China’s naval fleet has grown to 360 warships, with a potential to grow even further to 400-440 vessels and challenge the US Navy, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research said yesterday.
The think tank published the 2024 edition of its annual Report on the Development of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) military and politics, which included an article on the country’s naval build-up by researcher Chen Liang-chih (陳亮智).
The article cites reports from the US Congressional Research Service, the UK International Institute for Strategic Studies and other sources, to estimate that the Chinese navy has about 360 ships and will continue to grow in the short-term.
Photo: Xinhua via AP
The main vessels of China’s navy include three aircraft carriers, 45 destroyers, 40 frigates, 70 submarines, 40 amphibious assault ships, and 60 auxiliary vessels, the report said.
This does not include smaller ships such as missile boats or small frigates.
China’s latest warship, an aircraft carrier named Fujian (福建), is currently undergoing sea trials, it said.
It is highly anticipated as it is equipped with an advanced electromagnetic catapult system, something only the US Ford-class aircraft carriers are equipped with, it said.
The Chinese navy already has three Type 075-class amphibious assault ships, and is expected to launch the new more advanced Type 076 model sometime this year, the report said.
The new ships may have the ability to launch fixed-wing aircraft and drones, significantly strengthening the Chinese navy’s ability to carry out amphibious assaults, it said.
Part of the explanation for China’s rapid progress in this field is the CCP’s decision to build several world-class shipyards, the report said.
In the future, competition between the US and Chinese navies is likely to intensify, with larger fleets, more advanced vessels and weapons systems deployed, and larger military exercises, it said.
This competition is likely to have major effects on the Asia-Pacific region, if not the whole world, it said.
The Ministry of National Defense said in recent reports that it has invested in new naval weapons systems to combat the threat posed by China’s navy, including the new domestic submarine program and Hsiung Feng (雄風) cruise missiles, among others.
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