Among the many factors that contribute to a nation's comprehensive national power, economic and military strength are the two most important aspects.
These two factors are actually interdependent: economic strength is the foundation for military development, and military power ensures economic stability and prosperity.
Therefore, major world powers, including China and the United States, do not dare to slacken in their military construction.
From a realistic perspective, the United States has never ceased to expand its military power, with its Pacific Fleet now boasting 200 warships.
1. The Global Leading Position of the US Pacific Fleet
The Pacific Fleet is the core part of the US Navy. The highest command structures of the US Navy are the Department of the Navy and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
The Department of the Navy is mainly responsible for administrative command, including formulating operational strategies, force deployment, and budgeting.
The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations is responsible for specific military commands, including force mobilization, deployment, and command.
The US Navy system includes the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth Fleets.
Among them, the Tenth Fleet is an information warfare unit and does not command specific warships.
Therefore, the active naval combat units of the US Navy consist of six fleets, responsible for missions in five major global regions.
These regions are commanded by the respective fleets and commands.
Specifically, the Pacific Fleet oversees the Third and Seventh Fleets; the Atlantic Fleet oversees the Second Fleet; the Europe-Africa Command oversees the Sixth Fleet; the Southern Command oversees the Fourth Fleet; and the Central Command oversees the Fifth Fleet.
Among these fleets, the Pacific Fleet is particularly important.
The Strong Combat Capability of the Pacific Fleet
As the most powerful maritime force in the Asia-Pacific region, the US Pacific Fleet has a personnel strength of 230,000.
Its headquarters is located in Hawaii, and the fleet covers the entire Pacific and Indian Oceans, with a total area of nearly 100 million square kilometers.
The Third Fleet is deployed on the west coast of the United States, with its command center located at Naval Base San Diego in California, covering an area from the Arctic to the Antarctic, from the US West Coast to the 160th meridian east in the Pacific and Central Pacific regions.
This base hosts the First Carrier Strike Group, which coordinates with the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Fleets.
The Seventh Fleet is the most powerful mobile military force of the United States in East Asia.
This fleet has participated in World War II, the Korean War, and the Gulf War, gradually growing stronger.
Its command center is located at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, covering the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea coasts, including regions such as China, Japan, India, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
The US Pacific Fleet has a global base network composed of over 40 overseas military bases and ports, distributed across the US West Coast, Central Pacific, and Western Pacific regions.
These bases are divided into six major base groups: Alaska, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Guam, Australia-New Zealand, and Hawaii, supporting the Pacific Fleet's military activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
Numerous Advanced Warships
The Pacific Fleet possesses over 60% of the US Navy's warships, totaling more than 200 vessels, including six 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and nearly 50 Aegis-equipped destroyers.
In addition, the fleet has 19 Ticonderoga-class cruisers and 18 amphibious warfare ships, all of which are among the most advanced in the world.
Furthermore, the Pacific Fleet operates approximately 2,000 advanced fighter jets, including various carrier-based aircraft.
Impact on China
The Pacific Fleet has been active in the Asia-Pacific region for a long time, being highly familiar with the geography and hydrology of these waters, with very mature combat plans.
Especially after the "Asia-Pacific Rebalance" strategy, the United States has placed greater emphasis on the construction of the Pacific Fleet.
For instance, over the past decade, the US has gradually shifted the focus of its submarine deployments from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Currently, the Pacific Fleet has about 40 nuclear submarines, including 30 attack submarines and 10 strategic submarines.
In the future, the US plans to deploy more warships and nuclear submarines to the Pacific region, which will further increase strategic pressure on China.
2. The Development Trend of the US Pacific Fleet
Despite its already formidable strength, the US Pacific Fleet continues to grow.
It plays an important role in the strategy to contain China.
According to Defense News, in August 2023, four unmanned vessels from the US Navy's "Ghost Fleet" set out from California and returned in January 2024 after a five-month voyage in the Asia-Pacific region.
This voyage, managed by the Pacific Fleet, aimed to test the reliability of unmanned vessels in future naval warfare and to closely cooperate with allies like Japan and Australia.
In 2022, the US Navy planned to form a large fleet by 2045, including unmanned underwater vehicles.
In February 2024, the USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego, California, heading for the Western Pacific.
Additionally, the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier deployed in Japan, is also scheduled to be deployed to the Western Pacific to replace the USS Ronald Reagan, which is returning to the US for maintenance.
Including the existing three carriers, the US will have five carriers deployed in the Western Pacific.
Typically, the deployment of US aircraft carriers follows a "three-three-three" principle: one-third deployed at sea, one-third under maintenance, and one-third in training.
Having five carriers simultaneously deployed is rare. It is widely believed that this deployment is directly aimed at China.
British scholars have noted that this deployment indicates that the US has completely shifted its strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific region: "Even if US-China relations warm, 'deterring' China in this region remains the primary task of the United States."
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