The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) has added two more platforms to its Type 055-class large destroyer fleet, which possesses the firepower and displacement comparable to a modern cruiser. With footage broadcast on the state television program Xinwen Lianbo on CCTV, the destroyers Dongguan (109) and Anqing (110) were introduced to the public for the first time.
With these images released in March 2026, the number of Type 055 warships in active service in China has increased from 8 to 10. Moreover, with the assignment of the two newly commissioned ships to the Eastern Theater Command, Type 055 platforms have now begun serving across all regional naval commands following their earlier deployment in the Northern and Southern commands.
Operational Capabilities and Strategic Role of the Type 055 Class
Considered one of the most powerful surface combatants in the world, the Type 055 class undertakes multi-layered air defense and operational roles thanks to its advanced radar systems and large weapons capacity.
Military expert Wang Yunfei, speaking to the newspaper Global Times, stated that these new ships—added to the fleet as part of the second production batch—are likely to include various system upgrades and operational improvements compared to the first eight vessels.
Although technical details have not yet been officially disclosed, the platforms are expected to support long-range air defense, anti-ship missiles, and land-attack capabilities through their 112-cell Vertical Launch System (VLS), enhanced by more advanced sensor fusion technologies.
China’s Blue-Water Naval Strategy and Fleet Projection
Within the framework of Chinese naval doctrine, this increase in capability is directly linked to strategies focused on blue-water defense operations and the protection of maritime lines of communication (SLOCs). The current ten-ship fleet structure strengthens the PLA Navy’s long-range offensive and defensive capabilities while also enhancing its strategic deterrence capacity.
Experts also emphasize that the Type 055 class, which possesses cruiser-level combat power, will continue to serve as a flagship platform in China’s global naval power projection. They further note that the number of ships in this class is likely to keep increasing in order to meet the escort requirements of future multiple aircraft carrier strike groups.
With the latest additions to the inventory, the current list of China’s 10,000-ton Type 055 class destroyers consists of the following ships:
Nanchang (101), Lhasa (102), Anshan (103), Wuxi (104), Dalian (105), Yan’an (106), Zunyi (107), Xianyang (108), Dongguan (109), and Anqing (110).
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