US navy needs to be ready to fight China by 2027 if necessary - Commanding admiral
26 Aug 2022 04:20pm
Photo for illustration purposes only - 123RF Photo
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"(The main challenge the navy faced) In a word, it is China," Gilday said in a presentation at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday.
"We see a force that has tripled in size. We see a heavy investment in systems with long range.
"They are a significant adversary," he said.
He described China's behaviour in the Western Pacific as "fairly aggressive."
Current plans called for the US navy to reach a target size of 355 manned and 150 unmanned vessels by 2040 but Gilday warned that the navy had to be prepared to fight a war in the Pacific within five years from now.
"We have to be ready for the 2027 scenario (with China)," he said.
China remained the main threat that the navy had to face, Gilday reiterated. - BERNAMA
