055/052 destroyers thread
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东风夜放花千树
Registered Member
According to the Navy's development strategy and the pace of equipment updates, I think it's impossible to build so many. China's national strategy does not have plans for global deployment, let alone the idea of dominating the world.
A carrier fleet is equipped with 1-2 Type 055 ships, serving as destroyers or command centers. This aligns with the publicly known configuration of the Shandong carrier battle group. The 075/076 fleets generally are equipped with one ship.
The United States currently has 11 aircraft carriers, but only 4 are deployable. They have 9 amphibious assault ships.
Are 60 ships meant to plan for 30 carriers and amphibious assault ship fleets?
That's far from realistic.
Avicenna
Trusted Member
If China is hoping to field 6 carriers and 5 amphibious assault units then perhaps at least 24 Type 055 are needed? Which means a third batch of 8. Hopefully they can improve on the range and efficiency of the propulsion.
ChineseTiger1986
Registered Member
What I heard is that the third batch will consist another 6 hulls, so that's totally 20 hulls for the Type 055.
After the Type 055, the next-gen might be the Type 058, and it will have a tonnage of over 20,000 tons.
Michael
VIP Member
The first production batch (101–108) and the second production batch (109–114) of the Type 055 destroyer exhibit some differences at the detail level. Can you spot them?
The image above shows the second production batch, while the image below shows the first production batch.
The image above shows the second production batch, while the image below shows the first production batch.
Beijingwalker
VIP Member
Footage shows China's first missile destroyer hitting all targets in first live-fire mission
2026-03-21 17:35 Last Updated At：03-22 10:47A newly released footage has shown that China's first Type 055 guided-missile destroyer the Nanchang successfully hit all the targets in its first live-fire exercise.
The Nanchang entered service with the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy in January 2020, as the first of domestically developed Type 055 10,000 tonne-class destroyers.
Fourteen months after its commissioning, it undertook its first air defense and anti-missile mission under realistic combat scenarios.
Crew members of the Nanchang said that the mission difficulty was equivalent to a world-class air defense challenge at that time.
The air defense mission's complexity makes it a thorny challenge for all naval forces around the world. We were yet to experience live-fire exercises, so the whole squad, the whole crew were quite stressful said Qiao Peng.
"I was both nervous and excited. I was nervous because I was afraid of spoiling our record, since it was [China's] first Type 055 [guided-missile] destroyer. What if it had a record of missing the target? That would be really embarrassing," said Shi Ronghao.
The young soldiers, averaging just 23 years old, felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
"There is no way for us to predict when the target aircraft would come—whether they would attack simultaneously or separately. We also had to track more than a dozen shifting data points within seconds. Time was our greatest enemy; we had to be fast and accurate," said Qiao.
During the task, the Nanchang fired five missiles, and all of them hit their targets, demonstrating the combat capacity of the destroyer.
"Our entire squad bounced from chairs to cheer. Missiles serve as our warship's first line of defense. After this live-fire exercise, our morale will be greatly boosted when operating in the far seas," said Qiao.
Footage shows China's first missile destroyer hitting all targets in first live-fire mission
A newly released footage has shown that China's first Type 055 guided-missile destroyer the Nanchang
www.bastillepost.com
Beijingwalker
VIP Member
Why the Type 055 Destroyer Has Navies Around the World Paying Attention
By Megan BurrowsMarch 22, 2026
Older warships seem suddenly outdated when compared to the Type 055 destroyer. It carries the bulk of something designed for a larger era of naval ambition, even in photographs with the deck lines cleaned up for stealth and the hull painted that flat, nearly anonymous gray. With a length of about 180 meters and a full load of 12,000 to 13,000 tons, it falls into that awkward category where referring to it as a “destroyer” feels both technically and emotionally correct. NATO refers to it as the Renhai-class cruiser, which may be more accurate—or at least more accurate in terms of the impression it conveys.
This ship isn’t just big. It’s a very thoughtful one. China had ten Type 055s in service by March 2026, including the recently unveiled Dongguan and Anqing. The first of the class, Nanchang, went into service in 2020. That speed is important. Shipbuilding has a physical bluntness to it, but naval power is frequently discussed in abstract terms like tonnage, sorties, and industrial capacity. Formations shift, hulls emerge, crews train, and steel is cut. As the Type 055 program expands, it seems that China has shifted from questioning whether it could produce a true blue-water surface combatant to focusing on developing a fleet of them.
