number outside the US — as part of a security treaty between the two countries.
Experts previously told The Telegraph that the US forces especially in southern Japan would be the "tip of the spear" in a US response to a Chinese invasion.
As part of the Destroyer Squadron 15, there are 10 Arleigh Burke-class ships permanently stationed at Yokosuka.
"It's one of the most important US bases. If China attacked Taiwan, the Yokosuka Naval Base would presumably be involved so they include a model of Yokosuka for anti-access aerial denial drills," Lu Li-shih, a former lieutenant commander in Taiwan's navy, told The Telegraph.
Satellite images show mock-ups of warships stationed at the fake naval base.
Thomas Shugart, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a former US Navy submarine commander, identified a crater next to the fake warships, likely caused by a ballistic missile. The vessels were damaged in further strikes.
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