AESA-Radar Equipped Destroyer Being Prepared For Launch In Chinese Shipyard

China's new 052D guided-missile destroyers, which is equipped with phased array radar and vertical launching system, is undergoing outfitting work in Dalian Shipyard, Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

There are five 052D destroyers already in active service while another six are undergoing outfitting and several are under construction, read a Sina Weibo Post by the China National Radio (CNR) Military Program on Sunday.

"The 052D, a 7,000-ton-destroyer with 64 launch units, is designed for tasks including anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-warship defense, while it does not and should not be required to have ground attack capability, which should be carried out by bigger destroyers, the coming 055," Song Zhongping, a military expert who used to serve in the PLA Rocket Force, told the Global Times on Monday.

Equipped with 112 launch units, the 055 destroyer will greatly enhance PLA Navy's combat capability in the open sea, and ground attack capability, as its higher tonnage will enable it to be more versatile, Song noted.

Chinese destroyers are equipped with AESA, and the 052D and 055 destroyers are starting to include a variety of missiles serving different combat purposes in their vertical launching system, surpassing the U.S. system, Song added. 

The ship’s powerful Type 346A radars provides for an air defense role in addition to its modular vertical launch systems that also gives it powerful land attack and anti-submarine capabilities. In addition, the Type 0346A radar and other sensors give the 052D vast intelligence gathering capabilities, which is vital for anti-access/area denial operations.