112 vertical launch cells is the headline number that everyone aims for first. Almost any navy would pay attention to that. Long-range air defense missiles, anti-ship weapons, land-attack cruise missiles, and anti-submarine munitions can all be carried by these cells, which are divided into forward and aft sections. Practically speaking, this indicates that the ship is not limited to a single role. It can threaten ships from a distance, thicken an air-defense screen, escort a carrier, and make an opponent’s calculations more difficult before the first shot is fired. It’s possible that the class’s true significance lies in its versatility rather than its raw missile count.
The sensor image, on the other hand, might be even more revealing. According to USNI’s assessment, the class is among the most powerful surface combatants on the water, and a large portion of that assessment is based on detection, tracking, and command-and-control in addition to missiles. One of the most notable characteristics of the Type 055 is its dual-band radar system, which provides the kind of situational awareness one would expect from a vessel built to safeguard valuable assets and manage a larger formation. Because of what they can shoot, warships are frequently admired. What they can see, how quickly they can process it, and whether the crew can take action before the opposing side is the more important question.
Recent footage from the Chinese state media gave that argument some nuance. Nanchang’s first live-fire surface-to-air missile test from 2021 was shown in official coverage in March 2026, with five reported hits out of five during what Chinese reporting described as a challenging air-defense scenario. A certain amount of caution should always be exercised when reading state media, particularly when it comes with a triumphant narrative. Even so, the video had a purpose. It served as a reminder to both domestic and international audiences that the ship is more than just a shipyard success story. It is transitioning into a more developed operational life.
Where these ships are headed, however, seems more significant. Dongguan and Anqing joined the Eastern Theater Command, which is most closely linked to any possible Taiwan contingency and to operations against Japan in the East China Sea, according to a USNI report this month. It’s not a subtle assignment. Setting up elite surface combatants in Asia’s most politically charged maritime theater is a different matter entirely from carrier escorts and prestige deployments. The Type 055 seems to be more than just a representation of modernity. It is being positioned where modernization is supposed to matter.
It is impossible to avoid comparisons with American ships, and they are typically a little messy. The Type 055 is frequently discussed in conjunction with the Arleigh Burke destroyers, the Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and occasionally even the problematic Zumwalt program. According to some analysts, China has distinct advantages in integrated design, growth potential, and missile capacity. Others note that Aegis ships from the United States and Japan continue to have significant advantages in terms of ballistic missile defense, doctrine, and practical alliance integration. Both perspectives may be accurate. Although hardware is important, naval warfare has never been a showroom competition. Sensors, logistics, training, geography, and nerve are all at stake.
The psychological impact that the Type 055 has already had is difficult to ignore. It is no coincidence that the ship has become a focal point in nearly every conversation concerning China’s surface fleet. It is big enough to dazzle, powerful enough to frighten planners, and numerous enough to change maps instead of just headlines. Perhaps the most crucial point is the last one. You can write off a one-time super-ship as theater. With more expected, a growing class of ten begins to resemble a structure.
And that’s most likely the true tale. While the Type 055 destroyer is impressive in and of itself, it is even more illuminating as a sign of a larger shift in Chinese naval philosophy. This ship is designed to manage air-defense networks, escort carriers into far-off waters, and make other people’s intervention appear riskier and slower, in addition to protecting coasts. It remains to be seen if it will be decisive in any future crisis. Confident forecasts are often humiliated by war. However, there’s a sense that the long-held belief that China’s navy was primarily a regional force with regional boundaries is beginning to fade as this class expands.
Why the Type 055 Destroyer Has Navies Around the World Paying Attention - Unite To Win with Priti Patel
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Beijingwalker
VIP Member
China Quietly Launches 2 New Type 055 “Super Destroyers”
Last updated: March 23, 2026 10:17 am
BEIJING – China has quietly added two more powerful warships to its navy, bringing its fleet of Type 055 “super destroyers” to 10. At the same time, profiles of some of the country’s top nuclear, radar, and missile experts have vanished from an official government website. Together, these developments have sparked new concerns about Beijing’s military growth and possible trouble inside its defense system.
The Type 055 destroyer, known by NATO as the Renhai-class, ranks among the most capable surface warships in service today. At 13,000 tons, these ships are larger than many cruisers and carry a heavy mix of weapons and sensors. Their expansion comes as pressure keeps building in the Taiwan Strait and across the wider Indo-Pacific.
