The U.S. Congress has revealed a plan by China to build a navy of 350 modern surface warships and submarines that can attack targets anywhere in the world.

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has a current inventory of 490 ships of all types but only 175 of these are the important warships (an aircraft carrier, destroyers, frigates, corvettes and submarines) that will count in any war against the more powerful United States Navy.

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The U.S. Navy has the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with 10 in service (Nimitz-class) and two in the reserve fleet. Three new carriers of the Gerald R. Ford-class are under construction. The lead ship in this class, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), will enter service with the navy this year.

The U.S. Navy has 272 deployable combat vessels and over 3,700 aircraft in active service as of February 2016. It now plans to increase this total to 355 warships.

A recent Congressional report indicates China's intent to match the size of the U.S. Navy. The report revealed China plans to increase the size of the PLAN to 351 ships by 2020 with the aim of developing PLAN's ability to strike global targets. Four of these warships will be aircraft carriers.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission recommended to Congress the U.S. Navy respond to China's naval challenge by building more warships and to increase its presence in the Pacific region -- a strategy the U.S. military is implementing.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was created by the U.S. Congress in 2000 to monitor, investigate and submit to Congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the U.S. and China.

The commission said the modernization plan for the PLAN calls for a large increase in the number of attack submarines and nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Chinese SSBNs are now able to attack targets over 8,000 kilometers away with their JL-2 submarine launched ballistic missiles.

The JL-2 is only deployed aboard Type 094 ballistic missile submarines, of which PLAN has four. Eight more subs of this type are planned. The JL-2 payload is either a single 250-1000 kt warhead or 3 to 4 90 kt MIRV warheads

The Chinese are currently working on a new SSBN and a longer range missile, the JL-3, said the commission.

TagsU.S. Congress, china, People's Liberation Army Navy, PLAN, U.S. Navy, USS Gerald R. Ford, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission