For information, the Type 052D is a class of destroyers weighing 7,500 tons. The ship entered the Chinese People"s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy) service in 2014. It is envisioned as a Chinese combatant with capabilities comparable to the new generation of the US AEGIS system, which the Japanese are also using Republic of Korean and Australian navies.
The PLA Navy has commissioned the Type 052D parallel with the larger Type 055 Class destroyer, displacing 13,000 tonnes.
As an arsenal, the Type 052D integrates 64 vertical launch cells and can carry a variety of new weapons, including the YJ-100 cruise missile with a range of 1,000 km.
It also provides a capable air defence network consisting of HQ-16, HHQ-9, HHQ-10 and DK-10A surface-to-air missiles and several new short-range weapon systems.
The Type 052D is also compatible with the YJ-21 ship-launched hypersonic ballistic missile, although this is considered unlikely to be exported. On its aft deck, the Type 052DL can carry Z-20 helicopters which are considered equivalent to the US Sikorsky MH-60 SeaHawk.
Offering the Type 052D destroyer for export demonstrates that the PLA Navy"s direct demand for the vessel has been fulfilled. Despite the shortage of destroyer export deals anywhere in the world, a number of countries may have considered acquiring the Type 052D.
