The Chinese navy, while rapidly modernizing and expanding, is vulnerable to modern threats like submarines, drones, and hypersonic missiles.

However, it is also actively developing countermeasures and is not defenseless against these threats.

The vulnerabilities are most pronounced in areas where the PLA Navy (PLAN) lacks combat experience and a well-established, integrated defense network.

Submarines

The PLAN faces significant vulnerabilities to modern, quiet submarines, particularly those operated by the U.S. and its allies.

• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Weakness: Despite advancements in its surface fleet, the PLAN's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities are still considered a major weakness. Its ships, including the advanced Type 055 destroyer, have capable sonar systems, but their effectiveness in a complex, multi-layered ASW operation is unproven.

• "Invisible" Undersea Threat: China's own military journals have expressed concern that the U.S. and its allies operate an "integrated, three-dimensional surveillance system" in the Pacific, which poses a significant threat to the PLAN's own submarine fleet. This network of sensors, drones, and manned platforms could make it difficult for Chinese submarines to operate undetected.

• Acoustic Vulnerabilities: While China's newer submarines are quieter than older models, they still face challenges operating in the noisy and complex acoustic environment of the Western Pacific. American and allied submarines are generally considered to be technologically superior in terms of stealth and acoustic quieting.

Drones

China is simultaneously a major developer of drone technology and a potential victim of it. Its navy faces vulnerabilities from both aerial and unmanned surface/underwater drones.

• Aerial Drone Swarms: A key lesson from recent conflicts is the effectiveness of cheap, expendable drones used in mass attacks. While the PLAN has been developing counter-drone systems, including laser weapons and new air defense vehicles, a drone swarm could still overwhelm the defenses of a single ship or a small task force.

• Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs): Ukraine's successful use of USVs to attack Russian naval assets in the Black Sea has demonstrated their potential as a disruptive threat. These low-cost, expendable platforms can be used for reconnaissance, suicide attacks, or to overwhelm an enemy's defenses. The PLAN is developing its own USVs, but its ability to defend against a large-scale attack by an adversary's USVs is untested.

• Underwater Drones: Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) pose a stealthy threat to both surface ships and submarines. They can be used to lay mines, collect intelligence, or conduct attacks on submerged vessels. While both China and its potential adversaries are developing these systems, their use in a major naval conflict remains theoretical.

Hypersonic Missiles

Hypersonic missiles represent a particularly dangerous threat to any modern navy, including China's. Their speed and maneuverability make them extremely difficult to intercept with current missile defense systems.

• Limited Defenses: There are currently no fully effective defenses against a maneuvering hypersonic missile. The PLA has invested heavily in developing its own hypersonic weapons, but this also means it recognizes the challenge posed by an adversary's arsenal.

• High-Value Target Threat: A single hypersonic anti-ship missile could cause catastrophic damage to a high-value target like an aircraft carrier or a cruiser, potentially with little to no warning. This makes the PLAN's most powerful assets, which are the centerpiece of its power projection, highly vulnerable.

• Vulnerability of Command: The unpredictable trajectory and incredible speed of these missiles also pose a threat to command and control. A successful attack on a command ship or an early warning platform could leave an entire fleet without a clear picture of the battlefield, making it easier for an adversary to exploit other vulnerabilities.