US Navy plans possible war by 2027 amid China concerns: Admiral

Her seven goals include streamlining the maintenance of warships and submarines to eliminate delays, a greater push for the development and deployment of drones and unmanned vessels, and a focus on recruitment and retention.

In a speech at the Naval War College in Rhode Island, Franchetti said the heart of her strategy was to “prioritize increasing our level of readiness for a potential conflict with the People’s Republic of China through 2027.”

Fears of war by 2027

The 2027 deadline has been a focal point for US officials and defense chiefs, who say it was set by Chinese leader Xi Jinping as the year China should be ready to seize Taiwan.

Franchetti again referred to that assessment in her speech, saying “it’s what President Xi has told his forces, that they should be ready for war by 2027.”

Xi has denied such claims or even that he set the bar in 2035, according to a senior US official who told reporters in November about the leader’s conversation with President Joe Biden.

But China has increasingly stepped up aggression against Taiwan in recent years, especially after the self-ruled island re-elected the Democratic Progressive Party in January. Fears of a US-China war have been fueled further by Beijing, which has become more hostile in its territorial disputes with Japan and US allies in the South China Sea.

In his speech, Franchetti acknowledged that the US has other competitors to deal with, such as Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.

But she added that the US Navy will focus primarily on Beijing.

“By 2027, the Navy will be more ready for sustained combat,” she said. “Prioritizing the People’s Republic of China as a Pace Challenge and Focusing on Expanding the Navy’s Contribution to the Joint Warfighting Ecosystem.”

China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside business hours by Business Insider.

The US Navy’s new North Star

Accomplishing Franchetti’s goals will be no easy task. The admiral aims to have 80% of the US naval forces ready to deploy and fight at any time.

She also hopes the Navy can undertake a general repair effort for critical infrastructure such as piers and runways. Another goal is to assess every fleet command center for war readiness, starting with the Pacific Fleet, and bring them up to standard by 2027.

The admiral herself admitted that these were stretch goals, or BHAGs — big, hairy, audacious gaps, as she called them in her speech.

“But I also know that going with purpose and urgency on these targets will deter the PRC and any other potential adversary and make us even more ready to fight and win decisively if that deterrence fails,” she added.

Franchetti pointed to one of the U.S. Navy’s most unique advantages: real, recent combat experience.

It followed Ukraine’s fight against Russia in the Black Sea, with Franchetti noting that Kiev used a “combination of missiles, robotic surface ships and nimble digital capabilities.”

The fighting there has drawn particular attention to how Ukraine, considered to have no real navy of its own, has held back the Russian navy and sunk some of its warships.

“I learned a lot about the future of warfare at sea,” Franchetti said. “Including the role of robotic platforms, cheaper munitions, and disaggregated forces in gaining and exploiting sea control.”

The navy has also learned lessons from fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea with drones and ballistic missiles for nearly a year.

Franchetti told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday: “I think probably nobody is learning more than the Navy because really, this is the first time we’ve been in a weapons employment area for this period supported”.

Franchetti assumed his duties as chief of naval operations in November. She previously commanded two carrier strike groups and held command of the 6th Fleet and is the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.