The Dream of Becoming a Maritime Power: Deployment of 4th Generation Destroyers in the Chinese Navy

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[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] China, which is promoting military modernization, has commissioned the 4th generation 055-class destroyer.

According to Chinese media such as China Central (CC) TV and Global Times on the 8th, China held a commissioning ceremony for the new 055-class destroyer at the People's Liberation Army Navy base in Qingdao, Shandong Province the day before.

The destroyer delivered this time is the second destroyer following the Nanchang, which was commissioned last year, and Chinese media reported that its name was given as Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

China Type 055 Destroyer

The Lhasa is known to be a 12,000-ton class and is reported to have a total of 112 vertical missile launch tubes, including anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles. Chinese media also emphasized that it is equipped with a dual-band radar system capable of detecting stealth fighters.

The Global Times, citing a naval expert, explained that the Lhasa can perform operations independently as well as escort aircraft carriers. The new destroyer is likely to be deployed first in sensitive areas such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The media added that China currently has two aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, and is currently constructing a third aircraft carrier, stating that more destroyers like the 055-class will be needed in the future.

In fact, China is putting all its efforts into naval modernization and strengthening naval power, including the launching ceremony of the 8th 055-class destroyer last year. Chinese media reported that all the 055-class destroyers under construction will be commissioned within 1 to 2 years.

Chinese naval expert Li Jie evaluated, "The 055-class destroyer is the most powerful warship in the world," and said, "The commissioning of the 055-class destroyer will help protect China's territorial sovereignty and core interests."

Meanwhile, the Chinese leadership presented a new vision to achieve the goal of "military modernization" by 2027 at the 5th Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (19th CPC Central Committee) last year. The year 2027 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.