Ships of The People's Liberation Army Navy - Destroyers

Destroyers

The PLAN indigenous destroyer classes (051, 052, 051B, 052B, 052C and 051C) listed below is in the historic sequence, that is, 051 is oldest and 051C is newest. At first glance, the alternating of 051 and 052 is confusing. In the PLAN nomenclature, however, 051 and 052 are not names of generations, but indicate the types of the ship's main engine. Destroyers with type prefix 051 use steam turbines and the ones with 052 use gas turbines. China had issues producing gas turbine indigenously for the destroyers and gas turbine had to be imported. Type 052 ships use LM2500. Since 1989, however, LM2500 cannot be imported anymore due to the arms embargo. The newer 052 ships (052B/C) use the Zorya-Mashproekt DA80/DN80 gas turbine design from the Ukraine. Initial mechanical difficulties with the Ukrainian gas turbines resulted in the steam turbine versions (Type 051B and 051C) being developed in parallel.

The PLAN destroyer fleet has progressed significantly since its humble beginnings in 1949. Impressive advances have been made just in the past 2 decades and modern Chinese destroyers are now generations ahead of their earlier counterparts. These destroyers are in no way built in such great numbers as the US Arleigh Burke class. However, China's rapidly expanding military and shipbuilding capacity should be able to keep pace with PLAN requirements.

• Type 052D destroyer (???-class) - 4 under construction, 4 more planned.
• Type 052C destroyer (Luyang-II-class) - 3 in active service, 2 at sea trial, 1 under construction.
• Type 052B destroyer (Luyang-I-class) - 2 in active service.
• Type 051C destroyer (Luzhou-class) - 2 in active service.
• Type 051B destroyer (Luhai-class) - 1 in active service.
• Type 052 destroyer (Luhu-class) - 2 in active service.
• Type 051 destroyer (Luda-class) - 9 in active service.
• Sovremenny-class destroyer - 4 in active service.