Maritime supremacy was key to America's rise to superpower status. Over the past two decades, however, while Washington has been preoccupied with Middle East land wars, the Navy's combat fleet has dwindled to historic lows – the smallest since before the World War I. At the same time, China's Navy has increased significantly and at an extraordinary rate. Within a matter of years or even months, China will likely have the ability to deny or substantially curtail the U.S. Navy's ability to operate in the Pacific and to project power in Asia.