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: Xinhua

The Party committee of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's first Type 055 large destroyer was honored as a role model on Sunday after the warship completed a series of challenging missions including fending off foreign military provocation in combat drills.

The Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee conferred the title of "role model of the times" to the Party committee of the PLA Navy warship Nanchang, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

Having entered PLA naval service in January 2020, the Nanchang is China's first domestically developed Type 055 destroyer hull and a typical representative of the PLA Navy's combat force of new quality, Xinhua reported.

Since its commissioning, the Nanchang has completed more than 10 major missions, including sailing to far seas in the Bering Sea, holding combat patrols in the Pacific Ocean, and conducting exercises in the Xisha and Nansha islands in the South China Sea, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.

The Nanchang is a vital part of the PLA Navy's aircraft carrier combat system. As a member of the Liaoning carrier group in a previous combat deployment and training mission, the Nanchang consecutively maintained more than 20 days of combat status and fended off foreign military provocations head-on, the state broadcaster report said.

"When the foreign military aircraft gradually made approaches, our early warning and detection systems tracked and locked on them through their entire courses. We firmly and strongly fended off foreign military provocations," said Zhou Yinlong, a crew member aboard the large destroyer, CCTV reported.

Accompanying carrier groups, the Nanchang has enhanced systemic combat capabilities in recent years by sailing into deep blue waters like the West Pacific and the South China Sea through the Miyako Strait and Bashi Channel, as the warship has become a window for China to display its confidence and strength as a major power amid the constantly changing international situations, CCTV said.

In a move to further hone operations, the Nanchang recently carried out a three-day combat-oriented exercise at an undisclosed location, completing 40 training objectives including land attack, sea assault, air defense, and anti-submarine defense, CCTV reported. 

Shi Hong, executive chief editor of the Chinese magazine Shipborne Weapons, told the Global Times that Type 055 is the world's best large destroyer in terms of comprehensive capabilities.

Type 055 can not only accompany aircraft carriers, but can also serve as the command ship of a flotilla, and provide more flexible tactics for the PLA Navy, Shi said.

As the first hull of the Type 055 large destroyer, the Nanchang also shouldered the responsibility of exploring the combat capabilities, work procedures, and tactics of this ship type, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.

Thanks to the experience garnered by the Nanchang, following Type 055 hulls were able to achieve operational capability much faster, the expert said.

The PLA Navy had commissioned eight Type 055s as of press time.

With a displacement of more than 10,000 tons, the Type 055 large destroyer is equipped with an integrated mast that gives the warship outstanding situational awareness, plus 112 vertical missile launch cells hosting a combination of land attack, anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-submarine missiles, according to openly available information and analyses.

Faced with a complex geopolitical security situation, the PLA Navy's Type 055 destroyers will serve as an important force in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, analysts said.