China’s push to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier marks an undeniable escalation in the Indo-Pacific power race. As the world’s second-largest economy races to develop the capability for sustained naval power projection, the United States finds itself at a strategic crossroads. For years, we have failed to make the necessary investments in our Navy, and now, the balance of power at sea is shifting in a way that directly threatens American interests and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
In the span of just over a decade, China has transformed its People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) from a coastal defense force to the largest navy in the world by sheer number of vessels. Starting with the retrofitted Liaoning in 2012, China moved quickly, launching the domestically-built Shandong in 2019 and the technologically advanced Fujian in 2022. Now, with the construction of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, China is set to gain the capability for prolonged, sustained power projection—something the U.S. Navy has held as a unique advantage for decades. According to a recent U.S. Naval Institute report, China’s navy now boasts approximately 355 ships compared to the U.S. Navy’s 292. While America maintains superiority in terms of tonnage and technological sophistication, these advantages mean little if we allow China to surpass us in terms of sheer scale and regional presence.
The U.S. has made strides in modernizing its forces, but the pace is insufficient. Years of delayed shipbuilding and budget constraints have put us at risk of ceding maritime dominance in crucial areas. Our aircraft carriers, submarines, and other surface combatants remain among the most advanced globally, but without adequate reinvestment and expansion, the U.S. Navy faces the growing possibility of being outnumbered and outmaneuvered, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, where China has a geographic advantage (Reuters analysis).
The strategic implications are immense. A nuclear-powered carrier will give China the capacity for longer deployments, directly challenging American influence in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and beyond. For Taiwan, this development represents an existential threat, as Beijing’s ability to project sustained power in the region strengthens its coercive posture. The United States, as a guarantor of security in the Indo-Pacific, must reassess its naval strategy and respond with urgency to this shift in the balance of power (AP News).
To counter this growing threat, the U.S. needs to allocate resources to expand our fleet, ensuring we maintain sufficient presence to deter aggression in critical waters. This isn’t just about new ships; it’s about increasing production capacity to match China’s relentless shipbuilding. Streamlining procurement and embracing public-private partnerships can help expedite this process (Business Insider). Additionally, we must continue to invest in advanced technologies. China may have the numbers, but we still hold an edge in areas like stealth technology, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems. Integrating these technologies into new and existing vessels can ensure that we don’t just compete in numbers but in operational effectiveness.
Furthermore, one of the U.S. Navy’s most potent advantages remains its advanced submarine force. The introduction of the new Columbia-class submarines will enhance our nuclear deterrence capabilities, ensuring a stealthy and powerful counterbalance to China’s growing carrier fleet. The Columbia class is designed to replace the aging Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and maintain underwater strategic superiority. Expanding and modernizing our submarine fleet, including quieter, more capable vessels like the Columbia class, will be crucial to countering China’s advancements in surface warfare.
The U.S. cannot face China’s naval expansion alone. Building stronger alliances with Indo-Pacific nations, from Japan and South Korea to Australia and the Philippines, will be essential. Joint exercises, intelligence-sharing, and logistics agreements will create a coalition capable of counterbalancing China’s regional ambitions. In addition, focusing on Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities—through investments in long-range precision strike capabilities, submarines, and unmanned systems—will allow the U.S. to counter China’s attempts to push us out of the Western Pacific. By leveraging these assets, we can make it costlier and riskier for China to project power in contested areas, particularly around Taiwan and the South China Sea.
In short, we cannot afford complacency. The rise of China’s navy isn’t just a regional issue; it’s a global challenge. As China pushes ahead with nuclear-powered carriers and other advanced capabilities, the United States must reaffirm its commitment to maintaining sea dominance. Failure to do so would undermine decades of American maritime supremacy and leave the Indo-Pacific—and perhaps the world—at the mercy of an increasingly assertive and authoritarian power.
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