The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), also known as PLA Navy or Chinese Navy, is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army. The world's largest navy by number of vessels, it maintains more than 700 warships and support vessels as of 2024. Composed of the Surface Force, the Submarine Force, the Coastal Defense Force, the Marine Corps and the Naval Air Force, the PLAN has a total strength of 384,000 personnel, including 55,000 marines and 50,000 naval aviation personnel. PLAN units are deployed among the North Sea, East Sea and South Sea fleets, under the Northern, Eastern and Southern PLA theater commands, respectively.
- Country
- People's Republic of China
- Headquarters
- Beijing
- Inception
- April 23, 1949
