Type 055 destroyer

Artist's Impression of Type 055 Destroyer
Class overview
Builders:	Changxingdao-Jiangnan Shipyard
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force
Preceded by:	Type 052D
Building:	at least 2
General characteristics
Tonnage:	12,000-13,000 tons fully loaded.
Length:	185 m
Beam:	22 m
Draught:	9 m
Propulsion:	COGAG, with four QC-280 gas turbine engines each generating 28MW
Sensors and processing systems:	4-panel AESA 3D multifunction radar possible L-band or UHF-band surveillance radar Sonar: bow-mounted medium frequency active/passive sonar ESS-1 type VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) or H/SJG-206 series TAS (Towed Array Sonar). Data link: JSIDLS (Joint Service Integrated Data Link System, 全军综合数据链系统) series, the Chinese equivalent of Link 16.
Armament:	Main gun: H/PJ-38 130mm naval gun CIWS: Type 1130 11-barrel 30-mm CIWS 112-128 VLS cells: HQ-26 anti-ballistic missile HHQ-9 series long range SAM DK-10A (possibly quad-packed) medium range SAM CJ-10 LACM YJ-100 [1] ASCM YJ-18 supersonic ASCM CY-5 series ASW missile HHQ-10 short range SAM in 24-cell launcher
Aircraft carried:	2 medium-lift helicopters
Aviation facilities:	Flight deck and enclosed hangars for 2 helicopters

The Type 055 destroyer is a class of guided missile destroyers being developed in China for the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force. There have been two versions of the Type 055, the first one was a much earlier proposed destroyer design that was eventually cancelled, and the other is a modern design using the same "Type 055" designation according to many internet claims, which has yet to be verified by official or independent sources.

Proposed Type 055

The Type 055 was originally a proposed project in the late 1960s order titled “Recommendations on Building Oceanic Escort Ships”, but its progress was seriously delayed due to political turmoil in China at the time, namely, the Cultural Revolution. It was not until more than half a decade later in 1976, the year the Cultural Revolution ended, was the requirement of the ship finally completed and issued. At the time of its appearance until its final cancellation, the Type 055 was the second air defence ship of PLAN, after the Type 053K Jiangdong class frigate. The standard displacement of Type 055 design was in excess of 8000 tons.

Even as the requirement was completed, it was flawed with unrealistic standards that were way beyond the scientific, technical, and industrial capabilities of China at the time due to the influence of the Cultural Revolution. For example, the sea-keeping requirement mandated that the ship should be able to navigate anywhere in the world except polar regions, but this conflicted with combat requirement: China lacked the capability to develop any multifunctional radar, so separate radars were needed for different tasks. The Type 518 radar was needed for long range early warning / surveillance, the Type 381 radar was needed for 3-D air search / track, and each gun and missile needed its own fire control radars. In addition, there was need for navigation, surface search, and helicopter control radars as well. The Type 518 radar itself would effectively negate any possibility of meeting the sea-keeping requirement because its antenna of 8.5 meter diameter weighed 4.5 ton, and must be installed on a mast of at least 25 meters, thus severely restricting wind scale and sea state allowed for safe navigation of the ship. However, reducing the weight of radar antenna would lead to the great decrease in performance, thus not meeting the combat effectiveness requirement.

The problem is further exasperated by the problem of the ship being top heavy: due to the fact each electronic system was single function only, numerous of them were needed to meet the original requirement, resulting in a total of 22 radars and 33 communication gears, which in addition to heavy weight, also generated the problem of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problem, so bad was the EMC problem that the missile control system could not function properly when everything was turned on, potentially causing missiles to be accidentally launched.^[2]

After the Cultural Revolution ended, the strenuous design requirements of the Type 055 that was settled during the Cultural Revolution went through re-evaluation, as with most projects of that period, and difficulties revealed in the design requirement review caused the criteria to be drastically revised and scaled back. There was later a modernisation plan to adopt British subsystems including combat data system, Sea Dart surface-to-air missiles (SAM), and Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B high-speed gas turbines propulsion system used on the Type 42 destroyer. However efforts to incorporate British systems did not materialize, and just like the Type 051S destroyer, the Type 055 project was finally cancelled in the early 1980s, under the order of then commander of PLAN Liu Huaqing.^[3]

Modern Type 055

Since late 2012, Chinese internet websites circulated discussion of a new class of PLAN destroyers was being designed as the successor of the highly successful Type 052D destroyer, using the same "Type 055" designation as the cancelled former project proposed in the 1960s.

