In US and Chinese recent history, both have been building up their sea power. This transition has recently emerged as a central interest in military doctrine and geopolitical power competition. The United States still has the strongest fleet of 11 supercarriers. In contrast, China has begun to surge ahead in naval power, expanding their operational carrier strength by three. This surprising development is just the latest indication of an important turn in military balances in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.
China’s most recent entry, the Fujian aircraft carrier, is an 80,000-tonne vessel, launched in June 2022. Attended by President Xi Jinping, the ceremony represented a major step forward in China’s rapidly growing naval capabilities. The Fujian is around 300 meters long. It has the capacity for 60+ aircraft, signaling China’s commitment to strengthening its naval might.
The United States best exemplifies this with the USS Gerald R. Ford. Yet this warship, at $12.8 billion, is the largest and most expensive in the world—ever. This carrier is designed to operate 70 aircraft. At peak efficiency, it can cost-effectively execute up to 125 sorties, showcasing the advanced technology and operational capacity of the US Navy.
The UK’s situation is remarkable, fielding two aircraft carriers that cost £6.2 billion together. Across the board, Russia’s naval capability appears to be lagging. Today, it has no operational aircraft carrier, raising questions about its capacity to project power at sea.
China’s domestic aircraft carrier quest first took shape with the country’s first carrier, the Liaoning, which entered service in 2012. The Liaoning was at first a hulk constructed by the Soviet Union in the late 80s. Ukraine eventually sold this most unusual vessel. This first attempt would set the stage for China’s future aims in naval warfare and power projection.
Nick Childs of the International Institute for Strategic Studies emphasized the strategic importance of aircraft carriers in modern naval capabilities, stating that they are “an indispensable element in building a navy that can independently project power and influence globally.” This claim sheds light on a critical reality — that nations are still competing against one another to attain and maintain maritime superiority.
China has invested heavily across many aspects of antiship missile development. This investment is meant to safeguard its growing coastal investments from possible incursions by the US Navy. US super-carrier—based on historical military assessments, it usually takes more than 12 conventional missiles to cripple a super-carrier. This estimate is based on a Soviet Cold War-era rule of thumb. These types of investments point to China’s long-term strategy to offset the US’s naval dominance.
Recent maritime conflicts have only served to underscore the changing character of naval warfare. The USS Harry S. Truman faced an attack by Houthi rebels using drones while stationed in Yemen’s Red Sea, highlighting vulnerabilities even in advanced naval fleets. With the retaking of Crimea, Ukraine scored a major “functional defeat” of Russia’s black sea fleet. Creatively, they used swarms of sea drones aggressors to redefine the Navy as we know it.
The growing prominence of aircraft carriers in the US and Chinese fleets is symbolic of their use as tools of military power. It exposes their broader, more dangerous geopolitical aspirations. Each country is heavily increasing its naval capabilities. Regional security, trade routes, alliances—the ramifications of this eastward shift are huge.