Chinese Type 505 guided-missile destroyers can fire missiles on targets from a wide range. These ships can fire a variety anti-ship, surface–to–air, and submarine missiles. The vessels are also equipped with a range of hull-mounted sonars. They can be used to join other Chinese naval forces and form a battle force.
A Type 055 vessel has a hull length of about 180 meters, with a displacement of over 12,000 tons. The vessel is a large and powerful warship that is being built for the People's Liberation Army Navy. It is a great example of both the PLA's capacity expansion and the country’s shipbuilding enterprise.
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. In addition to the Nanchang, two more ships have been launched since then, while the fifth and sixth ships are in active service.
In the future, Type 055 vessels from other countries will enter service. These include Anshan, Yan'an (Wuxi), Yan'an, Yan'an, Yan'an, Wuxi and Dalian. Li Jinwei was the Nanchang's senior Captain. He said that the vessel would perform a variety of missions, with an emphasis in regional security. He said that the vessel was ready for any emergency situation.
During recent maritime drills in China, the Type 055 destroyer from China has been under evaluation and testing. Senior captain Li said that the exercise was to hone the skills of officers, and to 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 can also be equipped with a 24-cell HQ-10 air defense missile rocket launcher as well as the H/PJ-11 30mm close range weapon systems. A 130mm naval cannon is found at the bow. Two Changhe Z-18F helicopters are also found aboard. According to western experts, the Type 055 should be capable of moving around 13,000 tons. These estimates are only estimates and should not be considered final.
As of right now, the PLA Naval has eight Type 055s currently in active duty and five more under construction. 16 more are planned. Each vessel costs more than six billion yuan (US$890 million), and each has a top speed of 30k. Type 055 is powered using a combination of gas turbo propulsion systems and gas turbine turbines. The Type 055 can produce 28MW.
The Type 055's smoke stack is another unique feature. It reduces radar cross-section. This design allows for stealthy characteristics, while suppressing radars and infrared signals. Despite its obvious stealth characteristics, it is expected to carry several types of surface-to-air and land-attack cruise missiles.
The Type 055 Chinese navy destroyers have been able, in the past few year's, to conduct aggressive sub-marine hunting missions. They may not be as long-ranged as the US Navy's Zumwalt Class stealth destroyers, but they can still spot and track smaller targets.