Photos appearing on Chinese websites in 2014, revealed that an engineering mockup facility of the Type 055 was built in Wuhan, used for testing of electronics, with a Type 346/348 series radar and an integrated mast similar to Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor on European ships. The Type 055 may also have an L-band radar installed on the aft section of the ship similar to the British Type 45's S1850M system. The class is expected to be armed with 112 to 128 vertical launch missile cells that can fire antiship missiles, ASW missiles, land-attack cruise missiles or SAMs.^[4]

In Late December 2014, an image appeared on the internet indicated the first steel cut ceremony at a Chinese shipyard.^[5] If the image is accurate, construction of the first unit has begun.^[6]

U.S. media sources have speculated that the Type 055's power and strength could make it on-par with the latest U.S. Navy Aegis warships. Some U.S. sources predict the Type 055 could carry 128 missiles, be able to carry out in-depth strikes through cruise missiles to protect its task force's airspace, and might be equipped with electromagnetic railguns and laser weapons in the future. The semi-official PLA Daily, published an article however stating the class is not a "game changing" vessel as it's not much larger than contemporary Russian, Japanese, or American destroyers, and will only be equivalent to the U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer or Japanese Atago-class destroyer.^[7]

Ships of Class

References

Ship classes of the People's Liberation Army Navy (List of active ships) Submarines (list) Nuclear ballistic missile Type 096 Tang class* Type 094 Jin class Type 092 Xia class Nuclear attack Type 095 ??? class* Type 093/G Shang class Type 091 Han class Conventional ballistic missile Type 032 Qing class Modified Project 629 Golf class: Type 6631/031+ Conventional attack Type 039A/AG/B/C Yuan class Type 039/039G Song class ES5C+/D+/E+/F+ and Type 035+/035A+/035G+/035B+/035ET+/035G Ming class Modified Project 633 Romeo class: ES5A+/B+ and Type 6633+/033+/033G+/033G1+ Wuhan class+ Project 636 Kilo II class Project 877EKM Kilo I class Principal surface combatants Aircraft carriers Chinese aircraft carrier programme Liaoning (16) Destroyers Type 055 class* Type 052D class Type 052C Luyang II (Lanzhou) class Type 052B Luyang I (Guangzhou) class Type 052 Luhu class Type 051C Luzhou class Type 051B Luhai class Type 051DT Luda IV class Type 051G1/G2 Luda III class Type 051 Luda II class Type 051 Luda I class Project 956EM Sovremenny II class Project 956 Sovremenny I class Anshan class+ Frigates Type 054B class* Type 054A Jiangkai II class Type 054 Jiangkai I (Ma'anshan) class Type 053H3 Jiangwei II class Type 053H2G Jiangwei I class Type 053H1G Jianghu V class Type 053H1Q Jianghu IV class Type 053H2 Jianghu III class Type 053H1 Jianghu II class Type 053H Jianghu I class Coastal warfare vessels Corvettes Type 056 Jiangdao class Missile boats Type 022 Houbei class Type 037-II Houjian class Type 037-IG Houxin class Type 021 Houdong class Type 021 Huangfeng (Soviet Osa-I) class Type 021 Hola class C 14 China Cat class Type 024 Heku/Hegu/Houku/Hougu class Torpedo boats Type 025 Huchuan class P4 class Gunboats Type 062-I Shanghai III class Type 062 Shanghai II class Type 062 Shanghai I class Type 206 Huludao class Shantou class+ Beihai class+ Huangpu class+ Yulin class+ Submarine chasers Type 037-IS Haiqing class Type 037-I Haijiu class Type 062-I Haizhui class Type 037 Hainan class Project 122bis Kronshtadt class Amphibious warfare vessels Landing helicopter dock Type 075 LHD* Landing platforms Type 071 Yuzhao class amphibious transport dock Landing ships Type 072 Yukan class LST Type 072-II Yuting I class LST Type 072-III Yuting II class LST Type 072A LST Type 079 Yuliang class LSM+ Type 079II Yuliang class LSM Type 074 Yuhai (Wuhu-A) class LSM Type 074A Yubei class LSM Type 073-I Yudao class LSM+ Type 073-II LSM+ Type 073-IIY LSM Type 073-III LSM Type 073 IV Yunshu class LSM Air-cushioned Landing Craft Type 726Yuyi class LCAC Type 722-II Jinsha II class LCAC Type 722-I Jinsha I class LCAC Type 716-II Dagu B class LCAC Type 716-I Dagu A class LCAC+ Type 724 LCAC Type 711 LCAC+ Songling LCAC+ Project 1232.2 Zubr class LCAC* Landing craft Type 271 Yupen class LCU+ Type 271II LCU+ Type 271IID LCU+ Type 271III LCU Type 271IIIA LCU Type 067 Yunnan class LCU Type 363/363A/55 LCM+ Type 066/066K/066A Yuzhai class LCM+ Type 068/069 Yuch'in class LCM Auxiliary vessels Buoy tenders Type 066 Type 744 Yannan class Type 911I Type 985 Type 994 Type 999 Type 999G Type 999HG Cable layers Type 890 Youzheng class Type 911II Type 991I Type 991II Youdian class Degaussing / deperming ships Type 911 Type 912 Type 912I Type 912III Yanbai class Type 912IIIA Type 912IIIAH Type 915+ Type 916+ Type 918+ Type 601+ Sea Fish 16 class+ Yan Fang class+ Yerka class+ Icebreakers Type 071 Yanha class icebreaker Type 071A Type 071G Type 210 Yanbing class Ammunition ships Yantai class General stores issue ships Type 904 Dayun class Type 904A Type 081 Red Flag class Cargo ships Danlin class Dandao class Galati class Qiongsha class Replenishment ships Type 903 Fuchi class Type 903A Type 905 Fuqing class Type 908 Fusu (Nancang) class Tankers Fulin class Shengli class Fuzhou class Jinyou class Leizhou class Weather ships Type 614I Type 614II Hydrographic survey ships Type 068/069 Yuch'in class Type 625C Type 635 A/B/C Yanlai class Type 635II Type 636 Type 636A Type 646 Kan Yang class Type 988 Oceanographic research ships Xiangyanghong 5 Type 614III Type 625A/B Type 645 Ocean surveillance ships Type 6610 Shuguang class Type 595 Type 639 Spy ships Type 813 Type 814A Dadi class Type 815 Type 815G Tracking ships Yuan Wang 1+ Yuan Wang 2+ Yuan Wang 3 Yuan Wang 4+ Yuan Wang 5 Yuan Wang 6 Yuan Wang 21 Yuan Wang 22 Sonar trials ships Beidiao 993 Torpedo trials ships Type 906 Type 907A Torpedo retrievers Type 917 torpedo retriever Weapon trials ships Type 909 Wuhu-B class Type 909A Target ships Chinese target ship Experiment 216 Training ships Type 679 Daxing class Type 0891A Shichang class Troopships Beidiao 990 Qiongsha class Barracks ships Xu Xiake Hospital ships Qiongsha class Zhuanghe Type 920 hospital ship Rescue and salvage ships Type 917 Type 922 Type 922II Dalang class Type 922III Dalang II class Type 922IIIA Dalang II class Repair ships Type 648 Submarine rescue ships Type 930 Hudong class Type 946 Dazhou class Type 946A Dadong class Submarine tenders Type 925 Dajiang class Type 926 Dive tenders Type 904I Type 904II Tugs Type 802 Gromovoy class Type 830 Type 837 Hujiu class Type 852 Roslavl class Tuozhong class Daozha class Submersibles Jiaolong class submersible Osprey class submersible Type 7103 DSRV Sea Pole class bathyscaphe Harmony class bathyscaphe Mobile diving bell QSZ-II submersible Diver propulsion vehicles QX-50 QY-18 QY-40 QJY-001 Unmanned underwater vehicles 8A4 ROUV RECON-IV ROUV 7B8 ROUV Goldfish class ROUV HR-01 ROUV HR-02 ROUV JH-01 ROUV SJT-5 ROUV SJT-10 ROUV SJT-40 ROUV Seahorse ROUV Sea Dragon-I ROUV Sea Dragon-II ROUV Arctic class ARV Explorer AUV WZODA AUV CR-01 AUV CR-01A AUV CR-02 AUV Intelligent Water class AUV Submerged Dragon 1 AUV Petrel I HUG Petrel II HUG Mine warfare vessels Minelayers Type 918 Wolei class minelayer Minehunters Type 081 Wochi class minehunter/minesweeper Type 081A Type 082 Wosao class minehunter/minesweeper Type 082II Wozang class minehunter/minesweeper Minesweepers Type 057K Lianyun class minesweeper+ Type 010 oceangoing minesweeper Type 6605 oceangoing minesweeper+ Type 6610 oceangoing minesweeper+ Type 05 oceangoing minesweeper T-43 class oceangoing minesweeper+ Type 058 minesweeper+ Type 7102 minesweeper+ Type 062 Fushun class coastal minesweeper+ Minesweeping drone Type 529 mine hunting/sweeping boat/drone Type 312 Futi class minesweeper / minesweeping drone * = Under construction or procurement + = Retired