While they may take the lead. Or more simply, just outnumber the US sub fleet, achieving second-strike capability that way. But the question remains *at what cost*? To produce ships efficiently, their defense industrial base will have no choice but to accept lower profit margins than their US counterparts.
If the 6th-gen jet milestone is real, it’s a clear signal: China isn’t just catching up — it's reimagining what warfare domains look like. Submarines could be next — not nuclear leviathans, but autonomous, quantum-guided, silent predators that don’t look or fight like today’s platforms.
While they may take the lead. Or more simply, just outnumber the US sub fleet, achieving second-strike capability that way. But the question remains *at what cost*? To produce ships efficiently, their defense industrial base will have no choice but to accept lower profit margins than their US counterparts.
If the 6th-gen jet milestone is real, it’s a clear signal: China isn’t just catching up — it's reimagining what warfare domains look like. Submarines could be next — not nuclear leviathans, but autonomous, quantum-guided, silent predators that don’t look or fight like today’s platforms.