China – Type 055 Destroyer
The People’s Liberation Army Navy is a formidable force in maritime areas. Founded in 1949, it has quickly developed itself into one of the very best naval forces in the world. The People’s Liberation Army Navy consists of five main wings; Submarine Force, the Surface Force, the Coastal Defense Force, the Marine Corps, and the Naval Air Force. It has some 240,000 personnel available, including 15,000 marines and 26,000 naval air force personnel. The People’s Liberation Army Navy is the second-largest Naval force in the world when it comes to cargo. It is the second-largest navy in the world in terms of tonnage. The overall inventory of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy consists of over 537 ships and at least 594 aircraft, making it one of the largest navies in the whole world. Currently, the People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet consists of two aircraft carriers, 50 destroyers, 49 frigates, 72 corvettes, and 79 submarines, among many other ships. Below we will discuss some facts about China – Type 055 Destroyer.
Type-055 Destroyer:
The People’s Liberation Army Navy has constantly developed itself into a modern fleet by the use of indigenous technology. In 2018, The Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC launched two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers for the People’s Liberation Army Navy, which have further modernized the Naval fleet of the People’s Republic of China. The plan was to bring at least eight of these destroyers into the fleet. Type 055 are the largest surface combatants to be built for the service to date. The People’s Liberation Army Navy was striving to develop a large destroyer for the past several decades.
A program with the codename “055” was actually in place from the late ’70s till the early ’80s. A complete mock-up picture of the Type-055 destroyer first surfaced in 2014. The first ship, Nanchang, was commissioned in January 2020. In comparison, the third ship named Dalian was commissioned on 23 April 2021. So far, the number of Type-055 destroyers having been built is eight. Two of the Type-055 destroyers have already been inducted into service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Design:
Type 055 is a 180-meter long, 20-meter wide, updated version of the Type 052D Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer but is considerably larger than the latter. It is because of its enormous size that it is regarded as a cruiser by the U.S. Defense Department. Type 055 destroyers are the multipurpose surface combatants, having the ability to be placed in long-range missile defense and anti-surface defense, and can be used in anti-submarine roles.
Armament:
Type 055 destroyer has the main armament consisting of two cell blocks, having some 112 vertical launch systems, which can fire medium to long-range missiles of various categories, such as surface to air, anti-ship, and cruise missiles. It can operate HHQ-9 missiles, as well as CJ-10 and YJ-18 missiles. Type 055 has main gun H\PJ-38, which has an ammunition sized 130mm. Additionally, this destroyer can also operate a railgun. According to a U.S. report, the Type-055 destroyer can also fire anti-ship ballistic missiles.
According to a Chinese government-owned media, the Type-055 destroyer can also destroy and tackle stealth aircraft and low orbit satellites. The press reported that the Type-055 destroyer is armed with a dual-band radar system that enables stealth and low orbit satellites. It has four S-band Dragon Eye panels as well as four X-band panels. Its weapons also include decoy launchers, short-range missiles HQ-10, and torpedoes.
Power:
Type-055 destroyer uses four 28MW QC-280 gas turbines in gas and gas set up to generate power. In addition, six 5 MW QD-50 gas turbines provide extra power to the destroyer. Its max speed is considered to be 30 knots.
Service:
In March 2021, The People’s Liberation Army Navy brought the Type-055 destroyer into the Sea of Japan for the first time when it was seen roaming the Tsushima Strait, moving towards the Sea of Japan. In April 2021, The People’s Liberation Army Navy placed a Type-055 destroyer with an aircraft carrier group. The Type-055 Nanchang was placed with the aircraft carrier Liaoning. Type 055’s entry in the Sea of Japan indicates that the fearsome destroyer is firmly capable of roaming and operating in distant regions.
