PLA Launches Fourth Type 052D 'Chinese Aegis' Destroyer
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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 nation's first Type 052D destroyer — Kunming — has completed a test of its propulsion systems in the East China Sea, according to the report.
China is now capable of deploying between two and three advanced surface combat ships while Japan is limited to one. In addition, China is designing a new Type 055 guided-missile destroyer comparable to the US Zumwalt-class. Equipped with a railgun and HQ-26 surface-to-air missiles, the Type 055 will serve as PLA Navy's main surface combat ship between 2020 and 2030. [via]
