David Axe, National Interest: U.S. Navy Nightmare: The Chinese Fleet Doesn't Have 300 Ships, It Has 650
You have to count the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia.
The Chinese fleet is much bigger than most people think. And that should compel the United States to reconsider its Pacific maritime strategy, one expert argued.
The People's Liberation Army Navy by 2020 will possess between 313 and 342 warships, the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence estimated.
By comparison, in mid-2018 the U.S. Navy possessed 285 warships.
But the PLAN accounts for only a fraction of China's maritime power, according to Andrew Erickson, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College.
"China’s armed forces comprise three major organizations, each with a maritime subcomponent that is already the world’s largest such sea force by number of ships," Erickson wrote in Indo-Pacific Defense Forum .
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WNU Editor: What should concern everyone is not the fact that the Chinese have a naval force of about 650 ships, but that China is determined and committed to building better and more ships in the future.
Plenty of ships on the ocean, having so many is such a small area isn't my idea of effective naval power.
ReplyDeleteJust wait until they get more ships and a couple of ports in key areas.
ReplyDelete"Just wait until they get more ships and a couple of ports in key areas."
ReplyDeleteIs that when you will peak? You sound awfully hopeful and excited at the prospect.
eschew snippiness and deal with topic
ReplyDeleteFred, Bob wasn't addressing the topic.
ReplyDeleteHe was engaged in hopeful thinking of American defeat and you know that to be true.
It was an A to B conversation.
This fact of a rapid PLAN buildup and the US inability to match it will have consequences, in fact are having consequences right now.
ReplyDeleteEurope can see the US can't face off with China and defend Europe at the same time.
Trump has made it clear the US wants out of middle eastern wars. Obama was the same way, wanting out of the middle east. So the Middle East will be increasingly the EU's problem no matter which party occupies the White House. Look at the Democratic candidates. Can you spot an Atlanticist? Can you spot a hawk on confronting China with a military buildup?
The second a ship hits the water it starts to deteriorate. We'll see how well they can maintain their fleet.
ReplyDelete