''Shenzhen'' is a

guided-missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a pr ...

operated by

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

(PLAN). It is the sole Type 051B destroyer (

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

: Luhai).

Development and design

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the PLAN began developing capabilities for a wider range of strategic missions. 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. The Type 051B destroyer had "broad similarities" with the smaller preceding Type 052 destroyer. The Type 051B has a wider hull with increased stability, habitability, and armament. Integration of French and Russian systems was aided by previous experience on the Luda III testbed. The ZKJ-7 combat data system is based on the Italian IPN-10 or -20. The light anti-aircraft guns were mounted aft to make space for the HQ-7 reloading system behind the launcher. It was unusual in being one of the few PLAN ships to have a hangar for two helicopters. The Type 051B was the first PLAN warship with a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) powerplant using Ukrainian gas turbines; 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 The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between t ...

. One ship, ''Shenzhen'', was built. The design then become the baseline for the Type 051C destroyer. 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. The ship was rearmed with YJ-12 anti-ship missiles, and HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles in a

vertical launching system A vertical launching system (VLS) is an advanced system for holding and firing missiles on mobile naval platforms, such as surface ships and submarines. Each vertical launch system consists of a number of ''cells'', which can hold one or mo ...

(VLS). Stern-deployed torpedo decoy and towed array sonar systems were installed.

History

''Shenzhen'' was commissioned in December 1998 and served as a

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

for the

South Sea Fleet The Southern Theater Command Navy (STCN), or the South Sea Fleet (SSF) until 2018, is a formation of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the naval component of the Southern Theater Command. History In December 1949, the Fourth Fi ...

. 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 and the first visit to Japan in 2007. The ship was refitted in 2004. ''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 Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The ship was overhauled from 2014 through 2016 at

Zhanjiang Zhanjiang; Leizhou Min: ''Tchiàm-kōng''; previously Tsamkong or Guangzhouwan, then romanized in English as Kwangchowan or Kwangchow Wan. is a port city on the southwestern panhandle of Guangdong province in South China. The prefecture- ...

Gallery

File:Type 051B destroyer.jpg, ''Shenzhen'' entering Apra Harbor, Guam on 12 October 2003. File:US Navy 031022-N-6346B-004 The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) guided missile destroyer Shenzhen (DDG 167) sails into Apra Harbor, Guam.jpg, ''Shenzhen'' in Apra Harbor, Guam on 22 October 2003. File:Shenzhen (DDG 167).jpg, ''Shenzhen'' in Apra Harbor, Guam on 25 October 2003.

References

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shenzhen 1997 ships Ships built in China Type 051B destroyers