Remote site is ideal for quiet testing of sensitive, next-generation aircraft, analysts say, as some forecast faster high-end PLA deployment
3-MIN READ3-MINGabriel DominguezPublished: 10:00pm, 6 Sep 2026China is rapidly expanding a flight-test facility deep in its western desert, satellite imagery has revealed, a push that analysts say could help fast track the development of its next-generation military aircraft as air-power rivalry with the United States intensifies.Latest satellite photos of the facility near Lop Nur, in China’s western Xinjiang region, show four large new hangars, new taxiway work, a circular pad believed to be an engine-run or turnaround area, and possible fuel-storage infrastructure, according to an August 28 analysis by defence website TWZ.
Andreas Rupprecht, an aviation analyst and expert on the Chinese air force, said he was convinced Lop Nur would become the People’s Liberation Army’s new test centre for high-end next-generation aircraft.
But another expert familiar with Chinese military aviation, who asked not to be named, cautioned against drawing firm conclusions until the base expansion was complete.
