Type 055 destroyer

The Type 055 destroyer (NATO/OSD Renhai-class cruiser) is a class of stealth guided-missile destroyers (guided-missile cruisers per NATO/OSD standard) being constructed for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). It has a multi-mission design; the combination of sensors and weapons suggests a main role of area air defence, with anti-submarine warfare capabilities surpassing previous Chinese surface combatants. The Type 055 is expected to undertake blue-water expeditionary missions and form the primary escort for Chinese aircraft carriers. The United States classifies these ships as cruisers as the United States Navy defines a cruiser as a large multi-mission surface combatant with flag facilities; this suggests the U.S. expects the Type 055 to fulfill a similar role as the USN's . The People's Liberation Army Navy was interested in a large destroyer from as early as the late-1960s. A development program, code-named "055", initiated in 1976 was cancelled in 1983 after encountering insurmountable technical obstacles from industrial underdevelopment; for example, the required gas turbine power plants could neither be produced domestically nor imported at acceptable prices. In April 2014, an image emerged of a full-scale mock-up of the Type 055 superstructure—with enclosed integrated mast for radar and other electronics—at the Chinese naval electronic testing range in Wuhan. Nanchang, the first ship of the class, began construction in 2014 at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, and was commissioned on 12 January 2020. Its first public appearance—preceding commissioning—was during the PLAN's 70th-anniversary parade on 23 April 2019. When launched, Nanchang was among the largest post-Second World War warships launched in East Asia. The Type 055 adopts a conventional flared hull with distinctive stealthy features including an enclosed forecastle that hides mooring points, anchor chains, and other equipment. The bow and main deckhouse are configured similarly to previous Type 052C/D destroyers.