People's Liberation Army Navy

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or PLA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national armed forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLAN can trace its lineage to naval units fighting during the Chinese Civil War and was established during the September, 1950. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s the Soviet Union provided assistance to the PLAN in the form of naval advisers and export of equipment and technology. Until the late 1980s, the PLAN was largely a riverine and littoral force (brown-water navy). However by the 1990s, following the fall of the Soviet Union and a shift towards more out-looking attitudes, leaders were freed from worrying over land border disputes, and instead turned its attention towards the seas. This led to the development of the People's Liberation Army Navy into the green-water navy it is today. Before the 1990s the PLAN had traditionally played a subordinate role to the People's Liberation Army Ground Force.

In 2008, General Qian Lihua confirmed that China plans to operate a small fleet of aircraft carriers in the near future, but for the purpose of regional defence as opposed to "global reach". As of 2013 PLA officials have also outlined plans to operate in the first and second island chains. Chinese strategists term the development of the PLAN from a green-water navy into "a regional blue-water defensive and offensive navy."

The People's Liberation Army Navy is composed of five branches; the People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force, the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force, the People's Liberation Army Navy Coastal Defense Force, the People's Liberation Army Marine Corps and the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force. With a personnel strength of 290,000 servicemen and women, including 12,000 marines and 35,000 naval air force personnel, it is the second largest navy in the world, behind only the United States Navy. PLAN assets include one aircraft carrier, three amphibious transport docks, 26 destroyers, 45 frigates, 62 submarines (of which 11 are nuclear-powered), eight corvettes, 122 missile boats, 231 patrol vessels, 107 mine countermeasures vessels, five replenishment oilers and a large fleet of smaller auxiliary vessels.

