People's Liberation Army Navy

Key facts

Founded

23 April 1949 ; 77 years ago ( 1949-04-23 )

Country

China

Allegiance

Chinese Communist Party

Type

Navy

Role

Naval warfare

Size

384,000 active personnel (2025) 787 ships (2025) 600 aircraft (2025)

Part of

People's Liberation Army

March

人民海军向前进 , ("The People's Navy Marches Forward")

Anniversaries

23 April annually

Fleet

64+ submarines 3 aircraft carriers 4 amphibious assault ships 8 amphibious transport docks 33 landing ship tanks 37 landing ship mediums 62 destroyers 54 frigates 50 corvettes 82 missile boats 40+ mine countermeasure vessels 232 auxiliaries including 18 replenishment ships

Engagements

Chinese Civil War Vietnam War Sino-Vietnamese War Johnson South Reef Skirmish Anti-piracy operations in Somalia Red Sea crisis