Country profile · SD Strength Index
China Military Strength 2026
Score by area
| Air power | 71 | |
| Missiles & strike | 100 | |
| Air & missile defence | 95 | |
| Sea power | 76 | |
| Land forces | 93 | |
| Manpower | 100 | |
| Budget & industry | 55 |
Armed forces in 2026
Key figures
As of 2026-10| Defence budget | 277–377 $bn | B |
| Share of GDP | 1.3–2.3 % | C |
| Active personnel | 2m–2m | B |
| Reserves | 510k | B |
| Combat aircraft | 1,900–2,300 | C |
| Fifth-generation fighters | 250–400 | C |
| Attack helicopters | 250–350 | C |
| All military aircraft | 3,150–3,500 | C |
| Main battle tanks | 4,800–6,900 | C |
| Rocket artillery | 1,500–2,500 | C |
| Aircraft carriers | 3 | A |
| Destroyers | 45–50 | C |
| Frigates | 40–50 | C |
| Submarines | 58–66 | B |
| Ballistic missiles | 3,100 | B |
| Longest missile range | 11k–15k km | C |
| Long-range air-defence batteries | 110–150 | C |
| Nuclear warheads | 600–640 | B |
A confirmed B strong estimate C estimated range
Main equipment
| Equipment | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Type 001/002/003 carriers (Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian) | 3 | A |
| Type 055 Renhai | 10 | B |
| Type 052D Luyang III | 35 | B |
| Type 075 Yushen | 4 | A |
| Type 076 Sichuan | 0–1 | B |
| Type 094 Jin | 6 | B |
| ICBMs (DF-41, DF-31A/AG/B, DF-5) | 400 | B |
| DF-26 | 500 | B |
| MRBM (DF-21 variants, DF-17 HGV) | 1,300 | B |
| SRBM (DF-11/15/16 etc.) | 900 | B |
| DF-27 | — | C |
| Fujian air wing (J-15, J-35, KJ-600, Z-20) | 50 | C |
| J-20 Weilong | 300–500 | B |
| J-35 / J-35A | 8–60 | C |
| Type 093/093A Shang I/II | 6 | B |
| Type 093B Shang III | 4–9 | C |
| Type 039A/B/C Yuan | 21–25 | B |
| Type 039/039G Song | 12–13 | B |
How strong is China's military in 2026?
Strong enough to contest American power in the western Pacific, and still growing. The PLA counts about 2.03 million active personnel, roughly 510,000 reservists and an estimated 500,000 or more in the People's Armed Police.
The official 2026 budget is 1.91 trillion yuan, about $277bn, up 7 per cent. Real spending runs well above the published line, and Silent Dossier puts it at $300bn to $377bn. Even the official figure is only about 1.4 per cent of GDP.
How big is the Chinese Navy?
Counted by hulls it is the world's largest, with more than 370 ships and submarines and over 140 major surface combatants. Three carriers are in service. The newest, Fujian, displaces 80,000 tonnes. It commissioned at Sanya on 5 November 2025 and is the first Chinese carrier with electromagnetic catapults. Beijing is assessed to want six more carriers by 2035.
The escorts are modern. About ten Type 055s, big enough to count as cruisers, sail with some 35 Type 052Ds and an estimated 44 frigates, now including the new Type 054B. Four Type 075 assault ships are in service, and the Type 076 Sichuan, which has its own catapult, is still on sea trials. Chinese yards launch three or four Type 052Ds a year. No other country has that much shipbuilding capacity.
How many submarines does China have?
Silent Dossier counts about 62. Six are Type 094 ballistic missile boats. Nuclear attack boats number an estimated six to 16, depending on how many of the nine Type 093Bs launched since 2022 have entered service. The rest are diesel-electric: Yuan and Song class boats plus about a dozen Russian Kilos, suited to the waters around Taiwan.
Here the PLA still trails badly. The United States has 71 nuclear submarines. China has somewhere between 12 and 22.
How strong is the Chinese Air Force?
China flies about 1,840 modern fighters. Silent Dossier puts the J-20 fleet at 300 to 500, and the J-35 is joining it in small numbers, anywhere from eight to an estimated 60. An estimated 400 J-10Cs and 350 J-16s make up the bulk, with about 180 H-6K and H-6N bombers. Air defence on the ground is dense: an estimated 30 to 60 HQ-9 battalions plus two regiments of Russian S-400s.
Support aircraft are the weak spot. China has an estimated 25 tankers and 50 airborne early warning aircraft, against about 500 and 100 in American service. That keeps the PLA's reach regional. Silent Dossier judges its strikes effective out to roughly 2,800 to 3,700 kilometres from the mainland.
How many missiles and nuclear weapons does China have?
Missiles are where China beats America outright. The Rocket Force holds an estimated 3,100 ballistic missiles: about 900 short-range, 1,300 medium-range, 500 intermediate-range and 400 intercontinental. The DF-26 and the DF-17 glide vehicle exist to push American carriers and bases out of a Taiwan fight.
Warheads number about 620, up some 20 in a year, though only around 34 are deployed. More than 100 new silos are probably loaded already, and the arsenal is on course to pass 1,000 by 2030. The September 2025 parade showed new ICBMs, the JL-3 missile for submarines and stealth combat drones.
What are China's military weaknesses?
On hardware the PLA already matches the United States in its own waters and outguns every military except America's. None of it has been tested in war. China has not fought a war since 1979, and its most serious clash since then was the 2020 border fight with India.
Command is the other worry. Purges have hit the Rocket Force and the Central Military Commission since 2023. They were still running in 2026 and have reached officials in the nuclear industry, and nobody outside Beijing can say with confidence who would lead in a crisis.
Combat record and readiness
China's last war was in 1979, and its last deadly clash came on the Indian border in 2020. It ran large encirclement drills around Taiwan in 2024 and 2025.
Builds carriers, stealth fighters, nuclear submarines, hypersonic and nuclear missiles and drones, with the world's largest shipbuilding capacity. The third carrier, Fujian, entered service in November 2025. J-20 output runs at an estimated 100 a year and Type 052D destroyers at three to four.
Modernising fast, but purges of senior Rocket Force, Central Military Commission and nuclear industry officials since 2023 raise readiness questions. The force has no combat experience, though it drills heavily around Taiwan.
Latest Silent Dossier analysis
Questions readers ask
How many submarines does China have?
About 62 in 2026. Six are Type 094 ballistic missile submarines and an estimated six to 16 are nuclear attack boats. The rest are diesel-electric.
Is China's military stronger than the US?
Not overall. China has more warships, more troops and a far bigger ballistic missile force. The United States leads on nuclear submarines, carriers, stealth aircraft and spending.
How many aircraft carriers does China have?
Three: Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian, which commissioned in November 2025. Beijing is assessed to want six more by 2035, and the Type 076 Sichuan assault ship on sea trials also carries a catapult.
How much does China spend on its military?
The official 2026 budget is 1.91 trillion yuan, about $277bn and up 7 per cent. Silent Dossier estimates real spending at $300bn to $377bn.
How many soldiers does China have?
About 2.03 million active personnel, the largest standing military in the world, plus around 510,000 reservists and an estimated 500,000 People's Armed Police.