China to Build Advanced Version of Type 055 Destroyer

China could build more Type 055 large destroyers in the future, with new technologies applied to improve overall capability following the induction of the last of eight such warships into the PLA Navy recently.

The Xianyang, the last Type 055 destroyer, was commissioned into the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently.

China could build more Type 055s in the future, with new technologies applied to improve overall capability, analysts were quoted as saying by Chinese media.

Having just entered service, the Type 055 large destroyer Xianyang (Hull No. 108) recently embarked from a naval base of PLA Southern Theater Command for a combat training mission, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Friday.

The report came two days before the 74th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy, which falls on Sunday.

Since the commissioning of the first Type 055 large destroyer in January 2020, the PLA Navy now operates eight warships in this class, namely the Nanchang, the Lhasa, the Anshan, the Wuxi, the Dalian, the Yan'an, the Zunyi and the Xianyang.

Four of the vessels are reportedly in service with the PLA North Sea Fleet, and the other four are in service with the PLA South Sea Fleet.

Over the past three years, Type 055s have participated in distant sea training in regions like the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Bering Sea, the Philippine Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea. They have also been parts of the PLA Navy's aircraft carrier groups.

The Type 055 large destroyer is a large platform that can carry significant amounts of equipment and stay at the sea for longer periods compared with the previous generation of destroyers. It can also sail faster thanks to its combined gas and gas propulsion system, said Liu Shenghai, head of the mechanical and electrical department on the Yan'an, government-owned CCTV reported.

The 130mm-caliber naval gun, a large missile carrying capacity, the integrated radio frequency system and the anti-submarine weapons system of the Type 055 give the warship outstanding comprehensive combat capabilities, CCTV quoted sailors on the Type 055 as saying.

Observers said that a Type 055 has a displacement of more than 12,000 tons, is equipped with a 112-cell missile vertical launch system and is endowed with the capability to gain strong situational awareness.