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- Thread starter Panzer
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The USN Reserve fleet is actually the second largest in the world
If its total naval vessels (and not just combatants)
The USN Lift (merchant fleet) is the third largest
and the USN Reserve Lift is the fourth largest
It might pay to restrict this to combatant vessels only.
So:
USN 1st
USN Reserve. 2nd
UK 3rd
Japan 4th
France 5th
If its total naval vessels (and not just combatants)
The USN Lift (merchant fleet) is the third largest
and the USN Reserve Lift is the fourth largest
It might pay to restrict this to combatant vessels only.
So:
USN 1st
USN Reserve. 2nd
UK 3rd
Japan 4th
France 5th
you need to consider the capability of those vessels,Panzer said:
eg Russian still nominally has a large fleet, except that up to 2/3rds of it is sitting in one of the 12 ports in the north west rusting away - absolutely useless - but their penant numbers are still active.
China - to all intents and purposes has a Littoral Fleet, and a significant number of her frigate sized vessels are considered to be obsolete - in fact Japans Navy is more than capable of destroying if not containing the chinese navy - as it currently stands.
I'd argue that at a surface combatant level, India has a more powerful fleet than China, but at the submarine level, I would say that China is more powerful.
See how difficult this is?
If you change the rules and then measure it by an issue of throw weight, then its
USA
Russia
UK (as they have MIRVS on their Tridents)
France
China
Israel (as they have developed nukes to be capped onto their sub launched cruise missiles)
India doesn't have any boomers, and the Yakhont/Brahmos is not nuke capable (yet)
people here are forgetting how fast China is upgrading and modernizing its forces... including the army, airforce, and the NAVY!! they're phasing out old stuff and inducting newer stuff... India is only good with surface combatants... submarine wise...even Pakistan is better than india... and leave the indian aircraft carrier away cuz its worthless...dunno y the indianz bought it in the first place.... russia....yess! they MAJORLY need to open their eyes and see the rusting stuff in their docks... and yeah I forgot to mention Japan before...its navy is pretty awesome!
My comments are based on knowing what China is in the process of upgrading and replacing - they still do not have a surface fleet that could depart home waters and effectively prosecute an effective engagement against Japan or India (for example)big_evil said:
New platforms require new training, they require substantial effort into re-integrating into the existing fleet. China does not have any surface force projection, india OTOH does.
The total number of vessels means nothing, total tonnage means little
capability
throw weight
force projection
autonomous prosecution
training
logistics support
denial capability
surge ability
tempo consistency
integration into other national assets
competency of the officer corp
doctrinal logic
all of the above define what is a capable navy (and army, airforce)
I dont see a reason why China in the coming yrs wud not undertake every effort to entirely modernize all its forces no matter what amount of fundin and training required... it has the perfect economy and internal strength and is bound to challenge the US by ....lets say 2060 or I wana be too optimistic then 2030... no other military force wud be near to China's by then.... whether army, airforce, navy or nuclear...