Screenshot of the article "Photo Shows China Missile System Replica Training US Fighter Pilots" on July 31, 2025 from The Newsweek website

The US used replicas of China's air defense missile system as part of its fighter pilot training program, according to media outlets including the Newsweek and Army Recognition. In response to the US display of a so-called "HQ-16 replica," a military affairs expert told the Global Times that the model is more of a "simulation training device" used as an "adversary reference." However, judging from its inauthentic tires, suggesting that the US move is more about hype.

According to a photo released by the Wisconsin National Guard on Tuesday, the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center showcased an "HQ-16 towable surrogate target" during an aviation gathering at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 25, reported US media outlet Newsweek on Thursday.

The surrogate showcased is a towable, high-fidelity replica of the HQ-16 transporter erector launcher. It replicates the visual, thermal, and radar signatures of the original system using embedded heaters and radar-reflective materials. Such precision-mimicking ground targets enable US pilots to rehearse detection, threat identification, and prioritization procedures under realistic operational conditions, Army Recognition, another media outlet, claimed on Wednesday.

In a news release, the Wisconsin National Guard claimed the Chinese air defense system replica serves as a full-scale training aid designed to familiarize fifth-generation fighter pilots with modern surface-to-air missile systems they may encounter in a combat scenario, according to Newsweek.

In the past, US forces have relied primarily on Soviet and Russian-based threat mockups for target training, including systems modeled after the SA-2, SA-6, and SA-20. The introduction of Chinese system surrogates reflects a broader shift in US defense planning, which now includes an increasing focus on People's Liberation Army (PLA) air defense architecture, the Defence Blog claimed.

Commenting on the US display of the "HQ-16 replica," Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that the model is primarily a "simulated training device," likely used as a visual, optical, or infrared reference for US military aviation forces.

"One can understand it as the US building a model to deploy in target zones during future training, enabling its aircraft and personnel to practice target identification. If necessary, they may even add modules, such as simulated spectrum emitters, to mimic the radar signature of Chinese air defense systems, though that would depend on whether the US military has such capabilities," Wang said.

Judging from the manufacturing quality of this replica - its tires are even inflatable balloons - it is essentially just a dummy target for air defense simulations, Wang said. 

Wang noted that this move by the US appears to be more about media hype. Achieving a higher level of simulation would require the US to possess substantial signal intelligence capabilities.

"Appearance-based identification is relatively easy, so the US military building and publicly displaying such a model is more likely aimed at sending a confrontational message to the public," Wang added. "This combination of 'equipment-based opposition' and 'public opinion manipulation' exposes the Cold War mentality of the US."