China's largely inactive submarine fleet stirs

China's largely inactive submarine fleet stirs
By Greg Grant ggrant@govexec.com January 8, 2008

China's entire fleet of 55 attack submarines conducted six patrols in 2007, up from the two the fleet conducted in 2006 and none in 2005, according to new information obtained by a scientific organization.

The information was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and posted on the Federation of American Scientists Strategic Security blog. According to the Navy, none of China's ballistic missile submarines have ever made a patrol, 25 years after the country's first nuclear missile capable submarine was built. Chinese submarines in the 1990s conducted an average of 1.2 patrols a year. FAS said the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet conducts more than 100 patrols annually.

The Navy has been faulted in some quarters for paying insufficient attention to China's growing maritime power, much of which rests on new submarines. At a House Armed Services Committee hearing Dec. 13, 2007, ranking Republican Duncan Hunter of California said the U.S. Navy risks being eclipsed by China's growing maritime power.

In an exchange with Navy chief Adm. Gary Roughead, Hunter said China was "outstripping us by 3-1 on submarine production, and your own figures show that they are going to eclipse us in submarine numbers in 2011." In response, Roughead said anti-submarine warfare was a top Navy priority.

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we could have built 3 to 4 subs per year. China sees us weakening because of Bush so their testing us and licking their chops about the day they overtake us as a world economic power. For now they are satisfied probing our defenses and developing strategies.

to The United States.

The United States became the premier world power. We are outsourcing our manufacturing to China.

Hmmm. Wonder what's next? :think:

The US could fix its education and health care woes and watch the rest of the world make their own accommodations. If the US had ceased interfering in the Middle East after the cold war ended, Israel would not have been able to keep amassing territory, several régimes would likely have toppled all on their own, and the IMF might actually have helped alleviate poverty instead of exploiting it.