2 The fleet sizes of other leading nations are comparatively smaller.

By comparison, the deployable battle force of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) puts the figure slightly higher at 355 vessels. Congressional Research Service estimates that the Chinese Navy consisted of 348 ships and submarines in 2021, while the U.S. Navy in total size, and the PLAN has continued to grow in the years since then. Around 2015, the Chinese Navy surpassed the U.S. Over the last few decades, China’s navy has rapidly expanded. Research conducted by RAND suggests that China’s surface fleet in 1996 consisted of 57 destroyers and frigates, but only three of these vessels carried short-range surface-to-air missiles (SAM), making them virtually “defenseless against modern anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM).” Three quarters of its roughly 80 attack submarines belonged to the Soviet Romeo-class that entered service in the 1950s. The modernization of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has resulted in a growth in fleet size and capabilities. Please note that we have classified some vessels differently from IISS.

The largest naval armada