Mass Production of China’s Type 055 Destroyers: A Naval Confrontation with the U.S.

China Begins Mass Production of Type 055 Destroyers
Challenges America’s Zumwalt-class
Starts Real Naval Confrontation

According to a report from the United States, China has already surpassed the world’s highest standards in terms of the scale and speed of shipbuilding, making its navy the largest globally, surpassing even the United States. Keeping up with China’s significant naval expansion is expected to be challenging. At the core of this substantial growth in China’s naval power is the Type 55 destroyer.

The Type 55 destroyer has a maximum displacement of up to 13,000 tons, comparable to the U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers. Additionally, it boasts a Vertical Launch System (VLS) for anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile launches, with more units than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. However, it may not surpass Zumwalt-class destroyers in every aspect. Nevertheless, its significant advantage lies in the fact that, unlike the two Zumwalt-class destroyers, China has already commissioned its eighth Type 55 destroyer.

Outpacing the U.S. in Production
Falls Short of Zumwalt

According to a U.S. report, China has already surpassed the U.S. in terms of shipbuilding scale and speed, making it the world’s top-tier navy. Consequently, it is said that it will be difficult to catch up with China’s navy, which has become the largest in the world. The Type 055 Destroyer is at the center of this large-scale naval enhancement by China.

The Type 055 Destroyer has a maximum displacement of up to 13,000 tons, similar to the U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers. It also has more vertical launch systems (VLS) for launching surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. However, it will not match the Zumwalt-class destroyers in all aspects. Of course, the biggest advantage is that eight ships are already in service, unlike the Zumwalt-class, which only has two.

U.S. on Edge
Lack of Combat Experience is a Downside

China’s rapid naval expansion is making the U.S. nervous. Just as Japan rapidly increased its naval power before the Pacific War, this suggests a high possibility that China’s power will burst and begin to expand. On the other hand, the U.S. is unable to significantly increase its naval power due to budget issues.

While the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China indeed possesses formidable cutting-edge military capabilities, the fact remains that they have not tested these capabilities in actual combat. In other words, the disadvantage of not having secured the most critical aspect of weaponry—reliability—still persists. No matter how powerful the weapons may be, if they cannot be used effectively and reliably in real-world scenarios, they cannot be deemed truly effective.

By. Military Shot