The People’s Liberation Army Navy now operates 10 of the Type 055 class, which are dubbed “destroyers” but are closer in size to the US Navy’s larger cruisers.

The capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) increased over the weekend, as the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) Ministry of National Defense announced on Monday that two new Type 055 guided-missile destroyers had been commissioned into service. The warships, named the Dongguan (109) and Anqing (110), were assigned to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command.

The PLAN now operates 10 advanced multi-mission destroyers that can serve in area air defense and anti-submarine warfare roles. The addition of two more destroyers expands the PLAN’s ability to undertake blue-water navy expeditionary missions. Both vessels will likely be employed as escorts for China’s growing fleet of aircraft carriers.

About China’s Type 055 Destroyer

• Year Introduced: 2020
• Number Built: 10 (16 planned)
• Displacement: 12,000–13,000 tons (full load)
• Length: 180 m (590 ft 7 in)
• Beam: 20 m (65 ft 7 in)
• Propulsion: Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG)
  • Four QC-280 gas turbines (28 MW / 38000 hp, each), 112 MW / 150000 shp total
  • Two shafts, two controllable pitch propellers (CPP)

• Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h, 34.5 mph)
• Range: 5000 nmi (9,300 km, 5,750 mi)
• Armament:
  • Vertical Launching System (VLS), 112 cells; can carry surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship and land-attack missiles, cruise missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes
  • One H/PJ-45 130mm naval gun
  • One Type 739 H/PJ-11 close-in weapons system (CIWS)
  • One HHQ-10 close-in air defense missile system
  • Two triple torpedo tubes for Yu-7 torpedoes
  • Flight deck and hangar for two medium helicopters (Harbin Z-9 or Changhe Z-18)
• Crew: 300+

Development of the Type 055 began in earnest in the early 2000s after years of starts and stops. Construction of the lead vessel was initiated in 2014, with the Nanchang (101) entering service with the North Sea Fleet. Current plans call for the construction of 16 warships—which, although designated “destroyers” by Beijing, are the size of the US Navy’s cruisers and larger than comparable destroyers like the Arleigh Burke class.

What Makes the Type 055 Vessels So Dangerous?

The Type 055 destroyers are considered among the most advanced and powerful destroyers in service. Similar in design to the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers, the Type 055 warships were designed to fire surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, and missile-launched anti-submarine torpedoes.

According to the US military’s OE Data Integration Network (ODIN) database, the destroyers are fitted with “a continuous structure amidship [that] increases internal volume and reduces radar cross-section.” It added that “The smokestack design reduces both infrared signature and radar cross-section,” while “Chinese sources credit the design as being generally stealthy, with reduced radar, noise, infrared, and electromagnetic radiation signatures.”

The Chinese state-media outlet Global Times also reported that Chinese military experts have praised the Type 055’s “outstanding reconnaissance, early-warning and information-integration capabilities” and that the ship’s advanced radar can allow it to “identify and track hundreds of aerial targets simultaneously.”

The destroyers are armed with advanced vertical launch system (VLS) missile tubes, which include 64 launchers at the forward section in an 8×8 configuration, and 48 additional launches aft in a 6×8 configuration. Each can carry a variety of ordnance, giving the Type 055 great versatility and allowing it to take on a wide range of threats. Beyond its robust air and missile defense systems, the warships can also be outfitted with long-range anti-ship and land-attack missiles.

The destroyers can serve as a “core escort” for a PLAN carrier strike group (CSG), but also operate with large amphibious assault ships, notably the Type 075 and Type 076, to form an amphibious strike group. In such a capacity, the destroyers would provide air defense and ensure sea-control coverage during an amphibious landing.

Taiwan certainly comes to mind in the latter case, and that may explain why Beijing will continue to expand its fleet of Type 055 destroyers.

“The current number of Type 055 10,000-ton-class destroyers is still insufficient,” Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times. “In the future, their construction should continue to expand to meet the Chinese navy’s multiple needs in far-seas defense operations, the protection of maritime lines of communication, and the safeguarding of overseas interests.” 

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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