Beijing Installs Supersonic Missiles on South China Sea’s Most Lethal Destroyer

sputniknews.com

The upgraded combat features on board the flagship of the South China Sea fleet impress Western defense analysts, as Beijing threatens to aggressively defend the disputed territories.

China has completed a major weapons upgrade for their Shenzen destroyer, which will return to operations with the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) fleet in the South China Sea amid brewing tensions over the disputed territory, IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly reported.

The missile system of the Shenzen, Beijing’s only Luhai-class destroyer, was upgraded to a 32-cell vertical launch platform capable of firing medium-range HHQ-16 surface-to-air (SAM) missiles with a range of 19 nautical miles and a maximum speed of 2,148 mph (3457 kph). Defense analysts say the system is comparable to the powerful Russian Gollum/Shtil-2 missile system.

Other combat characteristics added to the ship include four 37 mm twin anti-aircraft guns with two Type 1130 close-in weapon systems, along with upgraded surface and air search radars. The ship’s radar system has also been augmented to remove a blind spot in the previous system’s visible range.

Significant upgrades to what was already China’s most lethal destroyer come as Beijing faces increasing pressure to relax its claims over oil rich South China Sea territories, through which some 40% of the world’s shipborne commerce travels each day.