Sailors stand on the deck of the new type 055 guided missile destroyer Nanchang, belonging to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. China staged a naval parade on April 23 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China's PLA Navy.
(MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/AFP/Getty Images Rapidly becoming the workhorse destroyer of the Chinese Navy, the Type 052D (pictured) builds upon the success of the Type 052C design with the addition of a flexible vertical launch system of 64 cells, capable of launching a variety of weapons including anti-submarine munitions, anti-ship missiles and long-range anti-air interceptors. (MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/AFP/Getty Images) Seeking to develop a sea-based nuclear deterrent, the Chinese military plans to build a fleet of large ocean-going nuclear ballistic missile submarines. The Type 094A (pictured) represents the first class of such underwater vessels that are expected to eventually deploy on nuclear deterrence patrols. (MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/AFP/Getty Images) The pride of the Chinese surface fleet, this Type 055 destroyer is the first of its class, with seven other vessels in varying states of build. The Type 055 is one of the most potent destroyers in the world.
