China’s New Type 055 Class Destroyers Are Even Larger and More Powerful than Previously Believed

China’s new Type 055 Class destroyers have, since the first was launched in June 2017, been widely considered the most capable warships of their kind in the world - and are the most heavily armed with 112 vertical launch cells each. The destroyers were prized for their large and powerful sensors and the sophistication of their munitions - with a unique four layered surface to air missile systems and access to what are arguably the world’s most formidable combination of anti ship cruise missiles. It has since emerged that China's most advanced destroyer is much larger than previously reported - according to a recent report from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy - with displacement more than 20% greater than previously thought at over than 12,000 tons rather than 10,000 tons. The size of the warship was confirmed during an introduction video for the warship Nanchang, the first ship of the Type 055 Class, which was released by the PLA during China's Spring Festival holidays.

While the exact size of the destroyer remains uncertain, the new information has shifted warship’s weight range - meaning it could displace 13,000 tons when fully loaded if 12,000 referred to its normal displacement. To put this size in perspective, the most capable Western destroyer in service the Flight III Arleigh Burke Class displaces 9,600 tons - while the Chinese ship’s predecessor the Type 052D Class displaces just 7,500 tons fully loaded. A larger warship will have the capacity for heavier and more powerful sensors, a greater power generating capacity and greater potential to integrate more weapons systems in future. The Type 055 Class is expected to integrate a number of new weapons systems in the coming decade, including new anti satellite weapons, electromagnetic railguns, laser weapons and hypersonic cruise missiles - the last currently under development under the YJ-XX program. While carrying a relatively modest number of launch cells for its size, the Type 055 largely compensates for this with the larger size of its missiles and their far greater speeds, payloads and ranges compared to the arsenals of most rival powers' warships.