#中美关系#持续紧张, the contradictions in both the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea are gradually increasing. In the event of a conflict in the western Pacific region, the navy will most likely become the main combat service. In recent years, the Chinese Navy has developed rapidly, and various modern combat ships have been mass-produced and put into service, which is known as the "dumpling" model. However, there is a saying that has recently become popular, that is, once a conflict breaks out, the United States can immediately turn on the "dumpling" mode, and can build hundreds of aircraft carriers and warships in minutes. Although this statement is a bit exaggerated, the United States has historically demonstrated such a strong industrial capacity. #热议南海局势#
(The picture shows the US aircraft carrier strike group)
During World War II, the Pacific Ocean became a battleground between the United States and Japan. At that time, Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor caused great losses to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. As a result, Japan's military strength was once stronger than that of the United States, which was quite unfavorable to the US military. But after that, the United States exploded into a strong industrial capacity, and between 1941 and 1945 alone, it produced 146 aircraft carriers, 48 heavy cruisers, 10 battleships, nearly 1,000 destroyers, frigates and other ships, and even more than 200 submarines. This gave the U.S. Navy a clear advantage over Japan and laid a solid foundation for subsequent victories. It can be said that one of the main reasons for the United States to win World War II was its strong industrial capacity.
(The picture shows the US aircraft carrier in World War II)
But history is history, and the reality has changed markedly. First of all, modern ships have a higher level of technology than those of the World War II period, and they are more complex to develop and use. For example, an aircraft carrier, many aircraft carriers in World War II and before, were modified from the hull of a cruiser or battleship, simply put, a cargo ship with a flight deck and strong protection capabilities. And the tonnage of aircraft carriers during World War II was also small, such as the Essex-class aircraft carrier, which had a displacement of only more than 30,000 tons, unlike the Nimitz-class and Ford-class aircraft carriers of the current US military, which had a displacement of more than 100,000 tons. Whether it is carrier-based aircraft or other weapons and equipment, there are relatively obvious differences.
(The picture shows the American Ford-class aircraft carrier)
In addition, the shipbuilding industry in the United States has shrunk significantly, and during World War II, there were more than 50 shipbuilding enterprises in the United States, both in the civil and military shipbuilding industries. However, in the past few decades, the shipbuilding industry in the United States has been in serious decline, and the civilian shipbuilding industry has been transferred to South Korea, Japan, and China, and the military shipbuilding capacity has also been significantly weakened by this. At present, the United States has only four shipyards that can produce warships, and the plant and equipment are quite old. At present, almost all of the main surface combat ships of the US military are manufactured by Newport News Shipyard, Bath Steel Shipyard, and Ingalls Shipyard.
The US Office of Naval Intelligence has pointed out in a report that China's shipbuilding capacity is more than 200 times that of the United States, and the number of dry docks that can build aircraft carriers has reached 50. The current US destroyer production capacity is only 1.5 per year, which is far inferior to China. Because of this, the United States predicted that the size of the Chinese Navy would surpass that of the United States Navy in the future, so the United States abandoned the Littoral Combat Ship program and switched to producing more practical Constellation-class frigates to maintain numerical superiority. The U.S. military even wants to use unmanned combat ships to maintain maritime supremacy. However, the high cost of building ships and the lack of human resources in the United States will hinder the development of the US Navy.
(The picture shows the aircraft carrier formation of the Chinese Navy)
Overall, however, the U.S. Navy still retains a clear advantage over the Chinese Navy. The aircraft carrier business of the Chinese Navy has just started, and the real domestic aircraft carrier has not yet entered service. The U.S. Navy currently has 11 aircraft carriers, and the quality and tonnage far exceed that of China. And the United States' next-generation carrier-based aircraft has long been on board, but China's next-generation carrier-based aircraft has not yet been officially unveiled. More importantly, as a traditional naval power, the experience accumulated by the US Navy over the past 100 years is also difficult for China to catch up with. At present, the Chinese Navy is still in the initial stage of moving towards deep blue, and it will take time to develop in many aspects.