China Expands Aircraft Carrier Fleet to Challenge US Navy

The following piece first appeared on Warrior Maven, a Military Content Group member website.

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Earlier in 2024, the People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLAN), for the first time, had three aircraft carriers on the ocean, as its 3rd and most recent carrier, the Fujian, underwent sea trials.

The PLAN’s first two carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, have operated together multiple times to display dual-carrier operations capability.

The arrival of the Fujian introduces the broader question of China’s overall carrier fleet and what the PLAN may need to emerge as a singular dominant global power in the coming years.

Will the PLAN need to rival the US Navy in carrier fleet size to become a dominant global force truly?

What Does China Want In An Aircraft Carrier Fleet?

The Chinese seek to expand beyond being a dominant Pacific power and project global influence as a leading world power in a position to rival the United States Navy with 11 carriers.

There are two clear yet contradictory elements to this; in one sense, China is far from being able to maintain a global presence in any way comparable to the US.

And yet, China is adding new shipyards and building carriers and warships at a staggering pace.

It is unclear how many years the PLAN may take to operate a carrier fleet the size of the US Navy.

The PLA doesn’t need 10 carriers to assert regional dominance, but it must expand its fleet beyond three to sustain its growing global influence.

China’s Naval Expansion

In recent years, the PLA has dramatically increased its global reach into strategically vital areas such as Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

For example, China has built a forward-operating military base near the US military’s facility in Djibouti, located in the Horn of Africa.

Beijing’s one-belt-road initiative seeks to establish access and lines of influence from Western and Southern China into India and the Middle East.

The Pentagon’s annual China report explained that the PLAN is conducting far-sea carrier training operations at further distances off its coast in key areas near the Philippines.

Should China wish to support its growing military presence in certain places, such as the Middle East, or expand its allied relationships, it will need forward-deployed navy power projection.
Global economic, political, and diplomatic power and influence will ultimately need to be reinforced with military presence to establish a lasting presence in support of China’s interests.

US Aircraft Carrier Presence

The ultimate question is one of simultaneous global forward presence because the US can currently project massive Carrier Strike Group air attack campaign power in several places at one time.

US Navy aircraft carriers have protected Israel from the Mediterranean and safeguarded international commercial shipping in the Red Sea while maintaining a significant Carrier Air Wing presence in the Pacific near Taiwan and the South China Sea.

In this way, the US can exert its diplomatic, political, and military influence in support of its interests in multiple key locations at one time.

Should the PLAN wish to maintain its influence and presence in expanded areas such as the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and South America, it must reinforce its political and economic impact in new places with military power.

Otherwise, US and allied deterrence efforts could slow or stop China’s continued expansion to maintain a strong and imposing presence in strategically vital areas.