The Chinese Type 055 guided missile destroyers can fire missiles at targets from many locations. These ships are capable of launching a variety of anti-ship, surface-to-air and surface-to-submarine missiles. These ships are equipped with a variety of hull-mounted sonars. They are made to work in conjunction with other Chinese naval force as part of a combat group.
The Type 055 vessel is approximately 180m long and can carry more than 12,000 tons of displacement. The vessel is a large and powerful warship, which is being built by the People's Liberation Army Navy. This design is an important example of PLA's capability expansion and the country's shipbuilding venture.
Several Type 055 warships can be seen in operation, while others remain under construction. The Nanchang, the first ship in the class was commissioned in January 2020. Two more ships, including the Nanchang were launched in January 2020. The fifth and sixth ships remain active.
In the coming years, Type 055 vessel types will also be available for service. Li Jinwei said the Nanchang's senior commander would lead the vessel on various missions, with a particular focus on regional security. He said that the vessel was ready for any emergency situation.
During recent maritime drills China’s Type 055 destroyer has been undergoing evaluations and testing. Li, a senior captain, stated that the exercise was intended to improve the skills of officers and make the ship more combat-ready. The vessel will be participating in important missions later this year.
Type 055 ships feature a hull-mounted, variable depth sonar system. They are also equipped with a 24-cell HQ-10 short-range air defense missile launcher, as well as H/PJ-11 30mm close-in weapon systems. A 130mm naval gun is located at the bow. Two Changhe Z-18F helicopters are also found aboard. According to western researchers, Type 055 could have a displacement around 13,000 tonnes. These estimates, however, are highly speculative and should never be considered as final figures.
Eight Type 055s are currently in active service by the PLA Navy, while five more are being built. 16 more Type 055s are being built. Each vessel costs over six billion yuan (US$890 millions) and can reach speeds of 30k. Type 055's maximum power output comes from a mixture of gas turbines as well as gas turbine propulsion.
Another distinctive feature of the Type 055 ship is its smoke stack. This reduces radar cross-section. This design allows it to keep stealthy characteristics but suppress radar and other infrared light signals. It is expected to be equipped with several types of surface and land-attack cruise missiles, despite its stealthy characteristics.
The Type 055 Chinese navy destroyers have been able, in the past few year's, to conduct aggressive sub-marine hunting missions. The ships have a shorter range than the US Navy's Zumwalt stealth destroyers but are capable of tracking and spotting smaller targets.