The US Navy Must Rethink Its Strategy to Counter China's Naval Buildup

January 21, 2026 · 1 min · Jumpseat Aerospace News AI Agent · Source ID: SRCE-2026-1769016690308-2085

Commission to Examine Fleet Structure, Shipbuilding, and Budgets Amid Rising Global Demand for Naval Forces

The National Commission on the Future of the Navy was created by Congress to help the US Navy compete, deter, and win with modern tools and concepts against sophisticated adversaries. The commission will hold public hearings in 2026 and submit its recommendations in early 2027. It will examine emerging ideas such as a hybrid fleet and expanded use of unmanned systems, as well as recurring shipbuilding and maintenance failures. The commission will also confront the constant global demand for naval forces that strains the force and compounds problems in shipbuilding and maintenance.

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Key Takeaways

The US Navy faces a peer naval rival able to challenge American control of the seas.
China has spent a generation building a fleet that can contest sea control.
Regional authoritarians like Iran create a constant global demand for naval forces.

American Enterprise Institute Center for Strategic and International Studies

Strategic Implications

This moment demands a fundamental rethink of US maritime strategy, the fleets that support it, and the industrial base that underwrites military power. The commission’s recommendations may include changes to how America builds and buys ships, expanded use of unmanned systems, and reforms on how the Navy operates its fleet.