The People’s Liberation Army’s latest weaponised container ship could play a key role in deterring foreign intervention at a low cost during a Taiwan conflict, according to a mainland Chinese military magazine.
The Zhong Da 79 is a medium-sized civilian cargo ship capable of carrying containerised vertical missile launchers, radar sensors and self-defence systems. It was first spotted at the end of last year at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s yard in Shanghai.
An article by Ordnance Industry Science Technology earlier this month referred to the vessel as a “containerised destroyer”, noting its firepower matched that of the PLA’s Type 052D destroyers.
The civilian cargo ship is around 97 metres (318 feet) long with a displacement of about 9,000 tonnes and a top speed of roughly 20 knots, or about 37km/h (23mph), according to the magazine.
Its deck is loaded with 15 standard shipping containers, each housing four vertical launch systems (VLS) identical to those found on Type 052D and Type 055 destroyers.
In total, the vessel carries 60 VLS cells, capable of launching HHQ-9B and HHQ-9C surface-to-air missiles, YJ-18 anti-ship missiles and CJ-10 cruise missiles.
The launch of the ship came as Beijing has been testing using civilian vessels such as “roll-on/roll-off” ships in joint transport and landing drills with the PLA as tensions across the Taiwan Strait have grown.
The launch of the Zhong Da 79 shows Beijing’s ability to convert civilian ships for military use by placing container units directly onto the deck of transport vessels for naval combat.
According to the magazine, the ship could supplement the PLA’s main combat vessels in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.
However, its effectiveness on the high seas is currently limited by its speed and civilian-grade hull.
In a Taiwan conflict, the Zhong Da 79 could hide in commercial vessel fleets and attack adversaries in key areas, the magazine said.
“One can imagine future naval warfare where multiple unassuming containerised destroyers cruise at normal commercial speeds of 20 knots, hiding within bustling commercial shipping lanes to serve as firepower nodes in vital sea areas and chokepoints,” it said.
“Its speed is well-suited for near-shore air defence and missile interception, blue-water commercial escort and the protection of critical shipping lanes. This would deter foreign intervention in reunification operations and ensure key trade routes are not cut off,” the magazine said.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.
Most countries, including Taiwan’s main international backer, the United States, do not recognise the self-governed island as an independent state. But Washington is opposed to any attempt to take Taiwan by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
The article said that using the Zhong Da 79 could preserve the PLA’s most valuable naval assets – such as the Type 052D and 055 destroyers – by freeing them from routine tasks, allowing them to focus entirely on decisive battles.
It added that the core strength of the Zhong Da 79 was its low cost backed by Beijing’s strong shipbuilding capacity.
“Leveraging China’s status as the world’s largest civilian shipping fleet and its modern shipbuilding industry, a vast number of ordinary merchant ships can be transformed into combat assets in an extremely short time frame,” the magazine said.
Full text
The People’s Liberation Army’s latest weaponised container ship could play a key role in deterring foreign intervention at a low cost during a Taiwan conflict, according to a mainland Chinese military magazine.
The Zhong Da 79 is a medium-sized civilian cargo ship capable of carrying containerised vertical missile launchers, radar sensors and self-defence systems. It was first spotted at the end of last year at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s yard in Shanghai.
An article by Ordnance Industry Science Technology earlier this month referred to the vessel as a “containerised destroyer”, noting its firepower matched that of the PLA’s Type 052D destroyers.
The civilian cargo ship is around 97 metres (318 feet) long with a displacement of about 9,000 tonnes and a top speed of roughly 20 knots, or about 37km/h (23mph), according to the magazine.
Its deck is loaded with 15 standard shipping containers, each housing four vertical launch systems (VLS) identical to those found on Type 052D and Type 055 destroyers.
In total, the vessel carries 60 VLS cells, capable of launching HHQ-9B and HHQ-9C surface-to-air missiles, YJ-18 anti-ship missiles and CJ-10 cruise missiles.
The launch of the ship came as Beijing has been testing using civilian vessels such as “roll-on/roll-off” ships in joint transport and landing drills with the PLA as tensions across the Taiwan Strait have grown.
The launch of the Zhong Da 79 shows Beijing’s ability to convert civilian ships for military use by placing container units directly onto the deck of transport vessels for naval combat.
According to the magazine, the ship could supplement the PLA’s main combat vessels in the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.
However, its effectiveness on the high seas is currently limited by its speed and civilian-grade hull.
In a Taiwan conflict, the Zhong Da 79 could hide in commercial vessel fleets and attack adversaries in key areas, the magazine said.
“One can imagine future naval warfare where multiple unassuming containerised destroyers cruise at normal commercial speeds of 20 knots, hiding within bustling commercial shipping lanes to serve as firepower nodes in vital sea areas and chokepoints,” it said.
“Its speed is well-suited for near-shore air defence and missile interception, blue-water commercial escort and the protection of critical shipping lanes. This would deter foreign intervention in reunification operations and ensure key trade routes are not cut off,” the magazine said.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.
Most countries, including Taiwan’s main international backer, the United States, do not recognise the self-governed island as an independent state. But Washington is opposed to any attempt to take Taiwan by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
The article said that using the Zhong Da 79 could preserve the PLA’s most valuable naval assets – such as the Type 052D and 055 destroyers – by freeing them from routine tasks, allowing them to focus entirely on decisive battles.
It added that the core strength of the Zhong Da 79 was its low cost backed by Beijing’s strong shipbuilding capacity.
“Leveraging China’s status as the world’s largest civilian shipping fleet and its modern shipbuilding industry, a vast number of ordinary merchant ships can be transformed into combat assets in an extremely short time frame,” the magazine said.