Chinese Fleet in the South China Sea
By commissioning more advanced destroyers and frigates into active service, China now possesses more surface combat ships than Japan, reports the Hangzhou-based Qianjiang Evening News.
After China showcased its DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile and DF-26 medium-range ballistic missile during its military parade held on Sept. 3 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan decided to flex its muscle as well through its 28th fleet review. Held on Oct. 18 at Sagami Bay, west of Yokosuka, the review featured nearly 40 Japanese warships including helicopter destroyer, JS Izumo, the largest vessel of JMSDF.
Japan currently has 138 warships, including four helicopter destroyers, 16 submarines, and 44 destroyers and frigates. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) also operates 162 fixed-wing aircraft and 131 helicopters.
The People's Liberation Army Navy, on the other hand, has six Type 052C and five Type 052D guided-missile destroyers, which gives China a total of 11 destroyers fitted with the Chinese Aegis Combat System. Four additional Type 052D destroyers are currently under construction.
In addition, China has two Type 052B and two Type 051C destroyers. The PLA Navy also has four Russian-built Sovremennyy-class destroyers. As for frigates, the PLA Navy operates a total number of 22 Type 054 and Type 054A guided-missile frigates.
Zhang Ming, a Chinese military expert, told Qianjiang Evening News that only 24 of Japan's 44 surface combat ships are advanced enough to compete with those 45 Chinese warships mentioned above.
China will eventually launch the more advanced 12,000-ton Type 055 guided-missile destroyers into service. Zhang Ming believes that the fighting capability of the PLA Navy will inevitably will surpass that of the JMSDF by that time.
"Don't forget, China has a real aircraft carrier, and a carrier battle group is overwhelmingly more powerful than a fleet of warships without an aircraft carrier," Zhang said in the interview.