China just launched an all new warship on June 28. It is a huge guided-missile destroyer and is an achievement in naval technology. This naval destroyer is also seen as a challenge to China’s rivals, including India. The ship, called as the Type 055 class, is a massive step in China’s military modernisation, according to the country’ government websites. People’s Liberation Army Navy website said, “It is the symbol of the Navy to achieve strategic transformation development.” It is a 10,000-ton ship, fully developed in China. PLA Navy’s website says that the warship breaks novel grounds for China in terms of design as well as a collection of large naval vessels. Even the armaments contained in the destroyer are also new for the country’s navy.

The Chinese warship contains within itself, new types of air defense systems like anti-ship, anti-missile, and anti-submarine warfare weapons. The Type 055, in terms of size, can be compared to the newest warships present in Asian waters, even by countries like South Korea, Japan, and the US, according to several experts. Meanwhile, alarms have been raised over the launch, where the media has pointed out that the warship is superior to other ships in the Asian continent. An NDTV report said that the “colossal Type 055” is much bigger and powerful than Indian destroyers, even those which have still not been commissioned yet. Meanwhile, China’s wish to become a blue-water navy, and an increasingly assertive stance over disputed territory in the South China Sea, has unnerved its neighbours. Here are a few facts about China’s Type 055 naval destroyer.

1. The vessel can carry 100 missiles: The new warship will have more than 100 vertical launch tubes for missiles with the ability to strike targets 1,000 to 2,000 kilometres away, according to the PLA report. Type 055 weighs around 13,000 tonnes when fully fitted out with its weapon systems and commissioned, making it the country’s largest destroyer, Li Jie, a researcher with the PLA Naval Military Academic Research Institute, said in a February article on the PLA’s website. The Type 055 will be a central part of future Chinese aircraft carrier battle groups, Li said in the article.

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 2. Military analyst Kyle Mizokami had written in Popular Mechanics that the Type 055 seems similar to the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which debuted in the 1980s and carry 96 missiles each. The new Indian destroyers will be at least 2,000 tonnes lighter than the Chinese ship and will carry fewer than half the missiles of Type 055, Reuters reported.

3. China is producing warships at a rapid rate as it modernises its navy, which has been taking an increasingly prominent role among the country’s armed forces. State media has said that the Navy commissioned 18 ships, including destroyers, corvettes and guided-missile frigates in 2016.

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4. State-run Global Times newspaper informed that the warship could be the first Type 055 destroyer, that can be considered a successor class to the smaller Type 052D guided missile destroyers, which the country is still producing.

5. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, which apparently has huge deposits of oil and gas. Around $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes each year, and China has been building up military facilities like this which is seen as a big threat to its neighbours.</s>In an ambitious bid to become a global naval power, China Navy on Wednesday launched its biggest new generation destroyer that weighs at least 10,000 tonnes. The indigenously designed vessel was launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard (Group), Shanghai. This vessel is part of China’s new generation of destroyers. Some of its features include a new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, reported state-run Xinhua news agency.

China marked a milestone with the launch of this Navy destroyer, which the Communist country sees a step towards improving the nation’s Navy armament system and building a strong and modern Navy. As per the plan, numerous tests will be carried on the vessel, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing. Aside from the naval destroyer, China is also working on two aircraft carriers which they aim to deploy to compete with other naval powers like the US and India, especially in the Indian Ocean.

The Chinese Navy, in the meantime, is currently trying to form battle groups that will accompany the aircraft carriers when they set out on missions far from shores. China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning has already left with a group of Chinese naval ships on June 25 from Qingdao in east China for a routine training mission. The above mentioned naval formation consists of destroyers Yinchuan and Jinan, frigate Yantai and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters, a statement put out by the Chinese defence ministry said.

Just like the previous ones, the training mission is likely going to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different marine regions. Liaoning, a refurbished aircraft carrier, is carrying out the first exercise. The aircraft carrier is built from the hull of a Soviet ship bought from Ukraine after China had launched a home-made carrier in April this year. The new aircraft carrier was expected to be operational by 2019.

Liaoning has earlier carried out exercises in the disputed South China Sea as well as East China Sea along with its battle formation group.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s military on Wednesday launched a new type of domestically-built destroyer, state media said, the latest addition to the country’s rapidly expanding navy.

