Every year, the US military releases a report on the military and security developments of the People’s Republic of China for the previous year. This is a very high-level summary of the 2025 report. I highly recommend that you read the full report, and we have it archived here along with past years’ reports.
Per the 2025 report, China currently has the following military capabilities:
Ground Forces
| Type | Total | Taiwan Straight Area |
|---|---|---|
| Total Ground Force Personnel | 1,040,000 | 427,000 |
| Army Corps | 13 | 5 |
| Combined Arms Brigades | 80 | 30 |
| Artillery Brigades | 15 | 5 |
| Army Aviation Brigades | 13 | 4 |
| Air Assault Brigades | 3 | 1 |
| Airborne Brigades | 6 | 6 |
| Marine Brigades | 11 | 5 |
| Tanks | 3,700 | 1,100 |
| Artillery, Mortars & Rocket Launchers | 8,100 | 2,400 |
Naval Forces
| Type | Total | Taiwan Straight Area |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Carriers | 3 | 1 |
| Amphibious Assault Ships | 3 | 3 |
| Cruisers | 8 | 4 |
| Destroyers | 42 | 30 |
| Frigates | 50 | 39 |
| Corvettes | 50 | 40 |
| Tank Landing Ships | 58 | 44 |
| Attack Submarines | 48 | 34 |
| Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines | 6 | 2 |
| Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarines | 6 | 6 |
| Coastal Patrol (Missile) | 60 | 60 |
| Coastal Guard Ships | 142 | N/A |
Air Forces
| Type | Total | Taiwan Straight Area |
|---|---|---|
| Fighters | 2,200 | 850 |
| Bombers/Attack | 550 | 300 |
| Transport/Tanker | 550 | 60 |
| Special Mission Aircraft | 300 | 150 |
Missiles
| Class | Launchers | Missiles | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICBM | 550 | 400 | >5,500 km |
| IRBM | 300 | 550 | 3,000-5,500 km |
| MRBM | 300 | 1,300 | 1,000-3,000 km |
| SRBM | 250 | 900 | 300-1,000 km |
| GLCM | 150 | 300 | >1,500 km |
