China AI enabled, ultraquiet diesel and nuclear ballistic missile submarines with capability to strike Hawaii and Alaska, has graduated to major naval power

China has boosted its submarine force over the last 20 years, building a modern, flexible force that now has more total ships than the US. The force currently numbers 56 subs – four nuclear-powered missile subs, five nuclear-powered attack subs, and 47 diesel-powered attack subs – and is likely grow to between 69 and 78 subs by 2020, according to the Pentagon. Nuclear attack submarines are nuclear-powered, but they do not carry nuclear weapons, whereas nuclear strategic submarines do. Since the mid-1990s, China has built 13 Song-class diesel-electric attack subs and bought 12 Russian-made Kilo-class subs – eight of which can fire anti-ship cruise missiles.