Deep inside the most remote reaches of China’s western deserts, far beyond any city or settlement and hidden behind layers of restricted airspace, sits a place that has quietly become the heart of China’s most secret military ambitions.
From above, it appears as a gleaming mirage of concrete and metal against an expanse of land, and on the ground, it has been shrouded in secrecy with almost no details spoken by Chinese officials.
What has become clear, however, is that this former salt lake, forbidden slab of land, known as Lop Nur, has evolved into the centre of a vast programme that spans experimental aircraft, space weapons, and the most rapid nuclear expansion on the planet. The work began in the last six months and has seen significant progress.
In the emptiness of Lop Nur, Chinese president Xi Jinping has reportedly built a sprawling network of runways, test tunnels, and hangars that analysts say contain some of the most advanced defence projects Beijing has ever attempted.
The area, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, was once synonymous with China’s Cold War nuclear tests – now it is compared to America’s Area 51, an off-limits zone where machines of the future are tested behind walls of silence.
The first clue that Lop Nur had become something new came from high-resolution satellite images. Analysts noticed a colossal runway stretching for more than three miles across the desert, one of the longest in the world.
The airstrip stood alone with only a handful of buildings beside it, and there was no sign of ordinary flight activity.
Its purpose was unclear until late November last year, when Planet Labs captured an image that revealed a curious sight at the eastern end of the runway.
A long white object, roughly 32 feet in length, could be seen resting near several smaller shapes believed to be vehicles or support equipment.
The image, later shared by The War Zone, confirmed that the complex had expanded significantly, including the addition of a large new hangar and a row of vehicles near the apron.
In Planet Lab’s satellite imagery, significant construction has been spotted at Lop Nur. The former salt lake has now evolved into the centre of a vast nuclear programme
A mysterious white object was seen on one of the runways, leaving experts to compare it to the X-37B, a secretive robotic space shuttle operated by the US Space Force
The runway constructed at Lop Nur is one of the most expansive in the world at three miles long
Although the white object remains a mystery, analysts have speculated that it may be part of China’s reusable spaceplane programme, possibly a drone or a test article designed for high altitude manoeuvres.
Its size drew comparisons to the United States X-37B, the secretive robotic space shuttle operated by the US Space Force.
The X-37B is launched into orbit on a rocket, uses its own systems to manoeuvre and deliver payloads, then glides back to Earth for a runway landing.
Much of its mission profile is classified. Analysts have warned that such platforms could be used to deploy weapons or disrupt satellites in the early stages of a conflict.
China has its own shuttle-like craft, the CSSHQ, which has completed two known missions. Although its capabilities remain under wraps, its presence has been closely monitored by defence agencies.
Beijing has invested heavily in near-space operations, pouring resources into projects able to operate beyond the reach of most conventional aircraft.
The desert around Lop Nur provides the perfect environment – there are no prying eyes, no commercial flights to avoid and no towns whose residents might ask awkward questions.
Satellite images taken in late summer 2025 indicate that the same runway is now home to two radically shaped stealth jets. These were not familiar fighters from China’s existing inventory.
They were smooth, angular machines with no visible tails, built to slip past radar systems and travel at high speeds across long distances.
The larger of the pair is known to analysts as the J-36, a tailless, three-engine aircraft with a diamond-shaped wing planform that has been turning heads in aviation circles since a prototype was first spotted on test flights over Chengdu in December 2024.
The J-36 is roughly 65ft across the wings and about 62ft long, and it appears to have been built to carry a heavy mix of weapons over long distances at high speed
The J-36 is big, roughly 65ft across the wings and about 62ft long, and it appears to have been built to carry a heavy mix of weapons over long distances at high speed.
Imagery and technical assessments suggest it is intended as a sixth-generation multirole aircraft that can perform air superiority, deep strike and command and control roles, including managing ‘loyal wingman’ drones in combat.
Its smooth upper surface and lack of a traditional tail are designed to shrink its radar signature.
Its design is central to its purpose – one aviation expert told the Telegraph that the tailless shape is meant to scatter radar signals. He said: ‘By taking the tail away, then you have a nice, smooth aircraft where the radar signals are scattered, rather than then sent back to the receiver.’
Others believe the jet could serve as a command platform for swarms of drones, orchestrating multiple unmanned craft while carrying a substantial payload of air-to-ground or long-range missiles.
Alongside the J-36 sits a smaller stealth jet known as the J-XDS or J-50, which appears to prioritise altitude and speed. It comes with two engines, a single seat, and a smooth planform that reduces its visibility on radar.
Layton said it was built to ‘launch missiles before anybody picks it up’.
Analysts have indicated that the two aircraft are designed to work together in deep strike missions, entering heavily defended airspace at high speed and attacking from distances where defenders have only seconds to respond.
The smaller J-XDS or J-50
All of this matters because of the broader strategic landscape taking shape in East Asia. For decades, Beijing has insisted that Taiwan is part of its territory, even as the island rejects that claim.
US intelligence agencies have assessed that president Xi has instructed China’s military to be capable of taking the island by 2027, although Beijing has never publicly committed to that timeline.
The appearance of these aircraft at Lop Nur suggests China is developing platforms that could play a central role in any potential assault.
Lop Nur’s secrets do not end with aircraft – tunnels cut into the hills of the east runway have become a source of growing concern.
