Photo taken on Jan. 12, 2020 shows the ceremony of the commissioning of the Nanchang, China's first Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, in the port city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. The commission of Nanchang marks the Navy's leap from the third generation to the fourth generation of destroyers, according to a statement from the Navy. (Photo by Li Tang/Xinhua)

 
China's first 10,000 ton-class large destroyer, the Nanchang, recently conducted a series of live-fire cross-regional drills under realistic combat scenarios, in a move that analysts said on Monday prepared the warship for some impactful far sea exercises likely to come later this year.

Forming a flotilla together with the Type 052D destroyer Urumqi, the Type 055 large destroyer Nanchang, attached to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command Navy, recently sailed across multiple sea regions for drills under realistic combat scenarios, establishing simulated battlefield environments and multiple emergency situations in the process, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.

During the drills, the two warships carried out live-fire shooting on mock vessel targets using their main guns, and then used their close-in weapon systems to intercept incoming mock hostile aircraft, CCTV reported.
 
The flotilla then simulated a scenario in which the Nanchang suffered a hull breach, leading to a water leak and fire outbreak. The sailors performed drills to rescue the wounded, extinguish the fire and seal the breach in a successful damage control exercise, the report said.

The drills were held for three days, and training sessions were held throughout, Captain Liang Dong, vice skipper of the Nanchang, said on CCTV.

Having entered PLA Navy service more than two years ago as China's first 10,000 ton-class large destroyer - which is known in the US as a cruiser - the Nanchang has already formed combat capability and it participated in impactful far sea operations last year, a Chinese military expert told the Global Times on Monday, requesting anonymity.

These operations included a voyage to waters near Alaska, US in September 2021 and a joint exercise and patrol with Russia that saw the warship circumnavigate Japan in October 2021, according to media reports.

It is natural that the Nanchang would continue to join similar operations this year, and the latest drills would be a good warm-up, the expert predicted.

Foreign media reports suggest that China has launched eight Type 055 large destroyers.
 
The Type 055 is the world's best destroyer in terms of comprehensive capabilities, and the continued commissioning of ships in this class will contribute to the PLA Navy's combat capabilities, Shi Hong, executive chief editor of the Chinese magazine Shipborne Weapons, told the Global Times.