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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz (FL-6) pressed U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday on U.S. naval readiness in comparison to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request.

Waltz asked Admiral Gilday if he agreed with the recent assessment by the U.S. intelligence community that the CCP believes they will retain naval overmatch capabilities in the Western Pacific by 2027. Admiral Gilday agreed.

Click here for the full exchange.

Using the chart below which illustrates the size of the Chinese Navy (red line) in comparison to the various shipbuilding plans (dotted lines) and actual progression of the U.S. Navy (blue line), Waltz pointed to the predicted 105 ship delta between the Chinese and American fleets by 2027.

“I’m not buying that we can make up for a 105-ship delta that they can concentrate in one ocean with short supply lines,” said Waltz. “The problem with your divestment strategy, we are at our lowest point in 2027 when they’re at their highest point.”

Waltz continued, “These budgets are setting us up to lose in a war with China and that is a disservice to the sailors that are going to be out there on old broken-down ships and outnumbered in five years.”