According to a tweet published by Rohan Panchigar on April 20, 2022, the People's Liberation Army Navy successfully fired a new hypersonic missile from a Type 055 destroyer.
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Chinese Type 055 destroyer firing new hypersonic missile (Picture source: Rohan Panchigar)
The Type 055 large destroyer (Renhai-class cruiser) is a class of stealth-guided missile destroyers being constructed for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy.
It is a multi-mission design; the combination of sensors and weapons suggests the main role of area air defense, with anti-submarine warfare capabilities surpassing previous Chinese surface combatants. The maximum speed is estimated to be 30 knots.
Type 055 adopts a conventional flared hull with distinctive stealthy features including an enclosed forecastle that hides mooring points, anchor chains, and other equipment.
The bow and main deckhouse are configured similarly to previous Type 052C/D destroyers. A continuous structure amidship increases internal volume and reduces radar cross-section. The smokestack design reduces both infrared signature and radar cross-section.
Propulsive power is generated by four 28 MW QC-280 gas turbines in combined gas and gas arrangement. Additional power may be provided by six 5 MW QD-50 gas turbines.
The class has a dual-band radar system; four S-band Type 346B Dragon Eye active electronically scanned array (AESA) panels are mounted on the superstructure, and four smaller X-band panels are mounted on the mast.
The missile defense systems of the Type 055 combine surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, and anti-submarine missiles. It has a total of 112 vertical launch systems (VLS) with 8x8 units in the front deck and 6x8 units in the middle.
