According to Western data, it is not the aircraft carrier, nor even the amphibious assault ships and destroyers, that China's navy has first surpassed the U.S. Navy in terms of scale and strength, but submarines!
The latest analysis from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) states that in the past five years, China's navy has commissioned 10 nuclear-powered submarines, while the U.S. Navy has commissioned 5 nuclear-powered submarines during the same period. The U.S. Navy currently has 71 nuclear-powered submarines in service, while the Chinese Navy has 32 nuclear-powered submarines in service.
However, most of China's nuclear-powered submarines in service are the 093 class attack submarines and the 094 class strategic nuclear submarines, which are all new submarines. Meanwhile, more than 30 of the 71 nuclear-powered submarines in the U.S. Navy are Los Angeles-class attack submarines, which are mostly in a state of waiting for retirement and few of them can be deployed at any time. More importantly, the decline in the U.S. shipbuilding capacity has severely affected the U.S. Navy's submarine warfare capability. The Sea Wolf-class attack nuclear submarine that collided with itself in the South China Sea in 2021 has still not been repaired to date.
This means that the number of nuclear-powered submarines in the U.S. Navy that are in standard service is around 40, although it is still more than the number of nuclear-powered submarines in the Chinese Navy. However, the Chinese Navy also has dozens of advanced conventional submarines, including the 039B and 039C models. These AIP-powered submarines, equipped with YJ-19, have significantly improved their combat capabilities. Once the Chinese Navy commissions a few more 095 and 096 class submarines, its overall submarine strength will completely surpass that of the U.S. Navy.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859803055526923/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.