The Zunyi, a Type 055 large destroyer of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, conducts a confrontational anti-submarine exercise in the South China Sea in January 2026. Photo: Screenshot from the military channel of China Central Television

A Type 055 large destroyer of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has boosted key new capabilities through new practices in a recent free-form confrontational exercise against a submarine in the South China Sea, official Chinese media reported on Tuesday. An expert noted that the Type 055 not only excels at air defense and anti-ship operations, but also at anti-submarine warfare.

During the exercise, the Type 055 large destroyer Zunyi was tasked with reconnaissance and early warning missions for a naval task force. It successfully acquired its target and gathered a large amount of data in real time, enabling the task force to build up an all-directional battlefield situational awareness network, the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday.

Anti-submarine warfare is a global challenge in naval combat. The answer provided by the Zunyi lies in four key aspects: intensive research in peacetime, precise calculations prior to combat, accurate control during combat, and thorough post-combat reviews, the report said, noting that over the past year, the Zunyi has conducted multiple anti-submarine offensive and defensive drills, and has achieved phased results in anti-submarine warfare capabilities through practices and summaries.

Yang Minghan, a crew member of the Zunyi, said in the report that the Type 055 is a new-type destroyer equipped with a host of advanced new systems, boasting cutting-edge performance. Yet this also means that the operation and underlying principles of its onboard equipment are very sophisticated. "By mastering every single detail with absolute clarity, and then connecting these thousands of details into lines, expanding them into a whole system, and weaving them into an integrated network, we can ultimately translate them into combat effectiveness," he said.

While there have been numerous media reports that highlighted the Type 055 large destroyer's air defense and anti-ship capabilities, the latest report offers a glimpse into details about its capabilities in anti-submarine warfare. Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that given the larger displacement of the Type 055, its bow sonar and towed sonar systems are estimated to be larger than those used by the Type 052D destroyer and Type 054A frigate. In addition, new technologies may be integrated into the sonar systems. These factors could enable the Type 055 to detect submarines from farther ranges with higher accuracy.

Also, the Type 055 large destroyer is built to have two helicopter hangars, whereas the Type 052D destroyer and Type 054A frigate each have only one. This means that the Type 055 can deploy an extra Z-20 anti-submarine helicopter, extending its operational coverage, according to Wang.

Wang also noted the location of the anti-submarine exercise, the South China Sea. He said that the South China Sea sees intensive submarine activities due to its water depth that is well-suited for submarine operations. Conducting anti-submarine drills in this area closely simulates real combat scenarios.

Xu Yi, a crew member of the Zunyi, said in the CCTV report that the crew have pre-analyzed the underwater terrains and marine environments of certain sea areas, as well as their impacts on acoustic propagation, which can assist them in achieving more effective submarine detection.

Over the past year, the Zunyi has spent more than 200 days on long voyages, covering a distance of over 50,000 nautical miles. From participating in aircraft carrier formation drills, to conducting combat patrols in the South China Sea, and then to carrying out realistic combat training in distant seas, the Zunyi has taken the lead in tackling key problems, resolved multiple tough issues in system-oriented operations, and turned a series of new operational tactics into preparedness practices, according to the CCTV report.