2. People’s Liberation Army Navy
Aircraft carrier – 1
Nuclear submarine – 14
Amphibious assault ship – 1
Conventional submarine – 57
Cruiser – 0
Destroyer – 31
Frigates – 50
A powerful navy has always been a dream of China, especially in the latter half of the 20th century. The Chinese communist leadership observed the role of the US Navy in both Korean War and Vietnam War, realizing that they have absolutely nothing that could even slow it down, let alone stop it. But creating a modern navy is a very expensive business, and only in the last several decades did Chinese managed to muster enough funds to start accomplishing the task. In 2017, PLA Navy will represent a force to be reckoned with, especially considering China’ aggressive posturing in South China Sea and insistence on the Nine-dash line. Now, let’s see the first place on our list of strongest navies in the world.
Pres Panayotov/Shutterstock.com
