The U.S. Navy has released a document outlining its goals for dealing with the growing threat of Chinese military power over the coming years.
of U.S. Navy Combat Navigation PlansThe plan, released Thursday, aims to put the Navy in a stronger position against the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by 2027 through stepped-up recruiting and strategic technological advancements.
“The voyage advances two strategic objectives: preparing for a possible war with the People's Republic of China by 2027 and enhancing the Navy's long-term superiority,” the report said.
Russian and Chinese Arctic military drills prompt U.S. response, Alaskan officials warn only strength can deter crisis
Tourists visit the People's Liberation Army Navy's aircraft carrier “Kiev” in Tianjin, China. (Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“We will work toward these objectives through two mutually reinforcing avenues: the implementation of Project 33 and expanding the Navy's contributions to the integrated warfighting ecosystem,” it added.
The 2027 deadline for naval modernization is tied to Chinese President Xi Jinping's stated goal of having the People's Liberation Army ready for an invasion of Taiwan by 2030.
As the Pentagon noted in a document last year:Ambitious Dragon“If Xi Jinping continues to pursue the annexation of Taiwan, the PLA will be ready by 2027. And with China's aging population, Xi will take steps to realize these ambitions by 2030, while at the same time pursuing unification throughout his lifetime and solidifying his historical legacy.”
FBI Director Wray announces FBI has shut down second Chinese hacking group
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said in a statement that the plan is a “continuation of my predecessor's sailing plan and sets the course to raise the fleet's baseline readiness level and deliver more ready players to the battlefield — platforms with the requisite capabilities, weapons and sustainment capabilities, and people with the right mindset, skills, tools and training.”
Read the US combat naval route plan below — App User click here:
“The threat that China poses to our Navy extends far beyond the size of the PLA Navy fleet. While ships are critical, the days of assessing threats solely in terms of the number or tonnage of combat ships are over,” the Navy said in Thursday's report. “Through operational concepts such as multi-domain precision warfare, gray zone and economic operations, the expansion of dual-use infrastructure (such as airfields) and dual-use forces (such as the Chinese maritime militia), and a growing nuclear arsenal, China presents a complex, multi-domain, multi-axis threat.”
The new plan also notes Russia's continued importance in the East Asian region, noting that despite being “bruised and isolated” by the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russia remains a technological and operational threat.
Click here to get the FOX News app
An army brigade and naval unit from the Eastern Theater Command are conducting multi-subject combat training in the waters off Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, China.
Taiwan is also known as the Republic of China. Taiwan is an island off the coast of mainland Asia. In the 1940s, Taiwan declared independence from the People's Republic of China and maintained a holdout position with a republican government that claimed continuity of rule from the pre-revolutionary Chinese state.
The People's Republic of China Chinese Communist Party China has long claimed Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait.
