Two new Type 055 destroyers assigned to the PLA East China Fleet, Dongguan and Anqing, have undergone their first live-fire drills. The exercises aim to rapidly integrate the advanced vessels into the Eastern Theatre Command's joint combat system covering Taiwan and seas near Japan.
A senior officer with the East Sea Fleet said the destroyers would “accelerate their integration into the joint combat system” of the Eastern Theatre Command, according to the PLA Daily. The Dongguan, bearing hull number 109, and Anqing, hull number 110, are equipped with more advanced gear than the first batch of Type 055 destroyers. The exercises tested the vessels' defenses against rapid aerial targets under heavy electromagnetic interference. They also conducted multi-wave saturation strikes against enemy surface vessels attempting to escape using nearby islands and reefs. The East Sea Fleet, part of the PLA Navy under the Eastern Theatre Command, oversees operations in the East China Sea and areas near Taiwan. This drill marks the initial live-fire testing for these advanced warships, aimed at enhancing integration into regional joint combat operations.