China commissions biggest new generation destroyer ship for its navy

BEIJING: China's Navy today launched its biggest new generation destroyer weighing 10,000 tonnes as part of the Communist giant's ambitious plans to become a global naval power.

The Navy's new destroyer, a domestically designed and produced vessel, was launched at the Jiangnan Shipyard (Group), Shanghai.

The vessel is the first of China's new generation of destroyers. It is equipped with new air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The vessel marks a milestone in improving the nation's Navy armament system and building a strong and modern Navy.

According to the plan, tests will be carried on the vessel, including equipment operation, berthing and sailing.

The biggest naval destroyer was an addition to two aircraft carriers which China is in the process of deploying to compete with other naval powers liked the US and India, specially in the India Ocean.

The Chinese Navy is currently trying to form battle groups that accompany the aircraft carriers when they set out on missions far from shores.

The first aircraft carrier Liaoning has left with a flotilla of Chinese naval ships on June 25 on "routine training mission" from Qingdao in east China.

The naval formation includes destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, frigate Yantai and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters, a Chinese defence ministry statement said.

The training mission, like the previous ones, is expected to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different marine region.

This is the first exercise being carried out by Liaoning, a refurbished aircraft carrier, built from the hull of a Soviet ship bought from Ukraine after China had launched a home-made carrier in April this year.

The new aircraft carrier was expected to be operational by 2019.

Liaoning has earlier carried out exercises in the disputed South China Sea as well as East China Sea along with its battle formation group.

Meanwhile, China has also unveiled a new domestically built marine geological survey vessel in south China's Guangdong Province.

Haiyang Dizhi-10 is 75.8 meters long and 15.4 meters wide with a displacement of 3,400 tonnes. The vessel has a range of 8,000 nautical miles.

"The new ship will be a great boost to China's marine exploration capability," Zhong Ziran, director of China Geological Survey said.

China now has six marine geological research vessels in service, with plans to put Haiyang Dizhi-10, Haiyang Dizhi-8 and Haiyang Dizhi-9 into active service by the end of the year.