Exploring the Power of China’s Navy: Every Warship and Submarine Listed

In recent years, China has been growing its naval powers. The People’s Liberation Army Navy currently has 427 units in active service, according to the World Directory of Modern Military Warships. The fleet includes submarines, destroyers, and patrol vessels, among others. Although China is not at the top of today’s naval forces, the country has a storied history as a naval power. Few people may know that in the 1400s, China had the most powerful navy in the world with 3,500 ships, some of them much larger than any European ships being built at the same time. However, the Ming Dynasty had no desire to further China’s interests via sea, and the impressive ships were abandoned, burned, and left to rot in their ports. While today, China seeks to catch up to American and European navies. (Also check out the strongest militaries in Asia.)

24/7 Wall St. took a close look at China’s Navy to find out what makes it so formidable. To identify the ships and submarines of the People’s Liberation Army, 24/7 Wall St. referenced the military data site World Directory of Modern Military Warships’ directory of all active ships in China. The ship and submarine classes are ranked in order of the number of vessels currently in active use by the navy, according to WDMMW. Any ships on order were excluded, as are smaller patrol vessels, auxiliary/survey ships, replenishment, and historical ceremonial types. Each of these vessels serves to expand China’s naval power throughout the region, and then even further. (For a look at China’s military power in the air, check out every aircraft used by the Chinese Air Force.)

Here is a look at the most common ships and submarines in China’s Navy:

21. Jianghu-class

053K (531) frigate in Qingdao Chinese Navy Museum 2011 (CC BY-SA 3.0) by u5f20u5c55u901a

• Type: Frigate
• Number of vessels: 5

20. Houjian-class

u99d0u6e2fu90e8u968au8266u8247u5927u968a037IIu578b-771u5c0eu5f48u8266 (CC BY 3.0) by Tksteven

• Type: Offshore patrol vessel
• Number of vessels: 6 (tied)

19. Jin-class

• Type: Submarine
• Number of vessels: 6 (tied)

18. Luyang II-class

• Type: Destroyer
• Number of vessels: 6 (tied)

17. Shang-class

u6f5cu8247 (CC0 1.0) by Nescoffee

• Type: Submarine
• Number of vessels: 6 (tied)

16. Wozang-class

• Type: Mine warfare
• Number of vessels: 6 (tied)

15. Yuzhao-class

• Type: Amphibious assault
• Number of vessels: 8

14. Type 010-class

Vickers Type 010 Swallow (50096142993) (BY-SA 2.0) by Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK

• Type: Mine warfare
• Number of vessels: 10

13. Kilo-class

u00abu041au0430u043bu0443u0433u0430u00bb, u00abu041bu0438u043fu0435u0446u043au00bb u0438 u00abu042fu0440u043eu0441u043bu0430u0432u043bu044cu00bb u0432 u041fu043eu043bu044fu0440u043du043eu043c (CC BY 4.0) by Mil.ru

• Type: Submarine
• Number of vessels: 12 (tied)

12. Song-class

• Type: Submarine
• Number of vessels: 12 (tied)

11. Ming-class

Ming class SS (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Mike1979 Russia

• Type: Submarine
• Number of vessels: 14 (tied)

10. Type 081-class

Type 081 batch II minesweeper 845 (BY-SA 2.0) by simonyang126

• Type: Mine warfare
• Number of vessels: 14 (tied)

9. Houxin-class

u99d0u6e2fu90e8u968au8266u8247u5927u968a037IIu578b-772u5c0eu5f48u8266 2012a (CC BY 3.0) by Tksteven

• Type: Offshore patrol vessel
• Number of vessels: 16 (tied)

8. Type 082-class

• Type: Mine warfare
• Number of vessels: 16 (tied)

7. Shanghai III-class

Type 062-class gunboat, October 2014-1 (CC BY 4.0) by Mervyn Marie / Seychelles News Agency

• Type: Offshore patrol vessel
• Number of vessels: 17

6. Yuan-class

Song-class Submarine 5 (CC BY-SA 3.0) by SteKrueBe

• Type: Submarine
• Number of vessels: 18

5. Luyang III-class

PLANS Guiyang (DDG-119) 20200428 (CC BY 4.0) by u65e5u672cu9632u885bu7701u30fbu7d71u5408u5e55u50dau76e3u90e8

• Type: Destroyer
• Number of vessels: 22

4. Haiqing-class

u99d0u6e2fu90e8u968au8266u8247u5927u968a037IIu578b-771u5c0eu5f48u8266 (CC BY 3.0) by Tksteven

• Type: Offshore patrol vessel
• Number of vessels: 26

3. Jiangkai II-class

USS Stethem departs Shanghai. (CC BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Page

• Type: Frigate
• Number of vessels: 39

2. Houbei-class

F86 HMS Campbeltown Type 22 Batch 3 Frigate (BY 2.0) by scalespeeder

• Type: Offshore patrol vessel
• Number of vessels: 60

1. Jiangdao-class

Type 056 corvette 583 Ganzhou (CC BY-SA 3.0) by u6a31u4e95u5343u4e00

• Type: Corvette
• Number of vessels: 71