Going Nuclear, Getting Bigger, and Going Beyond By Captain James E. Fanell, U.S. Navy (Retired) May 2026 Proceedings Vol. 152/5/1,479 Celebrating its 98th year on 1 August 2025, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) continued to grow the number and tonnage of its hulls, and its operations expanded into previously untouched domains, all despite purges among the PLA and PLAN senior ranks.

Source: Intel Update on the PLA Navy