China’s navy is now the world’s largest maritime military force and will deploy 460 warships by the end of the decade, according to the Pentagon ‘s latest annual report on Chinese military power.
The current warship arsenal for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) includes 355 naval platforms, including major surface ships, submarines, aircraft carriers, amphibious warships and mine warfare craft.
By contrast, the U.S. Navy currently has 296 warships, but that arsenal includes 11 aircraft carriers capable of projecting power at long distances. Other Navy ships include 115 cruisers and destroyers, 68 submarines, 31 amphibious warfare ships and 59 small surface combatants and combat logistics ships.
U.S. analysts say the PLAN, financed by China‘s growing economic might, is building new warships at a rapid pace, mainly guided-missile cruisers and destroyers and corvettes, while its submarine force continues to expand.
“These assets will significantly upgrade the PLAN‘s air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine capabilities and will be critical as the PLAN expands its operations beyond the range of the PLA’s shore-based air defense systems,” the Pentagon report, made public last week, states. “By the end of 2019, the PLAN had commissioned its 30th Jiangkai II class guided-missile frigate (FFG), completing the production run while it finalizes a follow-on class with additional units under construction.”
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https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/nov/8/chinas-navy-now-worlds-largest-460-warships-2030-p/
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Note: The above U.S. Navy photo is of the Chinese Luyang II-class destroyer Jinan (DDG 152).
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