The Type 055 destroyer has been the focus of attention since its commission in 2019, attracting attention wherever it goes. Because the tonnage is large enough to be 12,500 tons in full, meeting NATO standards, NATO classifies it as a cruiser (CG). Interestingly, the U.S. Army's Zumwalt class, with a full platoon of 14,564 tons, exceeded the Type 055, but was still classified as a destroyer.
The Type 055 destroyer has 112 vertical launch units that can launch various types of missiles, such as anti-ship ballistic missiles, long-range ground attack cruise missiles, long-range anti-aircraft missiles, and so on. The first batch of 8 Type 055 destroyers were built, and all but the eighth one is currently in service, and the eighth Xianyang ship is about to be listed. With the entry into service of the 055, the focus of attention has also shifted to when the 055 destroyer will be able to develop combat effectiveness.
Last month, the Type 005 destroyer Lhasa and the 052D guided-missile destroyer Chengdu and the Type 903A supply ship Dongpinghu entered the Sea of Japan in formation for high-sea training. According to a report released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense at the end of the month, the 055 destroyer formation basically sailed around the Japanese archipelago for a week. Japanese media said that this was a demonstration of force around Japan.
For the circumnavigation of the 005 destroyer, the Indian media "Asia-Europe Times" commented on July 3, saying that the 055 destroyer passed through three important strategic straits for Japan, including the Tsushima Strait, the Soya Strait, and the Miyako Strait. The Miyako Strait is a waterway between Miyako Island and Okinawa Island. To this end, the Indian media particularly emphasized that Okinawa is the location of the US military base, miyako Strait is very close to the US military base, and the 055 destroyer formation passes through here, which is equivalent to showing muscle to the US military.
In early April, when the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group conducted military exercises with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force near the Korean Peninsula, China sent four Type 055 Renhai-class destroyers to its east coast to demonstrate its strength. These stealth guided missile destroyers with a displacement of about 13,000 tons are the most powerful surface combat ships in the world. The fact that the Lhasa warship can patrol the far seas shows that it has fully formed combat effectiveness and can perform military tasks in the high seas as the core of the fleet.
Timothy Heath, a senior analyst at the RAND Corporation, said that the 055 destroyer is not only large in tonnage, but also has a clever design, stealth capabilities, a radar that rivals the Aegis, and a large inventory of missiles. It is larger and more advanced than most U.S., Japanese, and South Korean destroyers.
Indian media said that due to the escalation of tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, the deployment of China's largest destroyer 055 has also become significant. First of all, Japan has territorial disputes with China and disputes over the ownership of the Diaoyu Islands. Last month, two Chinese coast guard vessels cruised the waters off the Diaoyu Islands for 64 hours, "surveillance" on a Japanese fishing vessel, one of which also entered the 1.9 nautical miles of the Diaoyu Islands, and The Japanese counterpart dispatched patrol ships. Second, Japan is a staunch ally of the United States, and it may pull the United States along if something happens. In addition, due to Japan's geographical proximity to Taiwan, it is inevitable that it will be involved in conflicts in the Taiwan Strait.
Indian media believe that the United States and its allies will break out into conflicts with China in the Indo-Pacific region, mainly based on naval and air decisive battles. In April of this year, China's Type 055 destroyer test-fired a hypersonic Eagle Strike-21 anti-ship ballistic missile, which is said to have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, and the anti-ship ballistic missile will attack the warship at an almost vertical angle at the end, making it almost impossible for US warships to intercept it, and it is called a real "carrier killer". Clearly, in the Indo-Pacific, the Type 055 destroyer would be the biggest threat to the United States and its allies, including Japan.
Indian media believe that the Type 055 is China's response to the US Navy's Aegis cruiser. Because of their large size and full armament, they also play a vital role in defending Chinese aircraft carriers. It is foreseeable that when the 8 Type 055 destroyers of the Chinese Navy have all formed combat effectiveness, it will become the pillar of the Chinese Navy.