PLA Navy’s 8th Type 055 large destroyer examined in drills

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's eighth Type 055 large destroyer recently received a multi-mission examination that experts said on Monday tested the newly commissioned warship's comprehensive capabilities, as the vessel readies itself for combat.

A vessel training center affiliated with the PLA Navy recently organized the Xianyang and the Bayannaoer to conducted a full-course training examination featuring tests in sea attack missions, anti-submarine missions and air defense missions at an undisclosed sea region, laying down a solid foundation for the ships' future missions, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

The vessels conducted live-fire shooting with their main guns, close-in weapon systems and anti-submarine depth charges, the report shows.

The Xianyang is the PLA Navy's eighth 10,000 ton-class large destroyer, the commissioning of which was announced in April 2023, while the Bayannaoer is a Type 054A frigate, according to the CCTV report.

Receiving a full-course training examination indicates that the warships are close to achieving operational capabilities, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday.

Thanks to experiences garnered by previous hulls of the Type 055, the Xianyang is gaining combat capabilities fast since it has commissioned in less a year, the expert said.

The Xianyang is commissioned into the PLA Southern Theater Command facing the South China Sea, CCTV reported when the Xianyang was announced entering service last year.

At a time when tensions remain in the South China Sea, having another Type 055 ready for missions is a powerful boost in the safeguard of national sovereignty, security and maritime rights, analysts noted.

Shi Hong, executive chief editor of the Shipborne Weapons magazine, considers the Type 055 to be the world's best destroyer in terms of comprehensive capabilities. He told the Global Times that the Type 055 can not only accompany aircraft carriers, but can also serve as the command ship of a flotilla, and provide more flexible tactics for the PLA Navy.

With a displacement of more than 10,000 tons, the Type 055 large destroyer is equipped with an integrated mast that gives the warship outstanding situational awareness, plus the 112-cell missile vertical launch system hosting a combination of land attack, anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-submarine missiles, according to openly available information and analyses.