Naval Power: USA vs PRC

Naval power is not solely determined by the quantity of ships, but rather by the effectiveness and reach of their weapon systems.

Roughly ten percent of China's warships have a range surpassing a thousand miles, with few boasting strike capabilities extending beyond a couple of thousand miles (1 mile = 1.6 km).

Meanwhile, American supercarriers boast full blue-water capability, ready to strike targets at significantly longer distances, especially with standoff missiles.

Playing catch-up, China is currently upgrading its intermediate-range missiles, which range from 500 to 5000 kilometers.

In response, U.S. naval forces have a couple of "game-changers" deployable in the Pacific theater.

The first one is a system of land-based intermediate-range missiles strategically positioned in U.S. territories like Midway and Guam, with potential additional locations around Darwin, Australia. Spanning thousands of kilometers, these cruise missiles would effectively counter Chinese naval threats to the shipping routes.

The second one involves equipping submarines with a maritime-targeting version of the Tomahawk cruise missile. Unlike earlier iterations, these Tomahawks can effectively target moving naval vessels, reminiscent of their groundbreaking role in the Gulf War of 1992. Such advancement is a result of leveraging GPS technology for precision strikes.

What about China's Yaogan (遥感) reconnaissance satellites for targeting? Well, lagging behind America's advancements in autonomous adjustment, China's system has to rely on preset paths, rendering its missiles unable to hit moving targets.

The Chinese Navy, untested in real battles, lacks war experience, and its second-rate technologies can hardly improve the situation. Prolonging the current arms race with the U.S. would only accelerate deglobalization and exacerbate China's vulnerability in essential resources such as food and fuel. Don't expect Russia to stand with a loser.

Author: renqiulan

The U.S. Naval Institute (USNI)

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy's deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of April 22, 2024, based on Navy and public data.