Intel Chain

# INTEL: The Shifting Calculus of Naval Power Projection Global maritime chokepoints now account for 90% of international trade flows, yet naval force distribution hasn't fundamentally adapted since the post-Cold War era. The U.S. Navy's fleet has contracted from 600+ vessels in 1987 to ~300 today, while China's shipbuilding capacity exceeds all Western navies combined—producing roughly 10 major surface combatants annually versus the U.S. rate of 1-2. This capacity differential is historically significant: during the pre-WWI naval arms race (1906-1914), Britain's annual battleship production never faced such asymmetry. The implications matter because naval superiority directly determines regional access to energy supplies, trade routes, and crisis response capability—essentially the economic and security architecture of the 21st century.