Warships attached to a flotilla of destroyers with the Navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command recently conduct a replenishment at sea during a four-day realistic combat training exercise in the waters of the Sea of Southern China. (Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn)
the Guilin, a newly commissioned Type 052D guided-missile destroyer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) South Sea Fleet, took part in a live-fire exercise in early 2022, analysts said on Thursday that the warship can quickly reach initial operational capability.
A navy-affiliated destroyer detachment from the PLA Southern Theater Command recently conducted a series of intensive exercises in realistic combat scenarios, during which a flotilla made up of the Guilin, the hengyang and the Huangshan practiced lessons including actual weapon use and joint search and attack of submarines, js7tv.cn, a PLA-affiliated video news site, reported on Tuesday.
This is the first time that an official media report confirms that the Guilin entered service with the PLA Southern Theater Command Navy.
During the exercise, the three warships quickly changed direction and speed while sailing and formed attack formations, with the Guilin fire the first shot and accurately hit the target, after which the hengyang followed by gratuitous attacks, according to the report.
The report shows that a Type 052D destroyer, which is the latest variant often referred to as the Type 052DL which is fitted with an anti-stealth radar and an elongated helicopter flight deck, was involved in the exercise. .
Since both hengyang and the Huangshan are known to be Type 054A guided missile frigates, observers said that Type 052D was to be the only other ship participating, the Guilin.
“We have insisted on a tough and strict standard of realistic combat in this very intensive maritime exercise, and we have focused on improving the quality and results of the training,” said Captain Guo Wei, commander of the Guilin, said in the js7tv.cn report.
“The drills defined air, underwater and surface targets, and our tactics were tested in live-fire drills,” Guo said.
The report indicates that the Guilin has or is about to reach initial operational capability, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday.
Foreign media speculated that the Guilin entered service in the second half of 2021, and if so, the destroyer becomes combat-ready very quickly, the expert said.
the Lhasa, the PLA Navy’s second 10,000-ton 055-class large destroyer that entered service in March 2021, also recently conducted intensive maritime exercises. Experts said the warship has reached operational capability and is expected to join important missions this year.
The js7tv.cn report also mentioned recent drills by other naval branches, including reconnaissance, assault and logistics drills by the Marine Corps from north to south coasts, and airborne drills. low altitude and surface target attack by naval H-6G and H-6J bombers.
