On April 3, 2023, the Ta Kung Pao newspaper, which is run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), posted on its website a report titled "Four Type 055 Destroyers Escort the Aircraft Carrier Liaoning to Break Through the Island Chains." The article provides information about the Type 055 destroyers being commissioned by the Chinese Navy, and particularly the Wuxi, which recently passed a full combat-readiness test.
According to the article, Type 055 destroyers "are equipped with the Chinese Navy's most advanced air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, with strong information perception, command and coordination, air defense and anti-missile, sea-to-sea and sea-to-land strike capabilities."
Source: China Military News, Youtube.com/watch?v=OWoWdLEU6pk, uploaded April 8, 2023
Below is the text of the article[1]:
"Four Type 055 Destroyers Escort the Aircraft Carrier Liaoning to Break Through the Island Chains
"Wuxi, the Chinese Navy's sixth Type 055 stealth guided-missile destroyer, has recently passed a full-course test, officially achieving total combat capability. So far, all four 10,000 ton-class destroyers of the first destroyer detachment under the North Sea Fleet (NSF) have achieved full combat capability, and the detachment has become the world's top destroyer force.
"It is worth mentioning that even before it passed the full-course test, the destroyer Wuxi joined the formation of the carrier Liaoning, providing a protective umbrella for the carrier to carry out ocean-going operations in the Western Pacific. At that time, the second Type 055 vessel, Lhasa, also embarked on a long voyage operation, supporting the carrier's operation to break through the island chain. This shows that the Chinese Navy has realized the 'grouping' of several large destroyers, which can provide the navy of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) with flexible and diversified tactical configuration.
"The 13,000-ton Type 055 guided missile destroyer has been praised by U.S. media as the world's second most powerful guided missile destroyer after the U.S. Zumwalt-class. From January 2020, when Nanchang, the first Type 055 destroyer, came into service, to February 2023, when Xianyang joined the navy, eight 10,000 ton-class destroyers of this type have sailed across our country's vast seas in a short period of three years. By comparison, the U.S. has built only three Zumwalt-class destroyers. As a result, the Type 055 destroyers have more robust comprehensive capabilities.
"New Type 055 Ships That Are Under Construction Will Be Added to the East Sea Fleet
"In terms of the deployment and composition of forces, the existing eight destroyers are not evenly distributed among the three major fleets of the Chinese Navy, but are concentrated into two naval forces with strong combat effectiveness.
"Among the existing Type 055 large guided-missile destroyers, Nanchang (101), Lhasa (102), Anshan (103), and Wuxi (104) were assigned to the first destroyer detachment of the North Sea Fleet (the PLA Northern Theater Command Navy). Dalian (105), Yan'an (106), Zunyi (107) and Xianyang (108) have been incorporated into the ninth destroyer detachment of the South Sea Fleet.
"The East Sea Fleet does not yet have large destroyer of this 10,000-ton class. But the ninth Type 055 is under construction and will be included in the East Sea Fleet in the future.
"It should be noted that the hull number of a ship does not strictly correspond to the order in which the ship joins the navy. For example, Wuxi (104) is actually the sixth Type 055 10,000 ton-class destroyer of this type in the Chinese Navy.
"Wuxi was commissioned in March last year. On the occasion of its first anniversary of service, the PLA Navy recently conducted three consecutive days of maritime full-course training and test in China's Yellow Sea, including air and missile defense, sea-to-sea attack and anti-submarine operations in a complex electromagnetic environment.
"The test was in a strong atmosphere of actual combat. The vessel training center affiliated with the PLA Northern Theater Command Navy coordinated surface ships, submarines, fighters and other forces to create multiple threats on the surface, underwater and in the air, carried out confrontation and support with the warship Wuxi, and tested its integrated combat capability.
"This marks that the four Type 055 10,000 ton-class destroyers of the first destroyer detachment of the PLA Navy have all formed complete combat capability, greatly enhancing the comprehensive strength of the Chinese Navy. The predecessor of the first destroyer detachment was the PLA Navy Destroyer Group established in 1954. At that time, it had China's only two Soviet-made destroyers, and it was the first time for the PLA Navy to set up a special destroyer force. Today, it remains the leader of the destroyer force with four large Type 055 destroyers.
"From Air Defense to Anti-Ship and Land Strikes
"Destroyers are the indispensable main ships in the surface combat system. The Type 055 10,000-ton large destroyers are equipped with the Chinese Navy's most advanced air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, with strong information perception, command and coordination, air defense and anti-missile, sea-to-sea and sea-to-land strike capabilities. In particular, equipped with the hypersonic anti-ship YJ-21 missile, the 055 large destroyers has the anti-ship ability to crush any opponent. The formation of several large destroyers of this type also enables the PLA Navy to adopt more flexible and diversified methods of warfare.
"On the one hand, as the chief 'armed guard' of aircraft carrier, having a number of Type 055 10,000 ton-class destroyers join a carrier battle group at the same time will enable the battle group to have a wider range of detection and early warning, stronger firepower output, and a tighter protection umbrella for the aircraft carrier. On the other hand, Type 055 can also serve as a command ship, lead a team to carry out long-range cruises and coordinate with aircraft carrier battle groups.
"Last December, two Type 055 10,000 ton-class guided-missile destroyers, Anshan and Wuxi, followed the aircraft carrier Liaoning through the Miyako Strait on their way to the Pacific Ocean. Almost at the same time, the Type 055 Lhasa led a formation across the Osumi Strait. Among the Type 055 destroyers, Nanchang has served as a flagship for many times, carrying out ocean-going operations, such as joint cruises with the Russian Navy and voyages around the Japanese islands. Now, as the four Type 055 destroyers of the first Destroyer Detachment of the PLA Navy are fully operational, they will provide more solid support for the Chinese Navy to penetrate the island chains and cruise the ocean."
[1] Takungpao.com/news/232108/2023/0403/835819.html, April 3, 2023.
