China is on track to have more submarines than the U.S. Navy by 2030, according to a March Congressional report. Popular Mechanics mechanics noted the Congressional report in a Monday article, pointing out that China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is on track to have 76 submarines by 2030.
The March Congressional report states the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) “projects that China’s submarine force will grow from a total of 66 boats (4 SSBNs, 7 SSNs, and 55 SSs) in 2020 to 76 boats (8 SSBNs, 13 SSNs, and 55 SSs) in 2030.” Popular Mechanics reported that over the same time, the size of the U.S. Navy’s submarine force will actually drop from 68 submarines to 66.