The frenetic modernisation of China’s People's Liberation Army Navy has caused alarm among neighbouring countries in recent years.
The state-run Global Times reported on Sunday that two destroyers, meant to carry missiles, had been launched. "PLA Navy's eighth Type 055 and 25th Type 052D destroyers were simultaneously launched in the Dalian Shipyard at Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Sunday morning," the Global Times reported.
The Type 05D is the main class of destroyer in the People's Liberation Army Navy. Compared to it, the Type 055 class is significantly heavier in length and in displacement. The Type 055 class displaces about 11,000 tonnes and is about 180 metres in length and outsizes most comparable surface warships, except amphibious warships and aircraft carriers.
In terms of technology, both the Type 052D and Type 055 are comparable to the US Navy's Arleigh Burke class and Indian Navy's Kolkata class destroyers and have long-range phased array radars and surface-to-air missiles to defend against aerial threats.
The Type 052D has been in production for about a decade now, while the first Type 055 was commissioned this year. The Type 052D has 64 vertical launch cells to fire missiles for air defence, anti-ship and land-attack missions. The Type 055 destroyer is estimated to have up to 112 vertical launch cells and is, reportedly, intended to carry an electromagnetic railgun, which can be used to attack surface targets or missile defence purposes.
A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report for the US Congress, updated in August, estimated China could have around 40 destroyers with phased array radars in service by 2025. Global Times reported, "in four to five years, the number would increase to 39 to 40, including six Type 052Cs (predecessor to the Type 052D), 25 to 26 Type 052Ds and eight Type 055s".
The CRS report noted that China has added 119 ships to its navy from 2005 to 2019. The PLAN had a total of 216 warships (of all classes, including submarines) in 2005; by 2019, this had increased to 335 ships.
