When it comes to the Chinese Navy, the Type 055 is very roughly analogous to something between the American Ticonderoga class cruiser a Zumwalt class destroyer, in that it has similar capabilities and size to the Ticonderoga class, but it also packs new technologies that will impact the future of Chinese surface combatant design like the Zumwalt class does. The ship’s stealthy exterior and its enclosed sensor mast are situated in between the latest Arleigh Burke class destroyers and the Zumwalt class developmentally speaking.

The Type 055 could just as easily be classified as a cruiser than as a destroyer. It’s 590 feet long and displaces between 10,000 and 12,000 tons. That is 81 feet longer and up to nearly 2,500 tons greater than America’s latest Arleigh Burke class destroyers, making it closer in size to the US Navy’s Ticonderoga class cruisers than anything else. It also packs a Ticonderoga class’s magazine size, with 128 vertical launch cells available. The Arleigh Burke class has 96. These cells will be stuffed with land attack (YJ-18), and anti-ship missiles (YJ-12), as well as anti-submarine rockets (CY series). Yet, just like America’s Ticonderoga class cruisers, area air defense and slinging surface-to-air missiles will likely be this ship’s overwhelming mission set and it’s specially outfitted with a high-end sensor package that will exceed in this role.

This new ship relies on a dual-band radar system similar in concept to the one that was supposed to be deployed on the DDG-1000 Zumwalt class and that is currently equipping the USS Gerald R. Ford. Two sets of active phased array radars, one being the larger S-band arrays on the vessel’s super structure and the other being the smaller set of X-band arrays in the ship’s enclosed sensor mast, equip the ship. The S-Band system is used for long range search and track, while the much more sensitive X-band system is used for tracking smaller, stealthier and high-speed objects with greater fidelity at lesser ranges. There are cross-over in capabilities between the two sensor arrays, which also adds to redundancy. No other ship in China’s inventory possesses such a high-end radar system.

The ship is likely to be primarily armed with a sea-going version of the HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile, as well as the HQ-16 medium-range SAM, and possibly quad-packed DK-10As. The DK-10A is based on the PL-12 air-to-air missile, and would act as a intermediate-range air defense missile roughly similar to the U.S. Navy’s RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). As time goes on, these ships will likely field other air defense missiles, like weapons capable of swatting down endoatmospheric hypersonic vehicles or China’s own mid-course ballistic missile defense interceptors. These more exotic missiles could make good use of the ship’s dual-band radar, advanced combat system, and plentiful VLS farm.

The ship’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities will also surpass the capacity of other Chinese warships, including space for two helicopters (eventually likely ASW variants of the Z-18) in its rear hangar and an expanded flight deck size. The ship will also likely use towed and variable depth sonar for hunting submarines, and will have its own torpedoes and rocket assisted torpedoes to prosecute marauding underwater threats. …more here