China’s Naval Build-Up and the Growing Type 055 Fleet
In early March 2026, Chinese state media showed two new Type 055 destroyers, Dongguan (hull 109) and Anqing (hull 110), taking part in naval exercises. With their arrival, China now has 10 active ships in this class. The first eight entered service from 2020 to 2022. Meanwhile, more hulls are under construction at the Jiangnan and Dalian shipyards, and current plans point to a fleet of at least 16.Military analysts say the Type 055 represents a major step forward for the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN. Unlike older Chinese destroyers, these ships are built for long-range operations far from China’s coastline. Because of that, they can escort aircraft carriers and lead large surface strike groups on distant deployments.
The ships are 180 meters long and 20 meters wide. They can reach 30 knots and travel roughly 5,000 nautical miles. They also use stealth shaping to lower their radar signature, which makes detection harder.
Why the Type 055 Stands Out
The Type 055 draws attention for two main reasons, firepower and electronics. Its main strengths include:- 112 vertical launch system (VLS) cells, more than many U.S. or allied destroyers carry. These cells can launch anti-ship missiles, air-defense missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, and anti-submarine weapons.
- Advanced dual-band radar, using the Type 346B “Dragon Eye” system. It can track large numbers of targets at long range and support fleet air defense.
- Hypersonic strike ability, with reports pointing to test launches of the YJ-20 anti-ship ballistic missile, which may hit targets up to 2,000 kilometers away.
- Multi-role weapons, including the YJ-18 supersonic anti-ship missile, CJ-10 land-attack cruise missiles, HHQ-9 surface-to-air missiles, and torpedo tubes.
- Helicopter support, with space for two medium helicopters used for anti-submarine work and search missions.
- Electronic warfare systems, including jammers, decoys, and sensors designed to disrupt enemy radar and missile attacks.
China assigned the newest pair to the Eastern Theater Command Navy. That command focuses on Taiwan and nearby waters near Japan. So, placing these ships there sends a clear signal about Beijing’s regional priorities and its intent to shape events close to home.
New Drills Highlight Range and Combat Readiness
State television footage from March 8, 2026, showed the two new destroyers operating with other warships during training. The exercises focused on fleet coordination, long-range strike practice, and defensive operations. Chinese experts say the Type 055 now serves in all three main theater commands, Northern, Eastern, and Southern. As a result, China can spread its naval power across a much wider area.Observers have also pointed to upgrades in the second production batch, especially in power generation and onboard electronics. Those changes could support future systems such as lasers or railguns. At the same time, the fleet’s steady growth fits China’s broader goal of becoming a top-tier naval power by 2035.
Mystery Grows as Top Nuclear, Radar, and Missile Experts Disappear
While the navy marks the arrival of new ships, a separate development in Beijing has raised concern. In mid-March 2026, profiles of three senior defense experts disappeared from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, or CAE, website.The missing figures are:
- Zhao Xiangeng, 72, a leading nuclear weapons scientist and former CAE vice-president.
- Wu Manqing, 60, a well-known radar specialist who helped develop advanced airborne systems.
- Wei Yiyin, 63, a major missile designer linked to guidance and propulsion work.
Some reports have also linked the removals to claimed failures in Chinese-made radar and missile systems exported to countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and Venezuela. If those reports are accurate, the issue could hurt confidence in China’s defense technology, including systems tied to the Type 055.
That link matters because these experts worked in areas closely tied to the destroyer’s core strengths, radar, missile integration, and nuclear-related power research. Their sudden disappearance has fueled talk of internal investigations, arrests, or forced retirements. It also echoes earlier purges in the rocket force that reportedly slowed missile programs.
What It Could Mean for China’s Military Future
Taken together, new warships and missing experts send a mixed message. On one side, the Type 055 fleet shows real progress in shipbuilding and military engineering. China now fields more large, modern destroyers than any country except the United States.Still, the vanishing of senior specialists raises concern about reliability, oversight, and internal stability. If key designers are pushed aside, future upgrades to radar, missile, or power systems could slow down. That could also affect confidence in some of China’s most advanced weapons.
The U.S. and its allies are watching these changes closely. The Type 055 gives China a stronger tool for challenging U.S. carrier groups and backing operations around Taiwan. Yet any weakness in command systems, sensors, or technical support could reduce its performance in real combat.
Chinese state media describes the new destroyers as a force for “regional peace and stability.” Critics see something very different, a tool for expanding military reach. Either way, the fast growth of the Type 055 fleet, along with the unexplained disappearance of top defense talent, has kept global military analysts on alert.
As more Type 055 ships move through construction, outside observers will keep watching. China’s naval power is still rising, but signs of trouble inside its defense system may prove just as important as the ships themselves.
