An All-Hands-on-Deck, All-of-America, All-of-the-Above Approach to Deter China

Capstones, September 2, 2025
With more than 370 warships, China’s navy (known as the PLAN) is the world’s largest. The PLAN is on track to have 435 warships by 2030. The U.S. Navy’s current fleet, by comparison, numbers 292 ships. Under its FY2025 shipbuilding plan, the Navy won’t reach its goal of 381 ships until 2042. To prevent Beijing from exploiting that gap, the American people and their elected representatives must expand not only the nation’s maritime capabilities, but also their understanding of what defines the fleet and how to deter the enemy…