US submarines are better than China’s ‘by far,’ but in a war that may not matter

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Christopher Woody

• China has invested heavily in its submarines over the past 20 years, but US subs remain superior.
• But time, location, and numbers could help China mitigate the US’s advantages.
• China also has an edge in a “gray-zone situation,” in which it can ramp up tensions while staying short of open conflict.

The US and others around the Pacific have watched warily as China has boosted its submarine force over the last 20 years, building a modern, flexible force that now has more total ships than the US.

US subs remain far better than their Chinese counterparts, but in a conflict, numbers and geography may help China mitigate some of the US and its partners’ advantages.

Naval modernization is part of Beijing’s “growing emphasis on the maritime domain,” the US Defense Department said in its annual report on Chinese military power.

As operational demands on China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy have increased, subs have become a high priority — and one that could counter the US Navy’s mastery of the sea.