In the vast, remote regions of China's far-western Xinjiang desert, a mysterious facility has
piqued the world's curiosity.
Hidden within this enigmatic area, home to cutting-edge military research and development,
lies a hangar so large it could easily house a Nimitz-class supercarrier with room to spare.
Until recently, this intriguing hangar had remained shrouded from public view.
However, in late 2022, satellite imagery unveiled the existence of this awe-inspiring structure,
sparking whispers and rumors about its true purpose and whether or not the hangar heralds
a new era in a technology thought to be long gone…
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Structure In The Desert
In the remote and expansive western regions of China, where military research, development,
and testing activities are shielded from prying Western eyes, late 2022 satellite imagery
unveiled an intriguing and colossal structure.
Located just over five miles south of Bosten Lake in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the
gargantuan hangar, reportedly 1,150 feet long, 450 feet wide, and extremely tall, sparked
curiosity and speculation.
One of the largest on Earth, the secretive facility’s satellite imagery shows military
vehicles sporting the People's Liberation Army’s signature green paint along with
a partially improved, runway-like area extending around 3,000 feet to the west.
Open-source intelligence analysts have been monitoring the construction of this massive
hangar since 2013, when the People's Liberation Army began building the structure southeast
of Bositeng Lake.
Though the exact construction timeline remains uncertain, available imagery indicates the
structure was completed by 2015.
The sheer size of the structure sparked online conversations.
The facility's proximity to Malan Air Base, a secret People's Liberation Army Air Force
test base specializing in unmanned platforms, raised further questions about the purpose
of the hangar.
While there are no publicly available details about the vehicle that will occupy the hangar,
according to some, its dimensions strongly suggest a lighter-than-air craft.
Making a comeback
With their elegant lines and impressive size, throughout history, airships have been an
object of fascination, particularly for their military applications.
The golden age of airships came in the early 20th Century, when the German company Zeppelin,
founded by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, introduced their iconic airships, known for their rigid
frames and streamlined designs.
During World War 1, Zeppelins were employed as bombers and reconnaissance platforms, causing
significant damage to enemy cities and infrastructure.
Throughout the 1,900s, airships continued to evolve, and today, the resurgence of interest
in airships, fueled by technological advancements and the potential for numerous military applications,
has rekindled the interest in these vehicles.
The recent discovery of an immense hangar nestled in China's remote Xinjiang desert
has sparked a wave of speculation that this enigmatic facility could be the home of the
newest state-of-the-art unmanned airship.
After thoroughly analyzing satellite images, open intelligence and warfare aficionados
identified a sizable rectangular cradle on a half-mile-long apron outside the hangar,
potentially a specially designed sled for moving and launching an enormous lighter-than-air
craft.
21st Century
Modern airships have been proposed for a wide array of uses all over the world, and the
airship work at the hangar in Xinjiang may be, at least in part, focused on missile defense.
An airship could provide a platform for anti-missile weapons, such as interceptors or directed
energy weapons like lasers or high-power microwave generators. These capabilities could offer
a new level of protection against threats.
In China's far western regions, rugged terrain can make it challenging to provide reliable
surveillance coverage. However, a potential solution to this problem could be a stratospheric
airship capable of offering valuable long-range radar coverage, unencumbered by the region's
unique landscape.
Fired from a high-altitude lighter-than-air craft, an interceptor would not have to fly
as far to reach otherwise difficult threats, such as ballistic missiles in the mid-course
portion of their flight outside the Earth's atmosphere.
The airship’s potential for low Earth orbit operations could give China a significant
advantage in any conflict.
Additionally, an airship could also be a formidable platform for intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance packages or as a communications relay node.
With radars, cameras, and data-intercepting sensors high above ground-based obstacles
and interference, these airships could provide unparalleled reconnaissance capabilities.
A pseudo-satellite communications capability could be valuable in any future high-tech
conflict, where satellites would be prime targets, and it would be difficult to quickly
place new ones in orbit.
Some also suggest that airships may work a lower-cost method of heavy lift cargo loads
into space by the use of hybrid airships, which typically have small wings or some other
form of lifting body-type design.
For China, a hybrid airship design could prove useful for moving large, outsized payloads
to remote outposts inside the mainland or on islands around the Pacific.
Potential Airships
The actual airship designs that China is pursuing remain shrouded in secrecy. Nonetheless, reports
indicate that the nation is currently developing two airships.
A 2018 academic paper published in the Chinese Journal of Aeronautics revealed that an airship
named Tian Heng successfully completed tests. The Tian Heng, a high-altitude, long-endurance,
HALE solar-powered stratospheric airship, boasts a complex design featuring multiple
propellers for propulsion and flight direction control.
Intended for various applications, including surveillance, communication, and early warning
systems, the Tian Heng is designed to operate at high altitudes of around 65,000 feet and
stay aloft for extended periods, potentially up to several weeks.
While the paper doesn't mention specific payloads that the Tian Heng might have carried or been
designed to carry, it's clear that China has high hopes for this cutting-edge airship.
The same document briefly mentions a recorded 2015 test of another airship designed for
stratospheric operation, the Yuan Meng, another HALE airship intended to operate at high altitudes.
According to the document, China began testing the Yuanmeng airship in 2015. This airship
can reportedly detect threats such as stealth aircraft, cruise missiles, missile launchers,
and warships from hundreds of miles away. Yuanmeng can also reportedly act as a communications
relay for Chinese aircraft and drones in the event of satellite communications loss.
The 2015 test was planned to last 24 hours and took place in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia,
nearly 1,500 miles east of the massive hangar located in Xinjiang. While the current status
of both projects remains uncertain, it is likely that one or both models are associated
with the enormous airship hangar situated south of Bosten Lake in China's remote Xinjiang
Autonomous Region.
Airship Or Not
Despite their enormous potential, however, airships have faced numerous technical challenges.
They are lightweight and fragile, making them prone to devastating accidents.
Furthermore, the limited and uncertain supply of helium complicates the production and operation
of this lighter-than-air craft. At the same time, the highly flammable alternative lifting
gas, hydrogen, presents a considerable safety risk.
Despite the type’s tumultuous past and all potential challenges, Beijing appears determined
to leverage new technologies to bring the concept of airships to maturity and realize
their full potential, leaving many to wonder if these will be based out of the Xinjiang
desert hangar.
As such, the discovery of the hangar and China's push to develop advanced airship technology
has raised concerns among global powers, as the possible military and civilian applications
could alter the balance of power in the region and beyond.
According to official data, the structure is listed as a meteorological facility. Still,
because all surrounding facilities suggest military origin, this purpose may be a ruse
to keep the public away from this hangar.
Undoubtedly, the international community will continue to closely monitor the massive structure’s
progress, assessing the potential implications for global security and China’s real intentions.
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