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China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities
no cruisers.) The Type 055 may be equipped with weapons and sensors broadly similar to those
on China's newest indigenously built destroyers (see below).
Sovremenny-Class Destroyers
China in 1996 ordered two Sovremenny-class destroyers from Russia; the ships entered service in
1999 and 2001. China in 2002 ordered two additional Sovremenny-class destroyers from Russia;
the ships entered service in 2005 and 2006. Sovremenny-class destroyers displace about 8,100
tons and are equipped with the Russian-made SS-N-22 Sunburn ASCM, a highly capable ASCM.
Six New Indigenously Built Destroyer Classes
China since the early 1990s has put into service six new classes of indigenously built destroyers,
including three variations of one class. The classes are called the Luhu (Type 052A), Luhai (Type
051B), Louzhou (Type 051C), Luyang I (Type 052B), Luyang II (Type 052C), and Luyang III
(Type 052D) designs. Compared to China's remaining older Luda (Type 051) class destroyers,
which entered service between 1971 and 1991, these six new indigenously built destroyer classes
are substantially more modern in terms of their hull designs, propulsion systems, sensors,
weapons, and electronics.
The Luyang II-class ships (Figure 9) and the Luyang III-class ships, which displace about 7,100
tons and 7,500 tons, respectively, appear to feature phased-array radars that are outwardly
somewhat similar to the SPY-1 radar used in the U.S.-made Aegis combat system. Like the older
Luda-class destroyers, these six new destroyer classes are armed with ASCMs.
As shown in Table 2, China between 1994 and 2007 commissioned only one or two ships in its
first four new indigenously built destroyers classes, suggesting that these classes were intended as
stepping stones in a plan to modernize the PLA Navy's destroyer technology incrementally before
committing to larger-scale series production of Luyang II- and Luyang III-class destroyers.
As also shown in Table 2, after commissioning no new destroyers in 2008-2012-a hiatus that
may have been caused in part by the relocation of a shipyard106 commissionings of new Luyang
II- and Luyang III-class destroyers resumed.
The first three Luyang III-class DDGs reportedly entered service in March 2014, August 2015,
and December 2014.107 The fourth and fifth reportedly entered service July 2016 and January
2017.108 Observers in 2015 anticipated a total production run of 10 or 12 Luyang III-class
ships.109 A December 25, 2016, blog post, however, states:
Basically, we have a full flotilla of 4 052Ds in service with South Sea Fleet and another
one that is about to join service. Aside from that, at least 2 more 052Ds are on sea trials
and another 4 are fitting out at the shipyards (2 at Dalian and 2 at JN). The 052D
106 Regarding the 2008-2012 gap in commissionings, one observer states, "The relocation of JiangNan shipyard and
indigenization of [the] DA80/DN80 gas turbine (QC-280) delayed the production of follow-on units [of Luyang II-class
destroyers] for several years." (Blog entry entitled "2012 in Review," December 28, 2012, accessed March 21, 2013, at
http://www.informationdissemination.net/2012/12/2012-in-review.html.)
107 "New Missile Destrotyer Joins South China Sea Fleet," China Military Online, December 14, 2015.
108 Zhao Lei, "New 'Carrier Killer' Delivered to Fleet," China Daily, January 24, 2017; Andrew Tate, "Fourth Type
052D Destroyer Joins China's South Sea Fleet," IHS Jane's 360, July 14, 2016.
109 See Franz-Stefan Gady, "China Commissions Second 'Carrier Killer Destroyer,"' The Diplomat, July 27, 2015; and
2015 Report to Congress of the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission, November 2015, p. 241.Congressional Research Service
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O'Rourke, Ronald. China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities: Background and Issues for Congress, report, November 1, 2017; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1043233/m1/36/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.