Between 2020 and 2024, analysts identified new boreholes, access roads and buildings at a site historically associated with China’s nuclear programme. It has been suggested that the construction suggests preparations for underground tests.
Horizontal tunnels carved into hillsides can support very low-yield nuclear experiments that do not produce detectable seismic activity, while deeper vertical shafts are used for larger detonations.
No seismic data has indicated a major test in recent years. However, analysts have not ruled out the possibility of very low-yielding trials.
This activity is occurring at the same time that China is expanding its nuclear arsenal at unprecedented speed. According to international research institutes, China had around 500 nuclear warheads in early 2024.
However, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute this year, the country now has around 600.
The rapid rate of development, some critics say, is a desperate bid to catch up with the US, which reportedly has 5,177 nuclear warheads.
It is adding warheads faster than any other nuclear-armed state. The Pentagon has warned that China is building more than 350 new silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles across several fields, including one near the Lop Nur region.
The intelligence agency warned that by 2030, its nuclear arsenal will likely reach 1,000, in its report on Beijing’s military capabilities.
China’s liquid-fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles Dong Feng-5C on display at the country’s military parade in September. A report this year warned China may have 1000 nuclear warheads by 2030
After the report, a defence official who wished to remain anonymous told journalists: ‘I would certainly expect them to continue expanding and modernising their force after that.’
Although China claims to have a ‘no first use’ policy, meaning it won’t fire first in the face of confrontation, observers are still concerned.
The official added: ‘They also are showing some interest in developing a new conventional ICBM that could strike Hawaii, Alaska and the continental United States.’
Western officials and agencies have long warned that China does not divulge its full military budget. It has been suggested that the country spends 40 per cent more than it actually discloses, pegging its spending between $330 and $450billion.
Defence officials have described this shift as historic. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the United Kingdom’s Chief of the Defence Staff, warned in late 2024 that the world was entering ‘a third nuclear age’.
In an address at the Royal United Services Institute, he said Russia, China, Iran and North Korea were reshaping global security. He described China’s rapid nuclear expansion as one of the defining challenges of the decade.
In the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued his own warnings.
‘The Chinese are undertaking the most rapid military buildup in human history,’ he said. ‘A part of that is their expansion of their nuclear capability. So obviously we’re keeping an eye on that, and I think everybody is concerned about that.’
His statement reflected growing anxiety in Washington about how to respond.
That anxiety erupted into political debate when President Donald Trump declared on October 29, 2025, that he had instructed the Pentagon to resume nuclear testing.
In a post, he said: ‘Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.’
When asked whether this meant explosive underground testing, he said: ‘I’m saying we’re going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes.’
He added: ‘Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it.’ Trump also said: ‘I don’t want to be the only country that doesn’t test.’
While Washington debated its next steps, analysts found more evidence of China’s ambitions far above the atmosphere. Beijing’s progress in space warfare has accelerated dramatically in recent years.
In 2021, China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle that travelled around the globe before descending on its target in a manoeuvre that stunned US defence officials.
China has also developed an array of anti-satellite weapons, including systems capable of disabling or blinding Western orbital technology.
A Long March 4B said to be carrying Chinese Shijan-6 Group 05 satellites launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. Chinese scientists are racing ahead to boost the military’s capabilities
It has been reported that Chinese scientists have developed a high-power microwave beam weapon that combines pulses of energy into a single focused burst, drawing comparisons to the destructive beams of science fiction.
It has been claimed that it can fire 19 gigawatt power beams, capable enough to destroy drones, satellites and more. The weapon is currently in the design phase.
Among the most striking developments are the Shijian satellites. In 2016 and 2021, China tested Shijian 16 and Shijian 21, both equipped with robotic arms capable of grabbing other satellites and towing them into new orbits.
Shijian 21 demonstrated this capability by pulling a defunct Beidou navigation satellite more than 1,800 miles farther out into a disposal orbit.
China insisted the manoeuvre was designed to reduce space debris. Analysts acknowledged the technology could serve benign purposes but warned that it also had clear offensive potential.
They argue that a satellite able to tow debris out of the way could just as easily remove critical components from an enemy’s communications or early warning network.
China’s ambitions are not limited to Earth orbit. In June 2024, its Chang’e 6 spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon, touching down in the South Pole Aitken Basin.
The far side of the Moon is one of the most challenging regions for space exploration because it always faces away from Earth, making communication and control far more difficult.
China’s ability to reach the region twice has strengthened its claim to be a serious competitor in deep space exploration.
These developments form a pattern- at Lop Nur, machines that do not appear in public are undergoing testing. In orbit, satellites capable of manipulating other spacecraft are being refined.
Underground, test tunnels suggest preparations for a new phase of nuclear development. On missile fields across the western deserts, silos are rising in long grids of concrete and steel.
Soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army marching during a parade. The military’s strength is being expanded in multiple directions
China’s military capability is expanding in multiple directions at once, reaching into the skies, burrowing into the earth and climbing beyond the atmosphere.
Lop Nur sits in the middle of that transformation. It does not sit on any tourist route and neither does it have any city nearby, meaning no ordinary flight will ever fly past it.
However, defence analysts have come to recognise its significance from faint satellite images captured from far above, each one peeling back the secrecy of what China is quietly building.
The question for Western defence chiefs and intelligence is how long it will be before the weapons being assembled reach beyond the desert that hides them.
