by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Senior U.S. naval commanders are warning that China’s rapidly expanding submarine force presents a mounting strategic challenge, as Beijing develops next-generation ballistic missile submarines capable of striking larger portions of the U.S. mainland from waters closer to its own shores, the Wall Street Journal reported.
In testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Vice Adm. Richard Seif said China’s growing undersea capabilities “represent a serious challenge,” citing advanced technologies that could erode America’s longstanding dominance beneath the seas. Rear Adm. Mike Brookes, director of U.S. Navy intelligence, projected that by 2040 China’s undersea forces “may credibly challenge U.S. regional maritime dominance.”
At the center of concern is China’s anticipated Type 096 ballistic missile submarine, expected to carry longer-range and more accurate missiles. Brookes testified that the platform would allow Beijing to “target large portions of the U.S. from protected waters,” significantly enhancing its nuclear deterrent. This marks a step beyond China’s current submarines, which are largely limited to targeting portions of the U.S. from within the first island chain.
China has dramatically expanded its submarine production capacity, accelerating output from less than one nuclear-powered submarine per year to significantly higher rates. Pentagon projections estimate Beijing’s fleet could reach 80 submarines by 2035, roughly half of them nuclear-powered — up from today’s force of more than 60 vessels, many of them diesel-powered and more limited in range.
While China already fields the world’s largest navy by ship count, U.S. analysts note that undersea warfare has long been a key American advantage. That edge, however, is narrowing as Chinese submarines grow quieter, faster, and more survivable.
Beijing is also investing heavily in seabed sensors, unmanned systems, and underwater monitoring infrastructure — sometimes described as an “Underwater Great Wall” — designed to create layered defenses and complicate U.S. naval operations in the Western Pacific.
Looking ahead, U.S. intelligence expects China to extend routine submarine patrols into the Indian Ocean, Arctic, and even the Atlantic by 2040, signaling ambitions for a true blue-water navy. As Washington works to strengthen alliances such as AUKUS and rebuild its own submarine production, military leaders say control of the undersea domain will remain central to deterrence and the defense of the American homeland.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Americans added another $21 billion in credit card debt during the second quarter of 2026, pushing outstanding balances to roughly $1.26 trillion and bringing consumer borrowing close to its record high.
Israel is moving to expand the use of autonomous strike systems across its frontline forces, awarding a new Defense Ministry contract to develop a next generation of low-cost tactical attack drones for the Israel Defense Forces.
The United States has publicly rejected Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s declaration that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon for the long term, exposing a widening disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem over how to secure Israel’s northern border.
Millions across Europe watched Wednesday as a rare total solar eclipse swept across the northern Atlantic and portions of the continent, an extraordinary celestial event unfolding just hours before the biblical calendar entered Elul — the month traditionally associated with repentance, spiritual preparation and the approach of the King.
The State Department has launched a new task force targeting “birth tourism” networks accused of exploiting U.S. immigration laws to secure American citizenship for children born to foreign nationals visiting the United States.
More details have emerged about an extraordinary secret flight by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who was reportedly moved between aircraft inside a catering truck amid fears of an Iranian attempt on his life.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, as Kyiv accused Moscow of using North Korean ballistic missiles in its escalating air campaign.