China's new type of domestically-built destroyer, a 10,000-tonne warship, is seen during its launching ceremony at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, China June 28, 2017. REUTERS/China Stringer Network

The 10,000-tonne warship was launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the official Xinhua news agency said, making it the first of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s “new generation” destroyers.

“It is equipped with new air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons,” Xinhua said, without giving further details.

The state-run Global Times newspaper said the ship was believed to be the first Type 055 destroyer, which is considered to be a successor class to the smaller Type 052D guided missile destroyers.

China is still producing the latter and commissioned one, the Xining, in January.

Chinese media showed photos of the new ship covered in streamers and flags and flanked by rows of sailors.

The vessel will have to undergo planned testing before it is commissioned into use.

China is producing warships at a rapid clip as it modernizes its navy, which has been taking an increasingly prominent role among the country’s armed forces.

State media has said that the navy commissioned 18 ships, including destroyers, corvettes and guided-missile frigates in 2016.

In April, China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, a conventionally powered ship that likely won’t enter service until 2020.

China’s naval build-up, and it’s increasingly assertive stance over disputed territory in the South China, has unnerved its neighbors.

China claims almost all the South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, and has been building up military facilities like runways on the islands it controls.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.</s>China has floated out a new domestically-built guided missile destroyer which boasts advanced weapons. The Chinese military says it marks a new step in the development of the country’s navy.

The 10,000-ton new generation destroyer was presented during a ceremony at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai on Wednesday morning.

The new warship is the first of its type and is a “milestone” in the development of Chinese military equipment, according according to the official Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) newspaper, China Military online.

Built by one of the two largest shipbuilding companies in the country, China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the warship has “new types of air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapon systems,” China Military online reports. The news outlet adds that the vessel has strong air and missile defenses, as well as advanced maritime target attacking.

Although the military did not specify the exact type of the ship, it is believed to be a Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, the launch of which was expected to take place only in 2018.

“The Type 055 destroyer will greatly enhance the PLA Navy's combat capability in the open sea, and ground attack capability, as its higher tonnage will enable it to be more versatile,” military expert Song Zhongping said, as cited by the Global Times newspaper.

The vessel will undergo further trials, including testing on its equipment, berthing and sailing, according to Xinhua.

In late April, Beijing launched its first domestically-built aircraft carrier, expanding its fleet to two such vessels. Many in China have mocked the new ship, however, voting for it to be named ‘Phi Phi shrimp’ in an online poll.</s>The 10,000-tonne warship was launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the official Xinhua news agency said, making it the first of the People's Liberation Army Navy's "new generation" destroyers.

"It is equipped with new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons," Xinhua said, without giving further details.

The state-run Global Times newspaper said the ship was believed to be the first Type 055 destroyer, which is considered to be a successor class to the smaller Type 052D guided missile destroyers.

China is still producing the latter and commissioned one, the Xining, in January.

Chinese media showed photos of the new ship covered in streamers and flags and flanked by rows of sailors.

The vessel will have to undergo planned testing before it is commissioned into use.

China is producing warships at a rapid clip as it modernises its navy, which has been taking an increasingly prominent role among the country's armed forces.

State media has said that the navy commissioned 18 ships, including destroyers, corvettes and guided-missile frigates in 2016.

In April, China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier, a conventionally powered ship that likely won't enter service until 2020.

China's naval build-up, and it's increasingly assertive stance over disputed territory in the South China, has unnerved its neighbours.

China claims almost all the South China Sea, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, and has been building up military facilities like runways on the islands it controls.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.</s>The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has launched a new 10,000-ton warship at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard on Wednesday morning, the Chinese Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on June 28.

Measuring about 180 meters long and over 20 meters wide, the new Type 055 guided-missile destroyer–the lead vessel of a new class of PLAN surface warships–has been hailed as “a milestone in the PLA Navy’s strategic transformation and development,” according to the Chinese MoD.

General Zhang Youxia, member of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) and head of the CMC Equipment Development Department, presided over the ceremony and delivered a speech in which he underlined that the warship launch marks an important step towards China’s dream of having a strong and modern naval force.

“Equipped with new types of air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapon systems, the new destroyer has strong capabilities of information detection, air and missile defense, and maritime target attacking,” the MoD notes in a statement. “A series of technical breakthroughs in overall vessel design, information integration and assembly has been made during the shipbuilding process.”

