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"The People Of China's Navy & Other Maritime Forces" Conference Quick Look, China Maritime Studies Institute

CMSI Findings

Quick Look Report for China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) Conference “The People of China's Navy and Other Maritime Forces”

The China Maritime Studies Institute held its biennial unclassified academic conference on 14–15 May 2025 to address human factors in the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s military maritime forces. Roughly 150 external and 200 Naval War College students and faculty attended the event. Panel topics included (1) senior leadership, (2) the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) headquarters, (3) PLAN warfare communities, (4) PLAN talent recruitment, development, and retention, (5) the personnel of China’s other sea forces, and (6) implications for the …

Cmsi Translations #18: Combine Wisdom And Join Efforts, Training In A Sea Of Mines, "Pioneers Of Breaking Obstacles", Li Muqiang, Yang Fulong, Qu Bin, Zhai Dengqian

CMSI Translations

The sky is high, the lake is vast, and ghosts are lurking.

One day in early winter, in the riverside city of Wuhan, a speedboat zooms across the Great Mulan Lake. Its stern engine propellers spin, stirring up white waves... A realistic comprehensive exercise is in full swing, employing mine countermeasures combat divers. A mine countermeasures diver from a minesweeper unit (dadui) of the Northern Theater Command Navy, headquartered several thousand miles away, arrived at the training camp at the Naval University of Engineering (NUE). The divers collaborated closely with the university's mine countermeasures teaching and research section …

Re-Envisioning Nuclear Deterrence, Raul (Pete) Pedrozo

International Law Studies

This article examines whether the U.S. nuclear umbrella provided to allies is currently viable and whether it is time for the United States to share nuclear weapons technology with its allies in the Asia-Pacific to counter the growing nuclear threat posed by China, North Korea, and Russia. The article discusses the current capabilities and nuclear doctrine of States possessing nuclear weapons, as well as Iran’s nascent nuclear weapons program. It then discusses the current international law and regulatory regime applicable to nuclear weapons. It analyzes the threats posed by China’s and Russia’s nuclear capabilities, and how they affect U.S. nuclear …

Newport Manual On The Law Of Naval Warfare, Second Edition, Newport Manual Expert Group

International Law Studies

The Newport Manual on the Law of Naval Warfare, Second Edition, is a continuing effort to restate the law of naval warfare as a purely lex lata exercise. Like the first edition of 2023, it is designed to provide a practical guide for commanders and seafarers, lawyers and officials, and educators and students. In doing so, the Manual includes developments in warfighting technologies in recent decades, which have significantly influenced the nature of war at sea. This second edition has been edited by four of the original authors following an extensive review and revision process.

China Maritime Report No. 46: China's Fishermen Spies: Intelligence Specialists In The Maritime Militia, Ryan D. Martinson

CMSI China Maritime Reports

Main Findings

• Collecting and reporting maritime intelligence is a core mission of China’s maritime militia. Militia forces help fill in “blind spots” (补盲) for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and enhance its situational awareness. They are widely dispersed in the waters of greatest strategic and operational importance to Beijing, available in large numbers, extremely familiar with the operating environment, and, the PLA believes, less provocative than other military instruments.
• Militia forces that specialize in intelligence collection are organized into “maritime reconnaissance” (海上侦察) units. Located in China’s coastal provinces, autonomous regions, and provincial-level cities, these units likely number in the hundreds. …

Cmsi Translations #17: Analysis Of Problems With Warship Damage Control Plans And Methods For Preparing Damage Control Plans, Jian Huajun, Zhu Haishi

CMSI Translations

“Damage control” (sunhai kongzhi, or just sunguan) refers to measures and actions taken by a warship for the prevention, control, and elimination of damage in order to maintain or recover its vitality (shengmingli). If a warship suffers an accident, this could result in major casualties among the crew and cause damage to the ship’s equipment; it might also impact the ship’s vitality. The crew’s normal level of damage control training determines the success or failure of damage control. In order to fully leverage the active role of crew members in damage control and fully leverage the effectiveness of damage control, …

Cmsi Translations #16: Tracking Their Wake: How Strong Is The U.S. Navy Today?, Fang Zheng

CMSI Translations

Nearly 80 years have passed since the end of World War Two, and during this time the U.S. Navy has always ranked as the number one navy in the world, mainly thanks to support from America’s enormous national power. But for the past ten years or so, with the great decline of America’s economy, the U.S. Navy has had to face more and more problems. For example, the service lives of ships have grown longer and longer. There has been a serious lack of repairs and maintenance work. The speed of shipbuilding has noticeably slowed. And [the U.S. Navy’s] newest …

