Chinese destroyer Dalian (105)

The People's Liberation Army Navy was interested in a large destroyer from as early as the late-1960s. A development program, code-named "055", initiated in 1976 was cancelled in 1983 after encountering insurmountable technical obstacles from industrial underdevelopment; for example, the required gas turbine power plants could neither be produced domestically, nor imported at acceptable prices.[1] In April 2014, an image emerged of a full-scale mock-up of the Type 055 superstructure - with enclosed integrated mast for radar and other electronics at the Chinese naval electronic testing range in Wuhan.[2][3]

The Type 055 is expected to undertake expeditionary missions and form the primary escort for Chinese aircraft carriers.[4][5] The United States classifies these ships as cruisers.[6] The United States Navy defines a cruiser as a large multi-mission surface combatant with flagship capabilities; this suggests the U.S. expects the Type 055 to fulfill a similar role as the Ticonderoga-class cruiser.[4][7]

Dalian is the third ship of the class and laid down and launched on 8 July 2018 at the Dalian Shipyard in Liaoning.[8] On 23 April 2021, the ship was commissioned[9] by Central Military Commission chairman Xi Jinping at The Yulin Naval Base at in a ceremony that coincided with the 72nd anniversary of the PLAN.