The PLAN is slated to receive four ships of the class divided into two groups, although some sources indicate that the PLAN could commission up to eight Type 055 ships. As Robert Farley pointed out in October 2016, the new ship will likely form the core of a long-range PLAN battlegroup and will be an integral part of the Chinese Navy’s first carrier strike group.

The Chinese MoD did not reveal details on the ship’s armament.

According to earlier reports, the warship, featuring a stealth shaped superstructure, is to be fitted with two 64-cell vertical launch system capable of firing anti-ship (e.g., YJ-18) and land attack cruise missiles; as well medium and long-range air defense missiles (such as the HHQ-9). The ship will also be armed with a 130 millimeter main gun and will be able to accommodate two Z-18 anti-submarine warfare helicopters.

The ship also boasts two Type 1130 close-in weapons systems (CIWS) and four powerful Type 346x naval active phased array radar systems for the detection of aircraft, missiles, and ships.

“There is no denying that the Type 055 has a better combat capability than the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyer in several areas, and its main mission is to protect large surface vessels like an aircraft carrier and amphibious transport dock,” a Beijing-based naval expert told the Global Times on Wednesday. “We can confidently say that, as far as destroyers are concerned, there is no generation gap between China and the U.S. anymore,” Li added.

Some analysts, however, have pointed out major design flaws in the ship including the low positioning of its flat-array radar system.

The latest U.S. Defense Department report on China’s military modernization calls the Type 055 a “cruiser” rather than a destroyer given the ship’s size.

“Next, it is learnt that the new guided-missile destroyer will carry out equipment debugging and sea trial as planned,” the ministry noted. Following extensive sea and weapons trials, the lead ship of the new Type 055 class is expected to be commissioned in 2018 or 2019.</s>China’s increasingly powerful navy has launched its most advanced domestically-produced destroyer at a time of rising competition with other naval powers such as the United States, Japan and India.

The official Xinhua News Agency says the first 10,000-ton Type 055 entered the water at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard on Wednesday morning.

It says the ship is equipped with the latest air, missile, ship and submarine defense systems. China is believed to be planning a total of four of the ships.

The Type 055 is significantly larger than China’s other modern destroyer, the Type 052, representing the rising sophistication of China’s defense industries. Once heavily dependent on foreign technology, China in April launched its first aircraft carrier built entirely on its own and based on an earlier Ukrainian model.</s>China launched the first 10,000-tonne Type 055 destroyer which entered the water at the Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard on Wednesday morning, said a release. The ship is equipped with new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons.

China has been producing warships at a rapid pace thus modernising its navy and boosting its armed forces. Reports say that the navy commissioned 18 ships, including destroyers, corvettes and guided-missile frigates in 2016. Back in April, China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier which is not likely to come into service before 2020.

China has launched this destroyer at a time when there is a rising competition between naval powers -- United States, Japan and India. China's naval build-up is making its neighbours nervous, say reports. Further, China feels that it needs a strong navy to defend its 14,500 km coastline.

The picture displays multicoloured streamers being shot out of tubes while workers and sailors stand by the dock next to China's flag. Further, chief of the People's Liberation Army's General Armaments Department Zhang Youxia was present at the ceremony.

India shares border with China and is worried by the presence of Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean especially when Beijing has close ties with Pakistan.</s>On June 28th, the first Type 055 "Renhai" guided missile destroyer (DDG) was launched in the Changxing Jiangnan Shipyards in Shanghai. Measuring about 180 meters long and over 20 meters wide, the Type 055 destroyer displaces about 12,000-14,000 tons at full load, which was last matched in Asia by the Japanese Tone heavy cruisers, built in 1937-8. Currently, the Chinese Navy has seven other Type 055s under construction and under order, at both the Changxing Jiangnan and Dalian shipyards. The Type 055 has stealth features, including a fully enclosed deck, integrated mast, and stealth shaped superstructure to reduce its radar and infrared signature.

The Type 055 is a modern, multi-purpose warship, with four enormous Type 346X AESA radars and an integrated mast containing intelligence equipment, electronic countermeasures, and fire control radars. The radars are positioned around the superstructure to provide 360 degree coverage up to 500-600km away. The system can track several hundred targets including ballistic and cruise missile, satellites, aircraft, and warships. It may also have some level of anti-stealth capability. The Type 055's extensive combat management center process onboard sensor inputs, and fuse data from other Chinese warships, aircraft and, unmanned systems to create a common battlefield picture.

