China reveals two new Type 055 super destroyers

Two newly built Type 055 large destroyers, identified as hull 109 Dongguan and hull 110 Anqing, made their first official appearance during naval training operations, increasing the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s fleet of the 10,000-ton-class warships from eight to ten.

The vessels were shown conducting joint training at sea alongside other naval ships in footage aired by Xinwen Lianbo, a news program produced by China Central Television (CCTV). The broadcast marked the first time the two destroyers had appeared in an official media report.

According to Chinese military analysts, the Type 055 destroyer is among the most powerful surface warship classes currently operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy.

The CCTV report showed the vessels participating in coordinated training operations designed to test combat readiness and integration with other naval units.

“It marks the first time that these two new warships have made an appearance in an official report, and that the number of China’s Type 055 10,000-ton-class destroyers has increased from eight to 10,” the broadcast stated.

The addition of the new destroyers expands China’s growing fleet of large surface combatants capable of operating with carrier strike groups and conducting long-range naval missions.

According to previous reports cited by Chinese state media, the earlier eight Type 055 destroyers in service include the hulls 101 Nanchang, 102 Lhasa, 103 Anshan, 104 Wuxi, 105 Dalian, 106 Yan’an, 107 Zunyi, and 108 Xianyang.

These vessels are currently deployed within the Northern Theater Command Navy and the Southern Theater Command Navy, two of the main operational commands of the Chinese naval force.

Chinese media reports indicate that the newly revealed destroyers Dongguan (109) and Anqing (110) have been assigned to the Eastern Theater Command Navy.

With the deployment of the two new ships, all three major PLA Navy theater commands now operate Type 055 destroyers, reflecting a broader distribution of the platform across China’s naval force structure.

The Type 055 destroyer represents the largest class of surface combatant currently operated by the Chinese navy. Displacing roughly 10,000 tons, the ships are designed to operate as multi-role platforms capable of air defense, anti-ship warfare, and land-attack missions.

Large destroyers such as the Type 055 are typically equipped with vertical launch systems that can carry a wide range of missile types, including surface-to-air interceptors, anti-ship missiles, and land-attack weapons.

Warships in this class are also designed to operate alongside aircraft carriers, providing air-defense coverage and additional strike capability to carrier groups.

The Type 055 has often been compared by naval analysts to large guided-missile destroyers and cruisers operated by other major naval powers.