The top five navies of the world
United States
First place on the list is no surprise: the United States Navy. The U.S. Navy has the most ships by far of any navy worldwide. It also has the greatest diversity of missions and the largest area of responsibility.
No other navy has the global reach of the U.S. Navy, which regularly operates in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa. The U.S. Navy also forward deploys ships to Japan, Europe and the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. Navy has 288 battle force ships, of which typically a third are underway at any given time. The U.S. Navy has 10 aircraft carriers, nine amphibious assault ships, 22 cruisers, 62 destroyers, 17 frigates and 72 submarines. In addition to ships, the U.S. Navy has 3,700 aircraft, making it the second largest air force in the world. At 323,000 active and 109,000 personnel, it is also the largest navy in terms of manpower.
What makes the U.S. Navy stand out the most is its 10 aircraft carriers—more than the rest of the world put together. Not only are there more of them, they're also much bigger: a single Nimitz class can carry twice as many planes (72) as the next largest foreign carrier. Unlike the air wings of other countries, which typically concentrate on fighters, a typical U.S. carrier air wing is a balanced package capable of air superiority, strike, reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief missions.
The U.S. Navy's 31 amphibious ships make it the largest "gator" fleet in the world, capable of transporting and landing on hostile beaches. The nine amphibious assault ships of the
Tarawa and
Wasp classes can carry helicopters to ferry troops or act as miniature aircraft carriers, equipped with AV-8B Harrier attack jets and soon F-35B fighter-bombers.
The U.S. Navy has 54 nuclear attack submarines, a mix of the
Los Angeles,
Seawolf, and
Virginia classes. The U.S. Navy is also responsible for the United States' strategic nuclear deterrent at sea, with 14
Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines equipped with a total of 336 Trident nuclear missiles. The USN also has four
Ohio-class submarines stripped of nuclear missiles and modified to carry 154 Tomahawk land attack missiles.
The U.S. Navy has the additional roles of ballistic missile defense, space operations and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief. As of October 2013, 29 cruisers and destroyers were capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, with several forward deployed to Europe and Japan. It also monitors space in support of U.S. military forces, tracking the satellites of potential adversaries. Finally, the U.S. Navy's existing aircraft carriers and amphibious vessels, plus the dedicated hospital ships USNS Mercy and USNS
Comfort, constitute a disaster relief capability that has been deployed in recent years to Indonesia, Haiti, Japan and the Philippines.
China
The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has come a long way in the last 25 years. The spectacular growth of the Chinese economy, which fueled a tenfold defense-budget increase since 1989, has funded a modern navy. From a green-water navy consisting of obsolete destroyers and fast attack boats, the PLAN has grown into a true blue-water fleet.
The PLAN currently has one aircraft carrier, three amphibious transports, 25 destroyers, 42 frigates, eight nuclear attack submarines and approximately 50 conventional attack submarines. The PLAN is manned by 133,000 personnel, including the Chinese Marine Corps, which consists of two brigades of 6,000 marines each.
The People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force provides fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for China's new aircraft carrier, helicopters for surface ships, and shore-based fighter, attack and patrol aircraft. The PLANAF has 650 aircraft, including J-15 carrier-based fighters, J-10 multirole fighters, Y-8 maritime a/c, and Z-9 ASW aircraft.
China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, deserves special attention. It was commissioned into service in 2012. Originally built for the Soviet Navy, after the end of the Cold War, Liaoning's unfinished hull languished in a Ukrainian shipyard. Purchased by a PLA front company, the ship was towed back to China where it spent nearly a decade being refitted. Liaoning is expected to function as a training carrier as China grows accustomed to the complex world of carrier operations. They are advancing their knowledge in this field at a geometric rate apparently
The People's Liberation Army Navy is well into the process of modernizing its amphibious capability, having commissioned three Type 071 amphibious Lift vessels . Each Type 071 LPD can carry from 500 to 800 Chinese marines and 15 to 18 vehicles, and can get troops ashore via hovercraft patterned on the American LCAC and Z-8 medium transport helicopters. China is also reportedly planning on building amphibious assault ships with full-length flight decks along the lines of the American Wasp class. A total of six Type 071s and six of the new amphibious assault ships are rumored to be planned.
China's submarine force is a decidedly mixed bag, with up to 60 submarines of varying quality. The core of the force consists of three
Shang-class nuclear attack submarines, nine Yuan, 14 Song and 10 Improved Kilo submarines imported from Russia. China's ballistic-missile submarine fleet is made up of three Jin class missile subs with a fourth (and possibly fifth) under construction. It is thought the South China Sea will eventually be used as a bastion for China's sea-based nuclear deterrent.
The PLAN continues to grow and learn. At least two more aircraft carriers are under construction, and China's carriers could eventually number up to five. In addition to carrier operations, the PLAN is also learning how to conduct extended voyages through its contribution to the international antipiracy effort off the Horn of Africa. China has sent 17 sizable TFs to the region, rotating in ships and crews to learn long-distance ship-handling skills.