China expands fleet of large destroyers to deter US in Pacific - Media

China, which has the world's largest navy by hull count, is expanding its fleet of large destroyers. This is reported by Newsweek, informs UNN.

Details

It is noted that within its navy of more than 370 ships, the Chinese military has eight large Type 055 destroyers with a displacement of 10,000 tons as its main surface combat ships. Each vessel is capable of carrying up to 112 missiles of various types, including hypersonic weapons.

A rapidly growing and combat-ready navy, along with modern long-range missile forces, helps China deter the United States from intervening in a potential conflict in the South China Sea or Taiwan by threatening US forces operating in the Western Pacific.

The authors point out that China's continuous military-naval buildup is taking place against the backdrop of a rapid strengthening of the US fleet of warships, including the announced "Golden Fleet," which will consist of 25 battleships, each with a displacement of more than 35,000 tons and armed with up to 140 missiles.

Naval analyst Alex Luck from Austria, in a January publication by Naval News, suggested that China has completed a second batch of Type 055 ships. According to him, it consists of six ships, three of which were built at shipyards in Jiangnan and Dalian.

At least four Type 055 warships from the second batch may be assigned to the Chinese Eastern Theater Command, which is responsible for military operations related to Taiwan.