China reportedly launched two new Type 052D guided missile destroyers in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province on Friday. The two warships, believed to be the 27th and the 28th Type 052Ds ordered by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy overall, were launched from the Dalian Shipyard, with three additional hulls of the same type still under construction in the yard. Two new Type 052D guided missile destroyers will contribute to the Chinese PLA Navy’s aim to become a blue-water navy. The continued production of the Type 052D shows that the PLA Navy is satisfied with its performance and needs more of these ships to build up its far-sea capabilities and safeguard the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
In August 2022, foreign media reported that the Dalian Shipyard and the Shanghai-based Jiangnan Changxing Shipyard had restarted mass production of the Type 052D destroyer, after 25 vessels of the same class had entered service with the PLA Navy. The Type 052D has proven to be a reliable destroyer with mature technologies, so it is a good choice for mass production. It is normal that during the serialized production of a type of warship, newer hulls could receive upgrades due to technological advances and user requirements. The Type 052D is equipped with an advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system dubbed the “Chinese Aegis” and a 64-cell missile vertical launch system capable of firing munitions including surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles.