Conor Kennedy

Conor Kennedy is an Instructor at the China Maritime Studies Institute of the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He received his MA from the Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies.

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Behind the Fleet: The PLAN Reviews Logistics Development in the 13th Five-Year Plan

04.11.2025 Conor Kennedy

Executive Summary: The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is currently implementing its 14th Five-Year Plan, which expands in part on major successes seen in the...

Publication China Brief China

Trust, Confidence, and Competency in PLA Navy Submarine Command

10.06.2023 Conor Kennedy

PLAN's submarine force faces autonomy issues due to historical distrust between leadership and boat commanders, impacting long-distance deployments. PLAN submarines historically employ senior officers as...

Publication China Brief

Using the Enemy to Train the Troops—Beijing’s New Approach to Prepare its Navy for War

03.25.2022 Ryan D. Martinson

Introduction The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has quietly changed the way it interacts with U.S. military forces in the Western Pacific. Instead of just tracking...

Publication China Brief China

Ramping the Strait: Quick and Dirty Solutions to Boost Amphibious Lift

07.16.2021 Conor Kennedy

Introduction The threat of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) using military force to coerce or perhaps launch an amphibious invasion of Taiwan has received significant...

Publication China Brief China