News Story: PLAN's Fourth Type 052D Kunming-class Destroyer to be Commissioned Soon

China's Type 052D Kunming class (Image: Wiki Commons)

China's fourth Type 052D guided-missile destroyer (NATO reporting name Luyang III class) with hull number 175 should be commissioned with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) soon said Cao Weidong, a Chinese military expert, in an interview with China Center Television.

There was already speculation that the new destroyer was ready for delivery, since a number of photos circulated online showed a ship closely resembling the previous 052D guided-missile destroyers berthed at a harbor with hull number 175 painted on its body. Cao confirmed that this guess was reasonable because ships generally get put into trial maritime operation as soon as they receive hull numbers. The ship will be delivered to the PLAN pending a successful trial operation, Cao added.

Three existing 052D destroyers have already been deployed as part of the South Sea Fleet. The first vessel of of the class, Kunming (hull number 172), was commissioned in March 2014. Changsha (hull number 173) , the second Type 052D Destroyer to join the PLAN, was launched just four months after head of the classKunming but was commissioned much later, in August 2015. Hefei (hull number 174) was launched at the Changxing Jiangnan naval shipyard near Shanghai on July 2nd 2013 and was commissioned in December 2015.

Read the full story at Navy Recognition