Pentagon Report:China's PLA Navy

A Pentagon report released at the end of August details the Chinese PLA Navy.China's naval forces consist of 75 principal combatants,as well as more than 60 submarines;55 medium and large amphibious warfare ships;and 85 guided missile patrol craft.
China is known to possess two classes of Chinese guided missile destroyers;both Chinese and Russian diesel submarines;Chinese nuclear submarines;and Russian destroyers.The submarines carry anti-ship cruise missiles.
China is developing an aircraft carrier program.It is also working toward a long range anti-ship ballistic missile.
Analysts believe China is not just trying to defend itself or even dominate Taiwan;but to project power across the Asia-Pacific region as well,challenging the U.S. Pacific Fleet.China dismisses such concern,saying its navy is merely commensurate with the size of its population.
China is believed to be spending a billion dollars a year on its military buildup.
PLA:People's Liberation Army

Major Pacific Exercise Underway

RIMPAC 2010,the world's largest multinational maritime exercise,is now underway off the coast of Hawaii.The 22nd biennial exercise,which began in 1971,is hosted by the Navy's Pacific Fleet(PACFLT).Participating are 32 ships,5 submarines,170+ aircraft and 20,000 personnel from 14 countries,including Australia,Canada,Chile,Colombia,France,Indonesia,Japan,Malaysia,the Netherlands,Peru,South Korea,Singapore,Thailand and the US.
The theme of RIMPAC 2010 is "combined agility,synergy and support."Extending into July,it encompasses side-by-side training activities ranging from salvage operations,to interdiction and missile firing,culminating with a scenario phase.Admiral Patrick Walsh,PACFLT Commander,is leading RIMPAC 2010.

USS Freedom Comes Home

The Navy's first littoral combat ship,the USS Freedom(LCS 1),will arrive at her homeport of San Diego on 23 April upon completion of her first deployment.A member of the U.S. Pacific Fleet,she departed from Mayport,Florida on 16 February.She conducted counter-drug trafficking operations,netting more than five tons of cocaine in four interdictions,as well as seizing two speedboats and arresting nine smuggler suspects.
The Freedom also integrated with the USS Carl Vinson(CVN70)carrier strike group for training evolutions,and made theater security cooperation visits to Columbia,Panama and Mexico.This involved community outreach events and professional exchanges with partner nation navies.She is a member of the U.S. 3rd Fleet,which has an area of responsibility(AOR)of 50 million square miles in the Eastern Pacific.
The Navy plans to build 55 littoral combat ships.The small,highly networked warships are extremely fast and especially well-suited for near-shore operations in shallow waters.The Lockheed Martin industry team built the USS Freedom.

The Pacific Fleet Today

The U.S. Pacific Fleet epitomizes the Navy's combat power.Its 180 ships and their aircraft patrol more than half of the planet.Admiral Robert F. Willard is Commander of the Fleet's more than 125,000 personnel,including sailors,Marines and civilians,who make it one of the most exceptional military groups in the world.The Pacific Fleet is based at Pearl Harbor,Hawaii,even as it was during World War II.Now as then,USPACFLT is a shield for democracy and its free markets.San Diego,California and Sasebo,Japan are also centers of the Fleet's operations.Admiral Timothy J. Keating is Commander,U.S. Pacific Command,one of the unified combatant commands,which oversees all U.S. forces in the vast region.