Chinese destroyer Zunyi (107)

For other ships with the same name, see Chinese ship Zunyi.

History
China
Name	Zunyi
Namesake	Zunyi (遵义)
Builder	Dalian Shipyard, Liaoning [1]
Laid down	2017 [1]
Launched	26 December 2019 [1]
Commissioned	November 2022 [1]
Identification	Pennant number: 107 [2]
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Type 055 destroyer
Displacement	12–13,000  t (12–12,795 long tons) (full load)
Length	180 m (590 ft 7 in)
Beam	20 m (65 ft 7 in)
Draught	6.6 m (21 ft 8 in)
Installed power	6 × QD-50 turbine generators (5 MW (6,700 hp) each) Total: 30  MW (40,000  shp)
Propulsion	COGAG 4 × QC-280 gas turbines (28 MW (38,000 hp) each) Total: 112  MW (150,000  shp)
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	5,000  nmi (9,300 km)
Complement	300+
Sensors & processing systems	Type 346B (C/S-band) radar X-band radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	Electronic warfare system
Armament	1 × H/PJ-38 130 mm gun 1 × H/PJ-11 CIWS 1 × HQ-10 short-range SAM 24-cell launcher 112 VLS HHQ-9 surface-to-air missiles YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missiles CJ-10 land-attack cruise missiles Missile-launched anti-submarine torpedoes 2 x sets Yu-7 torpedoes
Aircraft carried	2 medium-lift helicopters Harbin Z-9 Changhe Z-18
Aviation facilities	Stern hangar Helicopter landing platform

Zunyi (107) is a Type 055 destroyer of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned in November 2022. ^[1]

Development and design

The People's Liberation Army Navy was interested in a large destroyer from as early as the late-1960s. A development program, code-named "055", initiated in 1976 was cancelled in 1983 after encountering insurmountable technical obstacles from industrial underdevelopment; for example, the required gas turbine power plants could neither be produced domestically, nor imported at acceptable prices. ^[3] In April 2014, an image emerged of a full-scale mock-up of the Type 055 superstructure - with enclosed integrated mast for radar and other electronics at the Chinese naval electronic testing range in Wuhan. ^{[4] [5]}

The Type 055 is expected to undertake expeditionary missions and form the primary escort for Chinese aircraft carriers. ^{[6] [7]} While China classifies the Zunyi as a destroyer, the United States Department of Defense and the Office of the Secretary of Defense have classified the vessel as a cruiser since its full displacement weight exceeds 12,000 tonnes. ^{[8] [9]} The United States Navy defines a cruiser as a large multi-mission surface combatant with flagship capabilities; this suggests the U.S. expects the Type 055 to fulfill a similar role as the Ticonderoga-class cruiser. ^{[6] [10]}

Construction and career

The Zunyi was launched on 26 December 2019 at the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company in Liaoning. ^[1] The ship was commissioned in November 2022. ^[1] It is part of the South Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy. ^[1]

Between mid February and early March 2025, the Zunyi was part of a task group of Chinese three warships including the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang and Fushi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, which conducted live-fire exercises in international waters in the Tasman Sea. The task group was monitored by both the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces. ^{[8] [11]}

References

1. Jane's Fighting Ships, 2023-24 Edition, ISBN 978-0-7106-3428 3, page 138.
2. United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (December 2022). "PLA Navy Identification Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 20 December 2022.
3. "Summary of Historic facts （Part 3, Reviews of Large Size Destroyer Research）". Historical Data of Destroyers. Historical Data of Chinese Shipbuilding Industry (in Simplified Chinese). China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, Department of Equipment and Technology of People's Liberation Army Navy. pp. 10–11.
4. Caldwell et al.: page 4
5. Lin, Jeffrey; Singer, P.W. (9 April 2014). "The next new major Chinese warship arrives, on land". Popular Science. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
6. Rogoway, Tyler. "China's Type 055 Super Destroyer Is A Reality Check For The US And Its Allies". The Drive. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
7. Holmes, James R. (15 February 2018). "Fleet Design with Chinese Characteristics" (PDF). The Drive. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
8. "What we know about the Chinese vessels conducting military exercises in the Tasman Sea". Radio New Zealand . 25 February 2025. Archived from the original on 1 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
9. United States Department of Defense (May 2017). Annual Report To Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2017 (PDF) (Report). p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
10. "United States Navy Fact File: Cruisers - CG". 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
11. Arthur, Gordon (27 February 2025). "Chinese Navy penetrates deep into the Tasman Sea". Naval News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2025.