The U.S. Navy continues to operate technologically superior warships, but its overall fleet size is putting U.S. maritime dominance at risk in the face of China’s rapid naval expansion, Navy Secretary John Phelan said.
Testifying on June 11 before the House Armed Services Committee, Phelan said China is no longer just a “pacing threat” and has become the “primary competitor” to the United States in what he called an increasingly “hostile and unpredictable” world.
“With their naval fleet nearing 400 ships, China’s goal is not the defense of its homeland only,” he said. “It is the forward projection of power and influence in the Indo-Pacific.”…