As part of efforts spanning more than a decade to rapidly expand the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s fleet of advanced destroyers, the service commissioned seven new destroyers in 2025, all of which were Type 052D class ships.

These included the warship Weinan (hull number 166), commissioned in March 2025, the Suzhou (hull number 158), commissioned in May 2025, the Cangzhou (hull number 125), commissioned on May 29, 2025, the Heze (hull number 126), commissioned in July 2025, and the Zhumadian (hull number 127), commissioned on July 27, 2025.

Mass Procurement Expands Type 052D Fleet 

These were followed at the end of the year by the Loudi (hull number 176), commissioned on November 5, 2025, and the Ganzi (hull number 128), commissioned on December 4, 2025. 

These ships have a full load displacement of approximately 7,500-8,000 tons each. 

The Type 052D class destroyers brought into service in 2025 collectively displaced approximately 54,250 tons, or approximately one fifth of the 268,700 tons worth of surface ships commissioned by the Navy during the year.

The destroyers nevertheless account for the bulk of procurement spending, as they cost considerably several times per ton than other ship types, such as the 85,000 ton supercarrier Fujian which was commissioned in November, or the salvage and rescue ships Mingjinghu, Poyanghu and Donghu which each displaced 9,000 tons.

Over 30 Type 052D class destroyers have so far been produced, with the first having entered service in 2014, making it by far the most numerous destroyer type in service other than the U.S. Navy’s much older Arleigh Burke class.

Arleigh Burke class destroyers have been produced at rates of just 1.6 per year, allowing China’s destroyer fleet to close the gap in numbers rapidly, as shipbuilding shortfalls in the United States have hindered efforts to expand production.

The Type 052D has been produced in multiple sub-variants, including one variant informally referred to as the Type 052DL which has an flight deck that appears to be four meters longer, the first of which was launched in 2018.

And another informally referred to as the Type 052DG variant which integrates reconfigured main mast to accommodate new electronic warfare and communication antennae among other more minor changes.

The Type 052D integrates the same vertical launch cells as the Type 055 class destroyers, although in smaller numbers with 64 cells compared to the Type 055 class’ 112 cells.

This allows the two complementary destroyer types to operate the same types of missiles for air defense and offensive operations, including the new YJ-20 anti-ship ballistic missile which is expected to enter service in early 2026 after more than three years of testing on the Type 055.

Alongside the expected integration of the YJ-20 in 2026, the Type 052D already integrates a wide array of weaponry including YJ-100 cruise missiles with a 1000 km ranges, YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missiles with Mach 3 terminal speeds and complex sea-skimming trajectories.

Its multi-layered air defense network is comprised of HQ-16, HHQ-9, HHQ-10 and DK-10A surface to air missile systems, which accommodate missiles in the same launch cells as the cruise missiles.

The ships are currently being produced on a much larger scale than any other destroyer class in the world, and unlike the Type 055 class, they have been produced near continuously at a high rate since for close to 15 years.

The Type 055, by contrast, saw the last units of the first batch launched in 2020, and is expected to see the first units of a second batch commissioned in 2026, after expectations of service entry in 2025 were disappointed.

In early December in response to high tensions with Japan, two Type 052D class destroyers with hull numbers 117 and 124 accompanied the Navy’s aircraft carrier Liaoning and the Type 055 class destroyer Nanchang to launch exercises near Japanese territory.

Previously in June the Navy for the first time deployed two aircraft for simultaneous operations beyond the Second Island Chain in the Western Pacific, with the carrier Liaoning transiting through the Miyako Strait from the East China Sea, while the second carrier, the Shandong, entered the Philippine Sea via the Luzon Strait.

Three Type 052D class destroyers formed part of the two carrier groups, with two accompanying the Liaoning alongside two Type 055 class ships, while one accompanied the Shandong’s smaller group alongside a single Type 055 class ship.

Production is projected to be intended to continue to bring the fleet up to over 50 vessels, with sales to foreign countries, most notably Russia and Algeria, having been widely speculated. 

Military Magazine / ABC Flash Point News 2026.