China's Unique Destroyer Shenzhen Displays Newly Outfitted Missile System

Following a major refit of the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s sole Type 051B Class destroyer, the warship has displayed the capabilities of its new vertical launch system. The destroyer Shenzhen was commissioned in the 1998 as one of the very first destroyers built in China, at a time when the capabilities of Chinese surface combat ships was considered far behind those of rival powers such as the United States and Japan. The 6,100 ton warship was intended as an experimental platform to test indigenous steam turbine engines, stealth capabilities and modular construction at Chinese shipyards. With China having emerged as a leading naval power in the two decades since, deploying new destroyers with missile arsenals unmatched in both quantity and quality such as the 13,000 ton Type 055 Class, many of the country’s advanced naval warfare technologies have been integrated onto the Shenzhen to bring it up to a standard closer to that of newer warships. 

The Shenzhen has been equipped with an advanced vertical launch system similar to that installed on the lighter Type 054A Class frigates, considerably smaller than those on new Chinese destroyers such as the Type 052D and Type 055. This will optimise the platform's capabilities particularly in the field of air defence, allowing it to carry 32 missiles. The Shenzhen reportedly now deploys HHQ-16 medium range surface to air missiles directed by four Type 345 illuminators, and was provided with updated sensors including a forward mounted Type 382 radar. While the Type 055 Class is capable of deploying four complementary classes of surface to air missile alongside a range of cruise missiles, it remains uncertain if any munition types other than the HHQ-16's missiles can be integrated into the Shenzhen’s vertical launch system. The destroyer is reportedly specialised in air defence and places a lesser emphasis on anti-shipping and anti-submarine roles, meaning it may not have been equipped with new cruise missiles such as the YJ-100 and YJ-18.