March 20, 2025: In early 2025 the Chinese navy in cooperation with Huazhong University scientists and technicians conducted a simulated battle between a Chinese Type 55 destroyer and eight U.S. Navy Burke class destroyers. The Chinese destroyer was accompanied by two drone boats each carrying sixteen aerial drones and seven seagoing drones. Each of these drones could inflict some damage on a Burke and disable some of the weapons and sensors.

In the simulation the Burkes launched 32 cruise missiles and LRSAM anti-ship missiles. The Type 55 destroyer intercepted all the American missiles and was able to launch another salvo of missiles and drones. This simulation was criticized by U.S. Navy officers for being inaccurate and unrealistic. American warships prefer long range attacks and employ reconnaissance by aircraft, drones and overhead satellites to spot enemy warships far enough away so American missiles will reach the enemy ships before their missiles can be launched. American anti-missile defenses are more formidable than the Chinese simulation indicated. Another factor is that U.S. crews have combat experience compared to the Chinese who have none. American warships monitor Chinese naval exercises and note the capabilities of the ships and crews. The Chinese have a long way to go and their use of inaccurate simulations depicting improbable American tactics and capabilities does not help them.

Meanwhile, the Chinese are building a lot of new ships and sending them to sea for practice. The Type 55 class destroyers are 12,000-ton warships comparable to the late model American Arleigh Burke class and are in fact a bit larger and more heavily armed with similar weapons. The Type 55 is more similar in size to the failed American 15,000-ton Zumwalt class destroyer. The Zumwalt contained too many new technologies that proved too expensive and too unpredictable to put into service. The U.S. Navy kept spending more money on development in a futile effort to get the Zumwalt to work and the effort was canceled, with only three Zumwalts built and only at the end of 2020 were all fully operational.

The Type 55 is also similar to the American Ticonderoga class cruisers, which were 10,000-ton ships based on 1970s and 80s technology that paved the way for the Burkes. From 1980 to 1994, twenty-seven Ticonderoga’s were built and 22 are still in service. The Ticonderoga’s, like the Burkes, were based on the successful Spruance class destroyers. The success of the 31 Spruance’s, built between 1972 and 1983, led to the Burke class, which has been in production since 1988 with 67 in service, five under construction and orders for at least ten more planned. The latest version of the Burke is nearly as large as the Ticonderoga’s and in many ways more capable. This is apparently what the Chinese are trying to do with the Type 55. Despite using proven American technologies, the Chinese had some problems getting the Type 55s into service. That is not unusual and has become an accepted part of how the Chinese develop new warship designs.

The first Type 055 destroyer was launched in June 2017. This was not unexpected because evidence of such a ship began showing up in early 2015. Back then it appeared that this new Type 055 12,000-ton cruiser class ship would have as many as 128 Vertical Launch System or VLS tubes and much else besides. China claimed this ship would be the equivalent of a Burke class destroyer. The Type 055 would be, and now is, the largest surface combat ship China has ever built. The Type 55 turned out to have 112 American type VLS cells as well as an Aegis type radar system and four locally built gas-turbine engines. These engines provide 150,000 horsepower and a top speed of 55 kilometers an hour. There are also six generators producing 30 megawatts of power for future weapons like railguns and lasers. Also carried are hangers for two helicopters.