CHINA-PLA NAVY: NANCHANG DESTROYER COMPLETES FIRST UNDERWAY FUELLING TRIALS
The PLA Navy's public WeChat account disclosed (May 20) that the PLAN's first Type-055 large 10,000-ton class destroyer Nanchang (101) and supply ship Taihu completed the first replenishment training (underway fuelling trials), which experts said is crucial for the newly commissioned warship's combat capability. Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie told Global Times on May 19 that "The Nanchang is China's largest destroyer, and its significance, to some extent, is no less than an aircraft carrier." He said the replenishment training is an important part of its combat capability generation program, and since it is expected to conduct missions of an extended time period in the far sea and accompany aircraft carriers or lead independent naval task groups, it needs to be capable of conducting replenishment operations through supply ships.
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