China steps up warship building programme as navy looks to extend its global reach
- Latest launches bring total number of PLA Navy ships built this year to 24
- Analysts say new ships have improved quality and capability but country is lagging behind in developing sailors’ technical skills
China is speeding up its warship building programme as its navy extends its reach to cover Beijing’s increasingly far-flung interests.
The latest warships, launched last week, were a Type 055 and a Type 052D, both guided missile destroyers built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company in Liaoning province.
The ships – China’s sixth Type 055 and, according to mainland media its 23rd Type 052D, were among 24 launched by the PLA Navy in 2019.
At about 12,000 tonnes, the Type 055 class is China’s first guided missile destroyer equipped to hold and fire 112 missiles.
At 8,000 tonnes, the Type 052D has 64 vertical launchers. Typically, such ships require one or two years of outfitting and sea trials before they enter service.
China’s drive to build and commission warships stepped up a gear after President Xi Jinping took office and in 2015 began sweeping reforms across the entire PLA, demanding that it become combat-ready more quickly.