Yet for all their importance, their missions would be impossible if not for the US Navy's unsung workhorses: replenishment ships. But replenishment ships also form the weakest link in the chain of American and Chinese carrier groups. Chow Chung-yan/South China Morning Post via Getty ImageChina's replenishment shipsThe US Navy has over 100 years of experience building and operating replenishment ships. Ultimately, the Chinese opted to pursue a new design for its next replenishment ships: the Type 903-class oiler. China has the largest shipbuilding industry in the world, however, enabling it to quickly build more oilers and convert some of its merchant ships into replenishment ships.

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