[Llarry]

Back in the 1970s we used to joke that we were members of the "second-largest nuclear navy in the world" (referring to the Soviet Navy and its impressive inventory of nuclear submarines.)

Well, now the U.S. Navy is the second-largest navy in the world, with China having more surface combatants and more total warships. The U.S. Navy is still #1 in aircraft carriers and has far more nuclear submarines; China has fewer than 20 SSBNs/SSNs and 55 or so Diesel-electric subs, although apparently some have air-independent propulsion systems.

I'm no expert on ship design or engineering, but if you ask me, the U.S. Navy should build a modest number of advanced conventional (non-nuclear) submarines. Not to deploy worldwide like the SSNs, but to train the fleet in ASW against the type and perhaps operate in the eastern Pacific or the western Atlantic.

The attached is pretty dry reading, but summarizes the situation on the USN versus the Chinese Navy.