The Nanchang, the first ship of the Type 055 destroyers of the Chinese Navy, has attracted much attention from the outside world after its official entry into service in Qingdao, Shandong Province on January 12, 2020. According to the latest report from China’s CCTV, the interior images of the Nanchang ship were exposed for the first time.
According to a report from China’s National Defense Military on August 1, the Chinese Navy has grown from nothing, from small to large, and from weak to strong during the 72 years since its establishment. Nowadays, the Chinese Navy is making great efforts to train its troops in actual combat and is constantly advancing the transformation from offshore defense to far-sea defense.
According to the report, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s domestically produced aircraft carriers, 10,000-ton large destroyers, 075 amphibious assault ships, and other new equipment have been commissioned successively. And the interior of the Nanchang ship was exposed for the first time in the report.
Nanchang is the first ship of China’s self-developed Type 055 destroyers, which was started in Jiangnan Shipyard in December 2014, launched on June 28, 2017, and participated in the official public appearance of the sea parade on April 23, 2019. On January 12, 2020, the Nanchang ship officially entered service with port number 101.
The Nanchang ship is equipped with 130mm naval guns, 1130 close-in guns, HQ-10 air defense missiles, 32-tube multifunctional launchers, new S-band active phased array radars, and double helicopter hangars. The destroyer can launch anti-ship, air defense, anti-submarine missiles, and land-attack long-range cruise missiles while adding anti-missile combat capabilities. The destroyer uses modern information, network radio, and electronic technology, and is equipped with more advanced air and sea radars.
Some naval expert said that the Type 055 destroyer can not only perform air defense, anti-ship, anti-submarine missile, and ground attack missions but also serve as a sea-based anti-missile force to support a “protective umbrella” for China. It can be called Asia’s No.1 destroyer and will become the main escort of the future Chinese navy aircraft carriers.
