New Chinese Type 055 Destroyer Operational In The Pacific: China has sent one of its newest and most powerful warships, the Type 055 Renhai-class guided-missile destroyer Dongguan, on its first deployment into the Pacific off the coast of Japan.
China’s Type 055 destroyer (NATO designation: Renhai-class cruiser) is a class of 12,000-ton stealth guided-missile destroyers. It is widely considered one of the most powerful surface combatants globally.
Chinese Navy Warship Created by Artist. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Dongguan was just commissioned into the PLAN in March and on June 30th transited the Miyako Strait between Okinawa and Miyako Island. Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) scrambled a frigate and a P3 Orion aircraft to shadow the Chinese warship.
The Type 055 Is A Formidable Warship
The Dongguan is the second ship in the second batch of destroyers in the Type 055 class, alongside its sister ship Anqing. The first eight were completed by late 2022 and include a number of upgrades to their combat systems, sensors, and electronic architecture.
China classifies it as a destroyer; however, many Western analysts, in taking into account its advanced capabilities, have classified it as a cruiser, which is why it is listed as both in analyses.
One of the most significant reported improvements is the integration of a new combat management system (CMS), a highly integrated, automated command-and-control (C2) network.
The CMS serves as the ship’s central nervous system, integrating data from its dual-band AESA radar (Type 346B) to coordinate multilayered air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine operations.
Tomahawk Missile Firing U.S. Navy Photo
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) fires a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo)
Equipped with 112 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells with 64 launchers fitted forward in an 8×8 configuration, and 48 launchers further aft in a 6×8 configuration.
The universal launchers carry a mix of HHQ-9B surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), which have a range of more than 100 nautical miles (nm), and YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of 290 nm.
USNI reported that the large VLS tubes can also accommodate anti-submarine missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, and anti-ship ballistic missiles.
The Dongguan is armed with a single 130-mm gun and a 30-mm close-in weapon system (CIWS) that are mounted forward of the bridge, and a 24-cell HHQ-10 point-defense SAM launcher is carried atop the helicopter hangar.
Two triple 324-mm torpedo launchers are carried for short-range anti-submarine warfare, and the aircraft hangar is large enough to accommodate two maritime helicopters such as the Harbin Z-9 or the newer Z-20F, which looks remarkably similar to the US Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk.
The Dongguan’s Power Plant
The Dongguan is conventionally powered by four 28 MW (38,000 hp) QC-280 gas turbines in a combined-cycle gas-and-gas (COGAG) arrangement. Additional power may be provided by six 5-MW (6,700-hp) QD-50 gas turbines.
The maximum flank speed is estimated to be 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), which is on par with the US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
The ship has a range of 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). Actual ranges will vary depending on how the ship operates.
The Type 346 Dragon Eye AESA Radar
The Dongguan operates the Type 346 radar (NATO reporting name: Dragon Eye), an advanced naval Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar developed by the PLAN.
Operating in the S and C/X bands, it is the cornerstone of China’s “Aegis” surface combatants and can simultaneously conduct long-range air searches, surface tracking, and missile guidance.
Unlike older mechanically scanned systems, the Dragon Eye utilizes four fixed, convex flat-panel arrays that wrap around the ship’s superstructure to provide a 360-degree field of view.
The Dragon Eye is designed to detect and track hundreds of targets concurrently, including low-observable aircraft, helicopters, surface vessels, and high-speed, sea-skimming anti-ship missiles.
It is similar in capabilities to the U.S. Navy’s SPY-1 radar system used on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers.
The deployment and location of Dongguan were a way for China to flex its muscles against Japanese/US defenses in the Pacific. It is impressive that China commissioned a warship just a few months ago and then sent it on a sensitive deployment so quickly.
With a fleet that continues to grow rapidly in both size and capability, China’s navy (PLAN) will increase such deployments as it transforms into a true blue-water navy.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