China Quietly Launches 2 New Type 055 "Super Destroyers"
BEIJING - China has quietly added two more powerful warships to its navy, bringing its fleet of Type 055 "super destroyers" to 10. At the same time, profiles
www.chiangraitimes.com
ChineseTiger1986
Registered Member
If not the Type 058, could China first build the 20,000 tons upgraded version known as the Type 055B?
Basically with 116 VLS units of 0.85 meter, and 36 additional VLS units of 1.2 meters for midcourse interception.
The ship should be powered by 4 X 50 MW CGT-50 gas turbines compared to the 4 X 30 MW CGT-30 that powered the first two batches.
Basically with 116 VLS units of 0.85 meter, and 36 additional VLS units of 1.2 meters for midcourse interception.
The ship should be powered by 4 X 50 MW CGT-50 gas turbines compared to the 4 X 30 MW CGT-30 that powered the first two batches.
Beijingwalker
VIP Member
China Gives Rare Look At 11,000-Ton Destroyer Built For Electronic Warfare
Zohaib AhmedFeb 24, 2026
An aerial view of a Chinese Type 055 guided-missile destroyer - CCTV
Beijing is known for keeping quiet about its military hardware. But in footage aired on January 29, 2026, via CCTV, China's main state broadcaster, the Yanan — a Type 055 guided-missile destroyer – was shown off in full display. The 27-minute clip showed the ship firing electronic jamming missiles during what was officially described as an encounter with foreign aircraft near Taiwan. Now, showing off military hardware in action publicly is unusual for China. But admitting to specific confrontations happening in those particular waters is even rarer.
Type 055s are roughly 11,000-ton warships that China officially classifies as guided-missile destroyers. They are one of the most advanced weapons in China's military arsenal and are far from your average warships. Western analysts often bump their classification up to "cruiser" because of their sheer size and all the firepower packed into them. Each one of these carries 112 vertical launch cells loaded with a mix of surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, and potentially even hypersonic weapons. They stretch to over 590 feet long and can hit 30 knots, which is fast for something that weighs about as much as a small office building. Fleet numbers are expanding rapidly, compared to those of the US Navy destroyers.
In the footage, the Yanan's crew spots what appear to be multiple groups of aircraft shifting direction nearby. A sailor on watch calls out orders to prepare the starboard side, and from there, the ship cranks its radar systems up to high power, which effectively helps widen its search range. But the Yanan doesn't just go it alone from that point on.
Not a one-ship show
A Chinese Type 055 guided-missile destroyer launches a missile - CCTV
Before the Yanan actually fires anything, it calls in backup from the Shandong — one of China's aircraft carriers. That ship sends three planes out to confirm what's actually out there first. Only after that does the destroyer go ahead by launching four electronic jamming missiles. This coordination was further explained in the clip.
In it, a crew member, Wang Liang, pointed out in the broadcast that modern naval combat isn't really about one ship doing everything anymore. Rather, it's about how every system works together as a whole, across air and sea. Wang went further and framed the PLA Navy as operating on the front line of both conventional and what he called "invisible warfare." Confrontations extend well beyond surface combat into air defense, anti-submarine operations, and electronic warfare all at once.
The footage was part of a series by CCTV, which had earlier broadcast footage of the Nanchang, another Type 055. This one was the first of its kind and launched back in June 2017. It was seen operating alongside the carrier Liaoning. In that specific clip, the Nanchang keeps changing course to physically block two foreign vessels from weaving their way through the carrier group's formation. So in both cases, the Yanan and Nanchang aren't just acting as standalone weapons platforms — they're functioning as pieces of a much larger coordinated system.
The fleet behind all of this
A full fleet of Chinese ships and jets on display - CCTV
Those two ships are just a small part of what's now the world's largest navy. There are currently eight Type 055 destroyers in active service, and all of them were commissioned by 2023. Four of those are stationed with the North Sea Fleet out of Qingdao, and the other four operate under the South Sea Fleet from Zhanjiang, covering the contested South China Sea. A second batch is already being built at Chinese shipyards in both Dalian and Shanghai, with new ships expected to enter service sometime this year. Those newer ones reportedly come with upgraded power generation systems and improved weapons — including the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile, which was shown in a live test launch for the very first time in late 2025.
The timing of all this footage matters quite a bit, too. It dropped against a backdrop of growing tension around Taiwan. The US approved roughly $11.1 billion in arms sales to the island back in December, and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently suggested that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. Beijing has pushed back hard on both of those developments.
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China Gives Rare Look At 11,000-Ton Destroyer Built For Electronic Warfare
State broadcaster CCTV showcased one of China's most advanced destroyers in action, highlighting its role in electronic warfare amid regional tensions.
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