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Admiral Steve Kohler, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, praised China's Hongqi car at a grand event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Navy, but he did not seem to have delved into the astonishing progress in the construction of the Chinese Navy's destroyers. In just 10 years, China has built 37 top-notch shield ships, compared to 13 for the United States. This huge gap not only highlights the rapid development of China's naval strength, but also marks the rapid rise of China's navy like an awakened lion in the global fleet race.
In 1953, inspired by great men, the Chinese People's Navy made a solemn oath to build a strong navy to resist the threat of imperialism. Then, in 1954, China introduced a 1,500-ton Type 07 guided missile destroyer from the Soviet Union, and since then, China's first destroyer fleet has come into being. Over the past few decades, China's destroyer fleet has continued to grow, from the 051 series to the 052 series, although the initial model is slightly inferior to Western ships, especially in the regional air defense capability has shortcomings, but this has not stopped the steady progress of China's naval construction, the firm pace of increasing modernization.
In the 21st century, the modernization of China's navy has opened a new chapter. The installation of the 052C destroyer has made a qualitative leap forward in the regional air defense capability of the Chinese Navy. Since then, 25 Type 052D and 8 Type 055 destroyers have joined the naval sequence, and these new destroyers have not only built an impregnable regional defense line for the Chinese Navy, but also demonstrated China's leading position in the global naval race.
Thanks to the profound accumulation and technological innovation of China's shipbuilding industry, China has emerged as a maritime force to be reckoned with in the global naval fleet race. Today, the Chinese Navy's ocean-going combat capabilities and regional influence continue to expand, a development that has clearly exceeded the expectations of countries around the world. It is precisely this strong momentum of development that has established the Chinese Navy's pivotal position in international maritime security affairs.
Among them, the Type 055 is known as one of the most advanced destroyers in the world, with a displacement of up to 12,300 tons, far exceeding the 9,600 tons of the Burke-class destroyers of the United States Navy. This significant advantage allows the Type 055 to carry more weapon systems and thus unleash more powerful firepower. In contrast, Burke-class destroyers were on the verge of technological limits, and the US Navy had to try to maintain its technological competitiveness by upgrading to the Burke Type III.
In the field of air defense, the Type 055 large drive is equipped with 112 vertical air defense missile systems, which can launch Haihongqi-9B air defense missiles with a range of up to 200 kilometers and an altitude of 20 kilometers, showing a strong anti-saturation attack capability. Although the standard 6 anti-aircraft missiles equipped with the Burke-class destroyers of the United States have a longer range and higher firing height, the Type 055 large drive is on a par with the Burke-class in terms of overall air defense combat capability by virtue of a large number of vertical launch systems.
In addition, the attack power of the Type 055 drive is also impressive. Its multi-functional vertical launch system can launch a variety of missiles, including the YJ-21 and Changjian 100 cruise missiles, and has a powerful ground strike capability. At the same time, the ship is also equipped with hypersonic anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers, and its performance far exceeds that of similar weapons in the United States. Although the US military is developing a new super-high-speed anti-ship missile, its performance has not yet been comparable to that of the Chinese YJ-18 modification.
While there is still a gap between the Chinese Navy and the U.S. Navy in the global balance of naval power, the gap is narrowing at an alarming rate. As China plans to build more Type 055 drives in bulk, this will further strengthen China's sea supremacy in the second island chain.
The rapid development of the Chinese Navy and its excellent construction capabilities, especially in the manufacture of the Type 055 drive, have significantly enhanced China's position in global naval construction. While Western naval analysts may still be discussing the technological gap between China and the United States in their papers and reports, the reality is that gap is narrowing day by day. It seems that in the near future, these gaps may only exist on the paper of the analysis report, rather than in the real ocean. The rise of China's navy is an indisputable fact, and all this is inseparable from the perseverance and self-improvement of the Chinese people.