How China Built Its Navy on Russia’s Cold War Technology
How China Built Its Navy on Russia’s Cold War Technology
https://www.newsweek.com/how-china-built-navy-on-russias-cold-war-technology-11440557
Publish Date: 2026-02-01 05:30:00
Source Domain: www.newsweek.com
Operating the world’s largest navy by hull count, China possesses combat vessels—including surface warships and submarines—acquired from Russia decades ago, that helped it build sea power capable of challenging the United States.
While Russian legacy systems remain a relevant part of the rapidly expanding Chinese fleet, Alex Luck, an Australia-based analyst who specializes in the People’s Liberation Army Navy, told Newsweek they will likely disappear from PLAN service within the next decade or two, “depending on how long particular units remain in service.”
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
China and Russia have formed what Russian President Vladimir Putin once called a partnership without limitations, with both sides providing support—diplomatically and militarily—to each other on issues such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and tensions across the Taiwan Strait, as they join hands in countering U.S.-led alliances in Europe and Asia.
As part of efforts to build a “world-class” military aimed at displacing the U.S. as the world’s most powerful nation, China has undergone naval modernization—supported by a robust shipbuilding capacity—and fields a fleet of more than 370 ships and submarines, including three aircraft carriers, eight 10,000-ton-class destroyers and 60 submarines.
While the majority of the Chinese fleet is domestically designed, it has been integrated with Russian-origin naval assets, including four Sovremenny-class destroyers and 10 Kilo-class submarines acquired in the early 1990s and 2000s, as well as its first aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning, formerly the Varyag, originally constructed for the Soviet Navy.
Addressing Operational Needs
According to Luck, China’s initial motivation for acquiring naval platforms from Russia was mainly to rapidly field what he described as “meaningful capability,”…
