- China commissions two new Type 055 guided missile destroyers, bringing the PLAN fleet of the type to ten hulls
- New Type 055 warships assigned to PLA Eastern Theater Command, strengthening China’s blue-water air-defence and power-projection capability
- Type 055 size and firepower fuel “destroyer vs cruiser” debate: 180m, 12,000+ tonnes, 100+ VLS cells; Nato classifies Type 055 as cruisers.
China has commissioned two new Type 055 guided missile destroyers (DDG) into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), bringing its fleet of the type to ten, forming the modern backbone to the country’s blue-water power projection.
Announcing the move in a 9 March post, China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) said the new warships were named Dongguan (Hull 109) and Anqing (Hull 110), joining Nanchang (Hull 101), Lhasa (Hull 102), Anshan (Hull 103), Wuxi (Hull 104), Dalian (Hull 105), Yan’an (Hull 106), Zunyi (Hull 107), and Xianyang (Hull 108), in service.
The two newly commissioned vessels have been assigned to the Chinese PLA Eastern Theater Command, the MND stated.
In opting for the names Dongguan and Anqing, the PLAN is continuing its theme of naming its destroyers after major cities at prefecture-level or above. In contrast, the PLAN’s frigates are given names aligned with county-level cities.
Unlikely prestigious naval names like Anshan – which was the PLAN’s first major destroyer class, being ex-Soviet Gnevny warships – the names of Dongguan and Anqing are relatively standard and could simply fit with a ‘national representation’ theme, with their respective cities being located in the south and central/east of the country.
Type 055: a Chinese Ticonderoga?
However, the description by the MND of the Type 055 as a 10,000-tonne class DDG stretches credulity somewhat, with Nato considering the warships a step above such classification.
Detailed in a 2024 publication by the US Office for Naval Intelligence (ONI), the Type 055 vessels are listed as cruisers according to Nato, given that they measure 180m in length and displace in excess of 12,000 tonnes and given the Alliance name of Renhai class.
The class could be being built as the potential successor to Type 052D DDGs, and feature more than 100 vertical launch system (VLS) cells housing a range of anti-air and anti-surface weaponry.
It is thought that the Type 055 DDG/CG fulfils much the same role as a US Navy Ticonderoga-class CG, able to host command-level structures and impart huge kinetic firepower through multiple VLS clusters.
The debate as to whether the class can be considered a DDG or CG depends very much on differing criteria and national doctrine.
China would not be alone in calling a 10,000-plus tonne warship a destroyer, with the US Navy using the same designation for the 15,000-tonne Zumwalt-class DDG, while its Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers will displace the best part of 10,000 tonnes at full load.
