The main threats to American dominance at sea are Russia and China.

This is stated in a joint report by the Navy, the Marine Corps and the US Coast Guard.

“China's and Russia's revisionist actions at sea threaten US interests, weaken alliances and partnerships, and undermine a free and open international order.

In addition, the aggressive build-up and modernization of the naval forces of China and Russia neutralizes the military advantages of the United States.

If we do not counteract these trends, then in the next ten years the US Navy will be unable to ensure our superiority at sea and protect our national interests, ”the authors of the report say.

The document notes that the United States naval forces meet Chinese or Russian warships and aircraft on a daily basis, which, according to the authors of the report, indicates an increased aggression on their part.

The US military also suggested that in the event of a conflict, the PRC and the Russian Federation may try to "seize the territory."

However, the authors of the report did not specify what exactly they are talking about.

“In the event of a conflict, China and Russia are likely to try to seize territory before the United States and its allies can organize an effective response, and thus present them with a fait accompli.

Both China and Russia support this approach by investing in anti-interference networks.

Both countries are trying to get rid of the burden of escalation by deploying high-precision long-range weapons in the annexed territories, and making a military response to the invasion disproportionately costly, ”the document says.

To maintain a strategic advantage, the United States plans to create an integrated naval force with the participation of all branches of the military, strengthen interaction with allies and control over critical areas of both the high seas and coastal spaces.

In addition, US forces will act more decisively in the context of their day-to-day operations, the report says.

Also, the United States intends to modernize its Navy, increasing the number of small maneuverable ships, as well as unmanned vessels.

Recall that in October of this year, the then head of the Pentagon, Mark Esper, said that by 2045 the United States should increase the number of ships and submarines in service to 500 units.

According to the former head of the American defense department, this is necessary in order to resist China and Russia.

Territorial issue

Over the past several years, the United States has actively made claims against China and Russia related to shipping and influence in the maritime space.

So, the subject of a dispute between Washington and Beijing was the territorial belonging of the water area of ​​the South China Sea and the group of Paracel Islands located in it, as well as the Spratly archipelago.

These territories are claimed by the PRC and several member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

  • A group of American ships in the South China Sea

  • © REUTERS / US Navy / Seaman Apprentice Carla Ocampo

These islands are located close to important shipping routes, and large hydrocarbon reserves have been discovered on the shelf of their archipelagos.

The PRC took control of the Paracel Islands in the mid-1970s and over the Spratly archipelago in the late 1980s.

In 1992, the PRC Law on Territorial Waters and Adjacent Zones was adopted, which provides for Beijing's sovereignty over all islands in the South China Sea.

Since 2013, the PRC has been working to create artificial islands in the region, and is also deploying its armed forces there.

The United States does not participate in the territorial dispute, but actively supports the ASEAN countries in it.

Washington regularly sends its ships to the water area under the pretext of adherence to the principle of free navigation.

In addition, the United States supports Taiwan, where it also regularly dispatches its warships and conducts naval exercises.

The PRC regards such actions as an encroachment on its sovereignty.

Arctic frontier

In turn, with regard to Russia, the American side is actively challenging Moscow's development of the Arctic space and the Northern Sea Route.

In 2018, the Commander of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Paul Zukunft, outlined the position of the American side regarding the ownership of the Northern Sea Route.

He stressed that the NSR should be an international transport artery, and not be under the control of the Russian Federation.

Then, in 2019, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Washington would strengthen its presence in the Arctic to counter "destabilizing activity" from the Russian Federation.

He also said that Russia is illegally demanding permission from foreign ships to pass through the Northern Sea Route.

  • diesel-electric icebreaker "Viktor Chernomyrdin"

  • © JSC "United Shipbuilding Corporation"

In December of the same year, the chief of the Russian headquarters of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces in the northeast, Mikhail Bilichenko, said that the US Navy had increased its activity in the Chukotka region, increasing the composition of the groupings and conducting military exercises.

In May 2020, Michael Murphy, Deputy Assistant to the Head of the US State Department for European and Asian Affairs, said that by expanding its presence in the Arctic, Russia was threatening NATO's anti-submarine defense line in the North Atlantic.

In addition, in the summer of 2020, Donald Trump ordered the creation of a full-fledged icebreaker fleet by fiscal 2029 to ensure the permanent presence of the United States in the Arctic and Antarctic.

As Sergei Ermakov, head of the regional security sector at the RISS Center for Defense Studies, noted in a RT commentary, Washington is trying to identify itself as a leading maritime power by any means possible.

“Today the United States is positioning itself as a maritime power, they intend to achieve superiority in this area, primarily over China, therefore they attach great importance to the development of the capabilities of the Navy, including coastal defense units and guards.

Today, the Coast Guard is undergoing reform in order not only to protect the territory of the United States, but also to patrol coastal waters in key regions of the world that are covered by American interests, ”Ermakov explained.

Nevertheless, in his opinion, the plan to increase the Navy to 500 ships is "too ambitious."

“The question remains whether the United States will be able to produce enough ships, whether they have enough resources for this.

And here the point is not at all that Russia and China can nullify this plan.

It makes no sense for Moscow to get involved in an arms race, it does not face the task of global domination at sea, ”the political scientist stressed.

Corresponding member of the Academy of Military Sciences, Americanist Sergei Sudakov, in turn, noted that today the United States is not an authority for Russia and China.

These two states, according to the analyst, are the only superpowers that can offer decent resistance to Washington.

“Instead of building a“ classic triumvirate, ”the United States reiterates its superiority, hegemony, and leadership.

However, it will be difficult for them to stop China and Russia, which have developed their military-technical potential quite strongly.

Washington can impose sanctions as much as it wants, but sooner or later such a policy may lead to confrontation.

Therefore, now the White House must act more carefully to maintain a balance, ”the expert concluded.