Originally published at: Satellite images show massive models of US warships built in China desert | Boing Boing
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I can not stop thinking that somewhere in China a lot of people are laughing theirs asses of at the USA. Right Now.
P.S. We did this to the Germans in WWII with rubber tanks/planes, old tricks are the best tricks.
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I feel thoroughly reassured that these organisations exist, she lied.
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Something to do with giving AI systems realistic data to train on?
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If they’re reasonably faithful reproductions they could also be useful for boarding exercises, i.e. training a team to seize control of the bridge or disable the reactor or whatever.
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Actually, this is sort of the opposite of the fake vehicles of WWII. They aren’t meant to be seen; the Chinese are using these as simulated targets for training/weapon testing. Which makes sense, as every military is going to be training to deal with the biggest threats that exist for it, and right now that’s the US.
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I would not be so sure about that. China knew they would be seen, is my calculation.
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Ships in the desert.
You’re doing it wrong.
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Well, they couldn’t not be seen (they’re in a desert, someone will eventually notice giant ships there), but I mean that’s not their primary purpose.
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Well, it is only a question of emphasis.
You think they built them for target/boarding practice and as a by-product knew the US would see them.
I wonder if they built them to make sure the US saw them and the bonus by-product is having something for target/boarding practice.
It’s China. Never take anything at face value. There’s always a long-term strategic point.
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Yeah - although there are strategic benefits to the US not knowing what kind of training they’re doing, if they had wanted to keep this secret, they could have made some effort in that direction (by e.g. putting a cover over the structures), which they obviously didn’t do.
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Precisely. They could have, and did not.
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One of the carriers (an amphibious assault ship) pictured seems to be mounted
on a track, possibly allowing it to move while being targeted, as being able to
do a modern, sitting duck Pearl Harbor attack is very unlikely.
A useful training tool/target to some extent, but unless these “targets” can shoot back,
kind of limited as a depiction of how a real time attack would actually progress
against a “locked, loaded, and ready” USN.
They could always be repurposed as the “Great Desert Ship Ride” if things are allowed to de escalate~
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Why is there not a home-organizer makeover show called “Closet Encounters?” There lots of kinds possible…
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I had no idea voodoo worked on ships. Put a missile in the mockup and the real ship feels it too.
(If you think this is too stupid to be true, remember the men who stared at goats)
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Good point. It would be a daunting task, much harder than simply sinking it. But taking over an Aircraft carrier would be quite a coup.
When I was in JUCO I met a guy who was a hippie that used to be in the Navy on an aircraft carrier. He was in his 20s in the mid 90s for time reference. Not sure how we got on the topic, but he told me about scuttling drills to prevent capture. I assume the Navy is aware of such possibilities.
At any rate, I am sure we had dummy USSR equipment we trained our military to target.
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that pretty much sums up the military industrial complex of every country. china isn’t alone in it by a long shot
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Not sure I fully agree. In principle, yes, I’m sure you’re right. In practice, however, China is playing a far much longer and far more strategic long game than anyone else.
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