Chinese Navy launches 2 guided missile destroyers

BEIJING: China, which is developing its navy at a feverish pace, has commissioned two more guided missile destroyers taking the total of such warships to 20 with more in the pipeline, state media reported on Monday.

Two Type 052D guided missile destroyers were launched on Friday in Dalian, a coastal city, state-run Global Times reported. Their commissioning marked the 19th and 20th of launches of their kind, the report said and quoted Chinese analysts as saying that plans are afoot to build more guided missile destroyers. China now has 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or being fitted out for service soon, the report said. Destroyers are fast, highly manoeuvrable long distance warships which are also used to accompany the aircraft carriers.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy is currently regarded as the world’s fastest growing navy with new vessels being added to the fleet on a monthly basis. While it has one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning which was commissioned in 2012, its second indigenously built aircraft carrier is currently undergoing trials and a third one is being built at a feverish pace.