| Builders | |
|---|---|
| Class before | |
| Class after |
|
| In commission range | 1999-present[1] |
| Total ships completed | 1 |
| Total ships active | 1 |
| Country | China |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Shenzhen |
| Laid down | July 1996[1] |
| Launched | 16 October 1997[1] |
| Commissioned | December 1998 |
| Homeport | Zhanjiang |
| Identification | Pennant number: 167[1] |
| Status | Active |
| Class | Type 051B destroyer |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 6,096 tonnes (6,000 long tons)[1] |
| Length | 154 m (505 ft 3 in)[1] |
| Beam | 16 m (52 ft 6 in)[1] |
| Draught | 6 m (19 ft 8 in)[1] |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)[1] |
| Range | 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 14 knots[1] |
| Complement | 250 (42 officers)[1] |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft | 2 helicopters: (Kamov Ka-28 or Harbin Z-9C)[1] |
| Aircraft facilities |
|
Shenzhen is a guided-missile destroyer operated by China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). It is the sole Type 051B destroyer (NATO reporting name: Luhai).[1]
Development and design
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the PLAN began developing capabilities for a wider range of strategic missions.[6] During this time it produced multiple warship classes with short production runs, likely as experiments to develop satisfactory designs. The Type 051B destroyer was one of these designs.[7]
The Type 051B destroyer had "broad similarities" with the smaller preceding Type 052 destroyer.[1] The Type 051B has a wider hull with increased stability, habitability, and armament.[7] Integration of French and Russian systems was aided by previous experience on the Type 051 destroyer testbed.[8] The ZKJ-7 combat data system is based on the Italian IPN-10 or -20.[9] The light anti-aircraft guns were mounted aft to make space for the HQ-7 reloading system behind the launcher.[1]
It was unusual in being one of the few PLAN ships to have a hangar for two helicopters.[4]
The Type 051B was the first PLAN warship with a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) powerplant using Ukrainian gas turbines;[10] the preceding Type 052 program had started with American General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, which could no longer be obtained after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.[11]
One ship, Shenzhen, was built. The design then become the baseline for the Type 051C destroyer.[1]
The ship emerged from a major overhaul around 2016. The quarterdeck was enclosed. The "Top Plate"-derived radar was moved from the aft to the forward mast to remove its blind spot.[4] The ship was rearmed with YJ-12 anti-ship missiles,[12] and HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles in a vertical launching system (VLS). Stern-deployed torpedo decoy and towed array sonar systems were installed.[4]
History
Shenzhen was commissioned in December 1998[13][14] and served as a flagship for the South Sea Fleet.[4] It made the PLAN's first goodwill visit to Africa in 2000. The ship also took part in the PLAN's first visit to Europe in 2001[14] and the first visit to Japan in 2007.[15]
The ship was refitted in 2004.[5]
Shenzhen was part of the second Chinese anti-piracy task force to the Gulf of Aden from April to August 2009. On the return journey it visited Pakistan and India.[16]
The ship was overhauled from 2014 through 2016 at Zhanjiang.[17]
References
- ^ Saunders 2015, p. 138.
- ^ Gady, Franz-Stefan (August 10, 2016). "More Deadly Missiles: Upgraded Warship Rejoins China’s South Sea Fleet". The Diplomat. Archived 11 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
- ^ Suciu, Peter (May 11, 2020). "Chinese Warships Are Now Armed with Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles". The National Interest. Archived May 15, 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
- ^ Tate, Andrew (10 August 2016). "Shenzhen destroyer set to re-join China's South Sea Fleet". IHS Jane's 360. Archived 10 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Gormley, Erickson & Yuan 2014, p. 45.
- ^ McDevitt 2017, p. 21.
- ^ Kirchberger 2015, p. 193.
- ^ Kirchberger 2015, pp. 194–195.
- ^ Kirchberger 2015, p. 188.
- ^ Kirchberger 2015, p. 144.
- ^ Kirchberger 2015, p. 143.
- ^ White, Ryan (24 May 2020). "PLAN Type 051B Destroyer Shenzhen 167 after modernization". Naval News. Archived 22 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "深圳南山：四大商圈集体迎深圳舰回家，献礼“最可爱的人”". Guangdong Department of Veteran Affairs. 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ Zheng, Tianran (2019-11-21). "深圳舰：勇敢当先锋". Xinhua News Agency. Qiu, Lifang (ed.). Retrieved 2025-03-30.
- ^ Cha, Chunming (2007-11-21). "中国海军“深圳”号导弹驱逐舰首访日本". Chinese Central Government. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
- ^ Liu, Qiuli (ed.) (14 December 2018). "第二批护航编队" [2nd Escort Task Group]. China Military Network. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ^ Carlson 2020, pp. 9–10.
Sources
- Carlson, Christopher P. (March 2020). "PLAN Force Structure Projection Concept, A Methodology for Looking Down Range". China Maritime Report. ' (10). China Maritime Studies Institute.
- Gormley, Dennis M.; Erickson, Andrew S.; Yuan, Jingdong (2014). A Low-Visibility Force Multiplier: Assessing China's Cruise Missile Ambitions. Washington, D.C.: National Defense University Press.
- Kirchberger, Sarah (2015). Assessing China's Naval Power: Technological Innovation, Economic Constraints, and Strategic Implications. Global Power Shift. Springer. ISBN 978-3-662-47127-2.
- McDevitt, Michael (2017). "The Modern PLA Navy Destroyer Force". CSMI Red Book. 14: 55–65. United States Naval War College. ISBN 978-1-935352-45-7.
- Saunders, Stephan (ed.) (2015). Jane's Fighting Ships 2015-2016. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710631435.