List of Active Vessels

 * Admiral Kuznetsov-class Aircraft Carrier (1) - 2012
 * PLANS Liaoning (16)
 * Type 071 Amphibious Transport Dock (3) - 2007
 * PLANS Kunlun Shan (998)
 * PLANS Jinggang Shann (999)
 * PLANS Changbai Shan (989)
 * PLANS Tanggula Shan (978)
 * PLANS Tai Shan (979)
 * Type 051 Destroyer (10) - 1971
 * PLANS Xining (108)
 * PLANS Kaifeng (109)
 * PLANS Dalian (110)
 * PLANS Hefei (132)
 * PLANS Chongqing (133)
 * PLANS Zunyi (134)
 * PLANS Nanchang (163)
 * PLANS Guilin (164)
 * PLANS Zhanjiang (165)
 * PLANS Zhuhai (166)
 * Type 052 Destroyer (2) - 1994
 * PLANS Harbin (112)
 * PLANS Qingdao (113)
 * Type 051B Destroyer (1) - 1998
 * PLANS Shenzhen (167)
 * Sovremenny-class Destroyer (4) - 2001
 * PLANS Hangzhou (136)
 * PLANS Fuzhou (137)
 * PLANS Taizhou (138)
 * PLANS Ningbo (139)
 * Type 052B Destroyer (2) - 2004
 * PLANS Guangzhou (168)
 * PLANS Wuhan (169)
 * Type 052C Destroyer (6) - 2004
 * PLANS Lanzhou (170)
 * PLANS Haikou (171)
 * PLANS Changchun (172)
 * PLANS Zhengzhou (173)
 * PLANS ''Jinan (174)
 * PLANS Xi'an (175)
 * Type 051C Destroyer (2) - 2006
 * PLANS Shenyang (115)
 * PLANS Shijiazhuang (116)
 * Type 052D Destroyer (8 UC) - 2014
 * PLANS Kunming (176)
 * PLANS Changsha (177) - sea trials
 * PLANS Guiyang (178) - sea trials
 * PLANS Chengdu (179) - sea trials
 * PLANS Hefei (180) - under construction
 * PLANS Nanjing (181) - under construction
 * PLANS Yinchuan (182) - under construction
 * PLANS Taiyuan (183) - under construction
 * PLANS Unnamed (184) - under construction
 * PLANS Unnamed (185) - under construction
 * PLANS Unnamed (186) - under construction
 * PLANS Unnamed (187) - under construction
 * Type 053H2G Frigate (4) - 1992
 * PLANS Anqing (539)
 * PLANS Huainan (540)
 * PLANS Huaibei (541)
 * PLANS Tongling (542)
 * Type 053H3 Frigate (10) - 1998
 * PLANS Jiaxing (521)
 * PLANS Lianyungang (522)
 * PLANS Putian (523)
 * PLANS Sanming (524)
 * PLANS Luoyang (527)
 * PLANS Mianyang (528)
 * PLANS Yichang (564)
 * PLANS Sanya (565)
 * PLANS Yuxi (566)
 * PLANS Xiangtan (567)
 * Type 054 Frigate (2) - 2005
 * PLANS Ma'anshan (525)
 * PLANS Wenzhou (526)
 * Type 054A Frigate (15, 5 UC) - 2008
 * PLANS Zhoushan (529)
 * PLANS Xuzhou (530)
 * PLANS Yantai (538)
 * PLANS Yancheng (546)
 * PLANS Linyi (547)
 * PLANS Yiyang (548)
 * PLANS Changzhou (549)
 * PLANS Weifang (550)
 * PLANS Hengyang (568)
 * PLANS Yulin (569)
 * PLANS Huangshan (570)
 * PLANS Yuncheng (571)
 * PLANS Hengshui (572)
 * PLANS Liuzhou (573)
 * PLANS Shaoyang (574)
 * Type 037-II Missile Boat (6) - 1991
 * PLANS Yangjiang (770)
 * PLANS Shunde (771)
 * PLANS Nanhai (772)
 * PLANS Panyu (773)
 * PLANS Lianjiang (774)
 * PLANS Xinhui (775)
 * Type 022 Missile Boat (83) - 2004
 * Type 091 Nuclear Attack Submarine (5) - 1974
 * PLANS 401
 * PLANS 402
 * PLANS 403
 * PLANS 404
 * PLANS 405
 * Type 092 Ballistic Missile Submarine (2) - 1981
 * PLANS 406
 * PLANS 407
 * Type 039 Hunter Killer Submarine (16) - 1988
 * PLANS 314
 * PLANS 315
 * PLANS 316
 * PLANS 317
 * PLANS 318
 * PLANS 319
 * PLANS 320
 * PLANS 321
 * PLANS 322
 * PLANS 323
 * PLANS 324
 * PLANS 325
 * PLANS 326
 * PLANS 327
 * PLANS 328
 * PLANS 329
 * Kilo I-class Submarine (2) - 1994
 * PLANS 364
 * PLANS 365
 * Kilo II-class Hunter Killer Submarine (10) - 1997
 * PLANS 366
 * PLANS 367
 * PLANS 368
 * PLANS 369
 * PLANS 370
 * PLANS 371
 * PLANS 372
 * PLANS 373
 * PLANS 374
 * PLANS 375
 * Type 041 Hunter Killer Submarine (7) - 2008
 * PLANS 376
 * PLANS 377
 * PLANS 378
 * PLANS 379
 * PLANS 380
 * PLANS 381
 * PLANS 382
 * Type 094 Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines (6) - 2010
 * PLANS 408
 * PLANS 409
 * PLANS 410
 * PLANS 411
 * PLANS 412
 * PLANS 413
 * Type 093 Nuclear Attack Submarine (8) - 2013
 * PLANS 414
 * PLANS 415
 * PLANS 416
 * PLANS 417
 * PLANS 418
 * PLANS 419
 * PLANS 420
 * PLANS 421
 * Type 905 Replenishment Vessel (2) - 1980
 * PLANS Hongzehu (881)
 * PLANS Poyanghu (882)
 * Type 904 General Stores Ship (2) - 1992
 * PLANS Yangcheng Lake (883)
 * PLANS Jingpo Lake (884)
 * Type 908 Replenishment Vessel (1) - 1996
 * PLANS Qinghaihu (885)
 * Type 903 Replenishment Vessel (2) - 2004
 * PLANS Qiandaohu (886)
 * PLANS Weishanhu (887)
 * Type 904A General Stores Ship (1) - 2007
 * PLANS Fuxian Lake (888)
 * Type 903A Replenishment Vessel (2, 1 UC) - 2013
 * PLANS Taihu (889)
 * PLANS Chaohu (890)
 * PLANS Unnamed (891)