In addition to its 130mm H/PJ-38 cannon and Type 1130 CIWS, the Type 055 DDG will have around 112-128 vertical launch system (VLS) cells. Each VLS can hold four smaller surface to air missile (SAM) like a DK-10 medium range SAM, or a single larger missile, such as a HHQ-9 long range SAM, CJ-10 land attack cruise missile, and YJ-18 anti-ship missile. The modular nature of the large Chinese VLS means that the Type 055 in the future can be armed with weapons that are currently in development, like a hypersonic scramjet missile, two stage long range SAM, and HQ-19 anti-satellite/anti-ballistic missile.

Another unique feature is the Type 055's stern hangar, which is large enough hold two Z-18 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. The hangar's also has enough space to give the Type 055 the ability to operate a range of vertical takeoff UAS. Its ASW capability is also enhanced by a forward bow mounted sonar, decoys/torpedo countermeasures, and variable depth and towed array sonars deployed from the stern. The Type 055 may presumably be equipped with surface and underwater unmanned systems for missions including mine countermeasure, ASW and reconnaissance.

In comparison to the massive Type 055, the Arleigh Burke Flight IIA DDG, the USN's main surface combatant, displaces 9,800 tons and has 96 VLS cells. The Japanese Kongo and Atago DDGs respectively displace about 9,500-10,000 tons and also have 96 VLS. The only comparable US and allied ships in size and armament are the Ticonderoga cruisers, which has a 9,600 ton displacement but 122 VLS cells, and the 11,000 tons South Korean Sejong the Great DDG, which has 128 VLS. All of those warships are equipped with the AEGIS combat system, which like the one on the Type 055, has four large radars, the AN-SPY-1, and sophisticated computerized command systems to operate its missiles against a range of air and sea threats

Though the Type 055's data fusion, networking and command functions would make it the command ship in taskforces with smaller destroyers, frigates and corvettes, Beijing apparently plans to make the Type 055 its primary surface warship for the 21st century. Including the eight initial Type 055 DDGs already planned, the PLAN could order up to 30 of the massive ships by mid-century. The next model in the class, the Type 055A, is planned to be larger and even better armed. It will also have an Integrated Electric Propulsion System (IEPS). The IEPS would generate enough power to support directed energy weapons such as lasers, railguns and high powered microwave systems. You may also be interested in: China's Getting Ready to Turn on Asia's Biggest Warship An Electromagnetic Arms Race Has Begun: China is Making Railguns, Too</s>The vessel is the first of China's new generation of destroyers. (FIle Photo)

Beijing: China's Navy on Wednesday launched its biggest new generation destroyer weighing 10,000 tonnes as part of a massive expansion to become a global naval power.

The Navy's new destroyer, a domestically designed and produced vessel, was launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard (Group), Shanghai.

The vessel is the first of China's new generation of destroyers. It is equipped with new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The vessel marks a milestone in improving the nation's Navy armament system and building a strong and modern Navy.

According to the plan, tests will be carried on the vessel, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing.

The biggest naval destroyer was an addition to two aircraft carriers which China is in the process of deploying to compete with other naval powers liked the US and India, specially in the India Ocean.

The Chinese Navy is currently trying to form battle groups that accompany the aircraft carriers when they set out on missions far from shores.

The first aircraft carrier Liaoning has left with a flotilla of Chinese naval ships on June 25 on "routine training mission" from Qingdao in east China.

The naval formation includes destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, frigate Yantai and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters, a Chinese defence ministry statement said.

The training mission, like the previous ones, is expected to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different marine region.

This is the first exercise being carried out by Liaoning, a refurbished aircraft carrier, built from the hull of a Soviet ship bought from Ukraine after China had launched a home-made carrier in April this year.

The new aircraft carrier was expected to be operational by 2019.

Liaoning has earlier carried out exercises in the disputed South China Sea as well as East China Sea along with its battle formation group.
China's state-run Global Times newspaper reports the launching of the first Type 055 destroyer, a 10,000-ton "new generation" warship, at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.