Peculiar Chinese military installation: Scale Model Landscape

Perhaps the PLA is planning to set up a base underneath these mountains, or will use the area as a special training ground to train mountain fighting troops.

Or perhaps the model itself is supposed to be sort of a training device for officers, familiarize them with a landscape they may face in the future.

Originally Posted by Player 0

Perhaps the PLA is planning to set up a base underneath these mountains, or will use the area as a special training ground to train mountain fighting troops.

Or perhaps the model itself is supposed to be sort of a training device for officers, familiarize them with a landscape they may face in the future.

It's way to small for a base, people say that it is a scale picture of the border between China and India

Originally Posted by Player 0

Or perhaps the model itself is supposed to be sort of a training device for officers, familiarize them with a landscape they may face in the future.

If this is the case, then India better pa special attention to that particular border area.

Very interesting observations and thoughts...perhaps they are looking at building a "Cheyenne Mountain" there, but I would expect such an underground base would be much further in the interior and not near a border area.

My guess is that it is some type of training model, whether geared towards a specific, future operation in that particular area or not is unknown.

It maps out an area about 350 miles north of New Dehli near the India / Kashmir area. I snapshot & rotated my Google earth image 90 CCW and it is a dead ringer...

Interesting

Back in college I used to major in environmental science (before swtiching to business). That looks like a giant model for water/soil erosion study, though I don't think anyone ever built one THAT big.

It doesn't make much sense as a military model either. You wouldn't spend that much $ just to have infantry and vehicles roll over the fake mountains and destroy them. For the air force, I think it's a lot cheaper to use simulators. Also, this huge scale-model is not concealed, so any activity on it is open for everyone to see via sat photos.

Originally Posted by Seacraft

It maps out an area about 350 miles north of New Dehli near the India / Kashmir area. I snapshot & rotated my Google earth image 90 CCW and it is a dead ringer...Interesting

Great find and thanks! I had heard it was near or along the Indian border...and you have just verified it. Very interesting indeed.

Originally Posted by adeptitus

Back in college I used to major in environmental science (before swtiching to business). That looks like a giant model for water/soil erosion study, though I don't think anyone ever built one THAT big.

It doesn't make much sense as a military model either. You wouldn't spend that much $ just to have infantry and vehicles roll over the fake mountains and destroy them. For the air force, I think it's a lot cheaper to use simulators. Also, this huge scale-model is not concealed, so any activity on it is open for everyone to see via sat photos.

Those are possibilities. They could also be using it for training (and I do not mean putting troops into the model). They could be ranging, establishing fire zones, etc. They could also be doing things like calibrating spy satellite images, etc. Could also be water/soil/erosion. Hard to say.

What's this?
Chinese website says "解放军某训练中心卫星图"

Originally Posted by swimmerXC

What's this?
Chinese website says "解放军某训练中心卫星图"
[qimg]http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/592/13507574200608011313174971720080106xd2.jpg[/qimg]

Well, that appears to be a land-based training deck for an LPD.

What does the Chinese say?

Where is the location?

The lift arrangement looks like a Taraw class...but the island and the forward part of the deck are clearly not the same.

Originally Posted by Jeff Head

Well, that appears to be a land-based training deck for an LPD.
What does the Chinese say?
Where is the location?
The lift arrangement looks like a Taraw class...but the island and the forward part of the deck are clearly not the same.

The Chinese description reads "Peoples Liberation Army training center satellite map (photo)".

The "drawing" seems to be temporary. If you look at the other fading images on the ground, it looks like they had something else drawn there before, then replaced it with a newer drawing. I'm thinking of the chalk powder we use to draw baseball diamonds? Except this is on much larger scale, and prolly done with spray-on material.

If you look at the other silver-ish box, it looks a bit like a concrete pad with drawings that resemble the helicopter landing pad on back of a ship. I think this is prolly a training facility.

Originally Posted by Jeff Head

Well, that appears to be a land-based training deck for an LPD.

What does the Chinese say?

Where is the location?

The lift arrangement looks like a Taraw class...but the island and the forward part of the deck are clearly not the same.

Looks like flight deck of Varyag srunken alittle

According to someone at CDF this is Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH). Looks correct:

http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&ie=U...,0.004828&om=1

The internet is a funny place, isn't it?

Originally Posted by yoda9999

According to someone at CDF this is Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH). Looks correct:

http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&ie=U...,0.004828&om=1

The internet is a funny place, isn't it?

Yes it is!

Thanks...I thought the outline looked lot like a Tarawa class. When you do the hybrid, which includes the Sat and the Map. it appears to be just what you said. Thanks.

Now, back to the original topic...that installation the Chinese have created.

Originally Posted by Jeff Head

My guess is that it is some type of training model, whether geared towards a specific, future operation in that particular area or not is unknown.

I agree with Jeff Head. In my past we used allways (if there was time enough) to prepare to future area of operations on a smaller scale back in our staging area. With the help of that, we trainend the different operational steps. Obviously not with the whole crew, just the officers and may be the NCOs. Neither we used our vehicles or arms. Just on foot.
With this approach the commander was allways able to go through the operation plan and check if everyone had understood the process.

Now, "if I would" plan to take action in the mentioned area, then I would build a small scale "terrain" (like it has been done) and train at least the commanders (down to NCO if possible).

Originally Posted by alexander

I agree with Jeff Head. In my past we used allways (if there was time enough) to prepare to future area of operations on a smaller scale back in our staging area. With the help of that, we trainend the different operational steps.

The scale of the model is just...well, impressive.

900 meters on the long side! That's over 1/2 mile! 700 meters on the other. And such detail! A very expensive undertaking.

I am sure with it being posted so much on the internet now that the Indians have taken serious note of it and are making their own inquiries.

I'd like to be able to walk into thjat model and check out the topography and elevations. Also its operations. For example...is water being pumped into the thing and recirculated so that the rivers are actually flowing?