Sabotage Of Submarine Cables And Pipelines As A Use Of Force And Armed Attack, Christian Schaller

International Law Studies

Combating sabotage of submarine cables and pipelines is a matter of law enforcement, subject to the international law of the sea. However, such acts may also constitute the use of force and an armed attack under Articles 2(4) and 51 of the UN Charter. The application of these concepts requires clarification of the “international relations” in which the use of force takes place and identification of the State against which the armed attack occurs. This article argues that, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the sabotage may be presumed to be directed against the States connected to the …

Cmsi Note 14: Bridges Over Troubled Waters: Shuiqiao-Class Landing Barges In Pla Navy Amphibious Operations, J. Michael Dahm, Thomas Shugart

CMSI Notes

CMSI’s Perspectives and Key Takeaways

• The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Offshore & Defense Engineering Company (COMEC) has developed three specialized self-propelled landing barges that link together to form an 820-meter (2690 foot) composite relocatable pier.
• In early March 2025, the first set of three barges conducted sea trials and formed a relocatable pier on a beach near Zhanjiang, Guangdong, in southern China.
• A second, identical set of three landing barges is still under construction in southern China.
• Analysts have dubbed this class of barge “Shuiqiao” (literally “water bridge” (水桥) in Chinese), tentatively categorizing it as “landing platform …

Implementing Agreement To Enhance Protection Of Critical Undersea Infrastructure, Raul (Pete) Pedrozo

International Law Studies

Since 2022, there have been several incidents of apparent intentional damage to submarine cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea and in the waters around Taiwan. Affected coastal States correctly complain that malign actors, like Russia and China, exploit gaps in international law that make it exceedingly challenging to hold the perpetrators accountable. None of the international agreements applicable to the protection of critical undersea infrastructure provide for adequate coastal State enforcement authority beyond the territorial sea. Several proposals have been made to provide greater protection for critical undersea infrastructure—adopt a UN Security Council resolution, European Union Action Plan, naval …

Cmsi Note 13: Pla Navy Enhances Realistic Combat Training: Observations Of Pla Navy Operations Around Taiwan, K. Tristan Tang

CMSI Notes

Key Takeaways

• Chinese activities around Taiwan in the first two months of 2025 indicate that the PLA is strengthening realistic combat training around the island. This trend aligns closely with the PLA’s emphasis in recent years on using peacetime interactions with foreign forces to achieve training outcomes, a practice it calls “using the enemy to train the troops.”
• The PLA has exhibited a noticeable increase in the daily number of naval vessels operating around Taiwan, as well as increased frequency and scale of joint combat readiness patrols and maritime-aerial training exercises, when comparing January and February of this year to …

Cmsi Translations #15: Inscribing Loyalty While Endeavoring To Advance Into The Deep Blue, Qian Xiaohu, Mo Xiaoliang, Wang Guanbiao, Liu Bin

CMSI Translations

The sea and sky blend into a singular shade, with starlight accompanying the ship’s voyage. Somewhere the vast Pacific, the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier formation is organizing to train, and the destroyer Nanchang, joining a carrier formation for the first time, is tasked with escort duty. Suddenly, two foreign vessels turn a wide arc one after the other and speed toward the carrier formation. “This is Chinese Navy Ship 101, please keep a safe distance from me and inform me of your intentions.” Nanchang quickly maneuvers and firmly maintains its position in the carrier formation. Simultaneously, the ship’s officer of …

The Obligation Of “Due Regard” In The Eez During Armed Conflict At Sea, James Kraska

International Law Studies

This article explores the rights of belligerent warships and military aircraft to engage in hostile operations within a neutral coastal State’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) during armed conflict. It argues that peacetime rules of due regard for coastal State sovereign rights and jurisdiction do not constrain these operations. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) established the peacetime obligation of due regard in the EEZ. By 1984, the EEZ had become customary international law binding on all States. The San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflict at Sea suggests belligerent naval forces owe …

Destroyer Captain: The Life Of Ernest E. Evans, Edmund Hernandez, James D. Hornfischer, David J. Hornfischer

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Men Of God, Men Of War: Military Chaplains As Ministers, Warriors, And Prisoners, Scott Cauble, Robert C. Doyle

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Fight For The Final Frontier: Irregular Warfare In Space, David T. Burbach, John J. Klein

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Capturing Skunk Alpha: A Barrio Sailor’S Journey In Vietnam, Edmund Hernandez, Raúl Herrera

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Future Peace: Technology, Aggression, And The Rush To War, Jonathan Alexander, Robert H. Latiff

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

White Sun War: The Campaign For Taiwan, Richard Norton, Mick Ryan

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

China’S New Navy: The Evolution Of Plan From The People’S Revolution To A 21st Century Cold War, Mao’S Army Goes To Sea: The Island Campaigns And The Founding Of China’S Navy, Andrew S. Erickson, Xiaobing Li, Toshi Yoshihara

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

A Mission In Trouble—Vietnamization And The U.S. Navy, Edward J. Marolda

Naval War College Review

The troubled, expensive, and ultimately failed “Vietnamization” of the U.S. Navy’s assistance to the Republic of Vietnam demonstrates the pitfalls of imposing the American “way of war” on a partner without considering local needs or sustainability.

