Recently the Chinese Navy has unveiled its Type 055 guided-missile destroyer claimed to have a host of capabilities ramping it up. It shows that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) can build ships that may match up with the best, but the U.S. Navy Arleigh-Burke destroyer is still considered better.
According to the Chinese military, the new destroyer displaces at 10,000 tons with newly developed systems like counter stealth. It is claimed to have missiles that can shoot down American spy satellites. The state-owned media crowed that its expert foresees it overpowering even the Aegis and Spy-6 radars of the Arleigh-Burke that is second to none. The new destroyer is yet to be battle-tested as many similar warships in its class, report Defense-Aerospace.
Installed on the destroyer is a dual-band radar that is supposed to detect the F-35 or F-22 with stealth detection functions built-in. Its improved anti-satellite capability enables a shootdown capacity even if in low orbit. This was reported by Chinese Media.
Military Experts are interested in the satellite shootdown capability that interests them most.
The Global Times said on Sunday that the most advanced systems in use detect aircraft in a low Earth orbit. Usually, these aircraft will be at 300 to 500 kilometers low orbit. This is where the dual-band radar will be most useful, especially on the 55 destroyers.
China says that high enough performance radar needs to detect and track satellites in orbit accurately as well. If the dual-band radar has these functions, it can be detected and exact target data to destroy a satellite.
Also read: US Navy's Next Large Surface Combatant Will Be Based on DDG-51 and DDG-1000
One of the most recent additions to the Chinese fleet is 10,000 tons, a superstructure that is 180-meter-long, a 20-meter width, equipped with a total of 112 vertical launch missile cells (VLS) that is the hull. The VLS fires a combo of missiles for any purpose, and at 112 VLS, it has more than 96 of an American destroyer class. Ships need to be able to use a variety of artillery required.
This new destroyer is much larger than similar vessels in other navies. It can equip with an air-defense missile made to reach targets in low earth orbit. Speculation is the radar system on Type 55 that can transmit other missile land units on command. So, the U.S. is the one with this network. Could be the PLAN is just foisting false propaganda because they do not have that sophistication. For example, the U.S. has been refining its systems.
American vessels with Aegis radar can shoot down satellites, and it's been tested. A test in 2008 demonstrated that a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) was fired from USS Lake Erie guided-missile cruiser. Took down a satellite, but the PLA Navy is yet to show the same test, noted Reuters.
Intelligence satellites in low orbit can get vast amounts of information on opposing forces, data like where everything is, and all the enemy's weaknesses. This makes it necessary for such vessels like the new PLA Navy destroyer to exist.
The radar of the Chinese Navy Type 55 is said to detected stealth planes as well, but it's not proven yet. All these capabilities have not been tested, and China has a long way to go but excels in propaganda.
Related article: US Navy Replaces Littoral Combat Ship with More Powerful Combat System
