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China Commissions Two Type 055 Warships, Lifting Class to Ten Across Navy

Western assessments classify the 180-meter, 12,000-ton Type 055 as cruiser-sized.

Overview

  • The Ministry of National Defense named the ships Dongguan (Hull 109) and Anqing (Hull 110) and assigned them to the PLA Eastern Theater Command.
  • State broadcaster Xinwen Lianbo aired their first official footage showing joint at-sea training alongside other vessels.
  • With the Eastern fleet now fielding the type, all three PLA Navy theater commands operate Type 055 warships.
  • Chinese experts describe the class as a multi-role platform with advanced sensors, command-and-control and vertical launch weapons for air defense, anti-ship and land-attack missions, including carrier-group escort.
  • Analysts say the added hulls support longer-range blue-water deployments and persistent task-group operations, while any second-batch upgrades have not been publicly detailed.