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Our colleagues from East Pendulum are reporting that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy)'s fourteenth Type 052D Destroyer (NATO reporting name Luyang III class) was launched in early July at the Jiangnan-Changxing naval shipyard near Shanghai. Satellite images have shown that this vessel has been modified: Its helicopter deck is slightly longer. The fourteenth Type 052D destroyer for the PLAN. With the much larger and more advanced Type 055 program now in full swing, some may have thought that the Type 052D program would be over. But it is clear that 052D destroyers are still considered key...

Based on pictures that have been just released by Chinese spotters, it appears that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) next in-line Type 052D Destroyers (NATO reporting name Luyang III class) will be fitted with the H/PJ-11 close-in weapon system (CIWS) instead of the smaller H/PJ-12 currently fitted on existing vessels of the class. The H/PJ-12 seven-barreled 30mm CIWS (sometimes referred as Type 730 which is the export designation.) is present on the first four destroyers in the series already commissioned (as well as on a few other hulls currently at various stages of completion). It is...

Based on several pictures that have been released by Chinese spotters, it appears that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) fourth Type 052D (NATO reporting name Luyang III class) destroyer started sea trials. In the meantime, another Type 052D was launched on November 28th. It is the 8th vessel in the class and the first one launched at the Dalian naval shipyard (Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company member of CSIC - China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation). The fourth Type 052D Destroyer seen during sea trials. Chinese spotter photo published November 22 2015. The first vessel of of the class,...

China has deployed its most advanced guided-missile destroyer to the disputed South China Sea to participate in a large naval exercise, according to Taiwanese media. This week, the Want Daily and its English-language sister site, Want China Times, reported that China deployed the Kunming, the first of its new Type 052D guided-missile destroyers (DDG), to the South China Sea last month. The purpose of the deployment was to hold a military drill in the disputed wars simulating an Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) attack. The Type 052D guided missile destroyer was joined by some of two of its earlier variants, a Type...

The commissioning of China's first Type 052D destroyer is only the beginning of the nation's future fleet of advanced destroyers, reports the country's official newswire Xinhua, which called the vessel a state-of-the-art destroyer. The Type 052D has 64 launch silos capable of firing air defense, anti-ship, cruise and anti-submarine missiles. Compared to its predecessor, the Type 052C, the Type 052D has fewer anti-air and anti-submarine missiles because it needs more space to carry other types of missile against ground and surface targets. The Type 052D’s relatively small size means the PLA Navy will still need larger vessels against potential threats...

China's fourth Type 052D guided-missile destroyer — Chengdu — has been launched by the PLA Navy, reports China's Global Times. The Type 052D is one of the most powerful naval combat systems in PLA Navy service. A modified version of its predecessor, the Type 052C, the Type 052D adds a new 130mm main gun, equipping it with both sea-to-air and sea-to-land attack capabilities. It also has the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system. The Chengdu is the 10th Chinese surface combat vessel to be referred as the "Chinese Aegis." With AESA radar and a 64-cell vertical launching system, the...

China's 052D destroyer equipped with new vertical launching system Recently, a group of pictures appearing on the Internet show that the first 052D missile destroyer of Chinese Navy is having on sea trial in a certain sea area of the East China Sea. 052D destroyer is equipped with new vertical launching system. Compared with 052C destroyer, the new system is able to contain large-scale weapons, including “DH-10” cruise missile and “HQ-9” long-range air-defense missile. The number of missile launch devices also increases from 48 to 64, giving 052D stronger firepower than 052C. As for the vertical launch function of 052D...

New ships give China's navy a stronger punch By MICHAEL RICHARDSON SINGAPORE — In the latest step in its naval modernization and expansion, China recently announced that it is accelerating serial production of an advanced destroyer. This will tilt the regional balance of power at sea in its favor and put it in a stronger position to enforce its sovereignty claims over Taiwan and in the South and East China Seas. Yet the significance of this development and earlier moves to re-shape the Chinese Navy has tended to be overshadowed by seemingly more dramatic news about China's refurbished Soviet-era aircraft...

China building new Type 052D guided missile destroyer By J. Michael Cole / Staff reporter The Chinese Navy appears to be developing a brand new type of guided-missile destroyer (DDG) and could be producing several hulls simultaneously, a development that could further tip the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait. Images have emerged on Chinese military Web sites in recent weeks that seem to confirm the long-rumored development of the Type 052D destroyer, which some analysts are comparing to Aegis-equipped destroyers in the US Navy. More recently, two hulls were pictured at China State Shipbuilding Corp’s Jiangnan Changxing shipyard...