China’s Navy is Larger than the US Navy… But is it Superior? US Navy vs. PLA Navy

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) China now operates the world’s largest Navy and has for several years exceeded the U.S. Navy in terms of sheer size, a fact that raises the much-considered question as to whether the People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLAN) can outmatch or simply might be superior to the U.S. Navy.

By the Numbers

In terms of sheer numbers of ships, the PLA-Navy surpassed the U.S. Navy several years ago, but how impactful are pure numbers when it comes to maritime warfare superiority? Can today’s Chinese Navy outperform or even destroy the U.S. Navy? However unlikely this may be, it is certain to be a possibility being closely studied at the Pentagon.

Do sheer numbers equate to or parallel technological sophistication? Certainly “mass still matters,” to reference the famous concept expressed by Sun Tzu, yet several critical modern variables such as sensor and weapons range, multi-domain networking, and the effective use of unmanned systems could definitely offset or even counter any numerical advantage.

Technology Superseeds Numbers

The U.S. Navy, for example, operates 11 aircraft carriers, is fast adding a new fleet of unmanned surface and undersea vessels, and is arming its warships with a wide range of advanced technologies including laser weapons, next-generation electronic warfare (EW), and an unprecedented ability to launch and control a small fleet of unmanned systems. The U.S. Navy has also demonstrated breakthrough technologies with multi-domain networking, AI-enabled autonomous platforms, and course-adjusting weapons such as the Tactical Tomahawk, which can re-route as needed in-fight to hit moving targets at sea.

The specifics of China’s technological sophistication may be tough to fully assess, yet there is little doubt that the PLA-Navy is trying to challenge and ultimately surpass the U.S. Navy in terms of both size and capability.

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