Changes In U.S. Indo-Pacific Military Strategy And U.S. Bases In Okinawa, Clifton W. Sherrill

Naval War College Review

The U.S. forces based on Okinawa in Japan’s Ryukyu Islands are critical to America’s strategic position in the western Pacific, its defense cooperation with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and U.S. security guarantees to Japan itself. Local opposition to hosting those forces and the subsequent uncertainty and consolidation of bases have bearings on that position and demand reevaluation.

Proper Conceptualization Of Naval Operational Doctrine—A Case Study Of The Israeli Navy, Shaul Chorev

Naval War College Review

The character of naval warfare is changing profoundly, and traditional conceptions of victory may no longer apply. Naval warfare requires systematic reconceptualization to ensure that operational doctrine is applicable to the future environment and that navies are tasked with, train to, and are structured for missions they actually are able to accomplish. The Israeli navy’s early successes, more-recent challenges, and current contribution to the ongoing response to the 7 October Hamas attacks are illustrative.

A Forgotten Dimension Of Naval Diplomacy—The Production Of Social Capital In The National Interest, Nell Bennett, Adam Lockyer

Naval War College Review

Naval diplomacy is a key noncombat mission for fleets to engage in as they communicate their nations’ broader political objectives. Most literature focuses on how different platforms affect this communication but neglects the social dimension of naval diplomacy and how personal relationships supplement and impact the strategic landscape.

War Without Surprises—Education For Command In The People’S Liberation Army Navy, Ryan D. Martinson

Naval War College Review

The PLA Navy will play a key role in any flash points and conflicts in the western Pacific. This study of professional military education for senior PLA Navy officers supplements analyses of platforms and capabilities with a look at how senior navy commanders are prepared to lead in combat.

From The Editors, Jonathan D. Caverley Interim Editor

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Summer/Autumn 2024 Full Issue, The U.S. Naval War College

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Cmsi Note #12: Finally, A Pla Navy Missile Gap?, Ian Easton

CMSI Notes

This month a PRC government-owned defense magazine published a special report on one of the U.S. Navy’s newer missiles, calling it a “huge threat” and predicting it will “massively change” the future of naval warfare. The missile? The AIM-174B, an air launched variant of the Navy’s Standard Missile 6 (SM-6). What is it about this weapon that warranted a special report by PRC experts?

CMSI’s Perspectives and Key Takeaways:

• A PRC government-owned defense magazine has called the U.S. Navy’s AIM-174B missile a “huge threat” and game-changer for the future of naval warfare.
• The PRC source says the American missile could …

China Maritime Report No. 45: The Pla Navy's Hospital Ship Fleet: Concerns, Developments, And Future Prospects, Jonathan Robinson

CMSI China Maritime Reports

Main Findings

• The PRC’s hospital ship ecosystem comprises at least 17 vessels. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operates 13 ships, while the state ship building sector has developed (or is developing) at least four civilian hospital ships for domestic and foreign clients.
• PLAN hospital ships serve two main missions: (1) Provide medical support to PLA personnel, especially those stationed around the mainland or on Chinese-occupied islands in the South China Sea. (2) Support maritime global health engagement, chiefly through missions conducted by the Peace Ark hospital ship.
• Almost a third (21) of the Peace Ark’s 71 port visits …

Cmsi Translations #14: Manual For Developing Ship Captains, Liu Xue, Li Mingyu

CMSI Translations

In 1949, the People's Navy set sail from Baimamiao in Jiangsu province. Throughout its journey, the People's Navy has produced numerous heroes, and an increasing number of talented personnel of all types have accelerated their growth on the deep blue waterways. Among them, Navy surface ship captains have become a shining group. How can young aspirants with dreams become captains?

The Dalian Naval Vessel Academy was established on November 22, 1949. It primarily focuses on cultivating military and political command officers for the Navy's surface forces, as well as technical officers in marine hydrology and surveying. Over the past 70 …