Since the first Type 055 was commissioned in 2020, the first batch of eight are in service and construction of the second batch is well under way, with the ninth reportedly launched late last year.
A report earlier this month from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said China’s “massive shipbuilding industry would provide a strategic advantage in a war that stretches beyond a few weeks”.
According to the report, China would be able to repair damaged vessels or construct replacements much faster than the US, “which continues to face a significant maintenance backlog”.
The report noted that the US “would probably be unable to quickly construct many new ships or to repair damaged fighting ships in a great power conflict”.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Like most countries, the US does not recognise Taipei’s government but is committed to supplying arms for the island’s defence.
Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said the US plans to use a large, lethal drone force to distract China’s military and buy time for the US to defend Taiwan in the case of an attack.
But Washington would have “a lot of work to do” before it could carry out the strategy, including ramping up military stockpiles and increasing production of drone swarms, said Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
“One shouldn’t forget that you still need to neutralise the Chinese ability to project force on Taiwan … you have to even take out the Chinese ability to sustain the war,” he said.
“For example, you would have to, say, destroy the shipyards if necessary. There will still [be a requirement for] the US to invest in other force projection capabilities, like long-range precision-guided munitions – for example, cruise missiles.”
The US Naval Institute said in 2021 that the US has just seven shipyards that can build large warships, while China has more than 20, along with dozens of commercial facilities that dwarf the largest US shipyards in size and throughput.
According to Davis, it’s “conceivable” that a larger, more powerful and well armed PLA Navy could allow China to win a prolonged conflict, simply through its “quantitative and firepower advantage”.
“And geography benefits China with the US having to project force across the Pacific into China’s maritime approaches,” he said.
“Also, the relative strength needs to be considered in a broader context of China’s anti-access and area denial capabilities, including land-based long-range missiles, more advanced air power, counter-space capabilities, and cyber and electromagnetic operations.”
02:17
China airs footage of Fujian aircraft carrier featuring advanced catapult launch system
China airs footage of Fujian aircraft carrier featuring advanced catapult launch system
The Type 055 destroyer – also referred to as a missile cruiser because of its size and capabilities – is 180 metres (591ft) in length with a beam of 20 metres (65ft) and has a displacement of around 13,000 tonnes at full load.
It features 112 vertical launch system cells – an advanced system for holding and firing missiles on mobile naval platforms – housing the HHQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missiles and the YJ-18 anti-ship missiles.
Footage revealed in April 2022 showed a Type 055 test-firing China’s latest hypersonic anti-ship missile, the YJ-21.
According to Koh, the import and indigenisation of foreign technology has made Chinese shipyards more “mature” and the increased production of Type 055 destroyers would allow the PLA Navy to deploy them with “greater regularity”.
However, he pointed out that there still remains the question of “how good they are”, with China’s ability to sustain its rapidly growing naval fleets undetermined.
“The only question is that … each of these Type 055 [destroyers] is also quite expensive. So the question of course arises whether China can [even] sustain the construction [with its] current economic issues.”
