Another Type 055 large destroyer of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the Anshan, has achieved operational capability after having recently passed an acceptance test, marking that the 10,000 ton-class warship is ready for voyages to distant waters, experts said on Saturday.
The Anshan, joined by Type 052D destroyers the Baotou and the Qiqihar, recently had the three-day full-course training acceptance test in the Yellow Sea, in which other vessels, submarines, fighter jets, early warning aircraft and helicopters acted as mock opponents, posing multiple threats simultaneously from the sea surface, underwater and in the air, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.
It required the sailors to deal with all kinds of emergencies in realistic combat scenarios, and tested their comprehensive air defense, sea attack and anti-submarine capabilities under complex electromagnetic environments while navigating around the clock, CCTV reported.
All three vessels passed the test, meaning that the Anshan has achieved operational capability, the report said.
This means not only that the Anshan is well prepared for missions as a newly built ship, but also that the sailors on board the vessel are ready for combat, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Saturday.
The active service status of the Anshan was announced on April 23 this year, when the PLA Navy celebrated its 73rd anniversary of its founding.
The Anshan's sister ships like the Nanchang and the Lhasa have already achieved operational capability and carried out far sea missions to places like the Sea of Japan, the West Pacific and the Bering Sea, according to previous reports. The Nanchang was also a part of the Liaoning aircraft carrier group in several far sea trainings.
It is expected that the Anshan, also in service with the PLA Northern Theater Command Navy, will take part in similar voyages to distant waters, the expert said.
The PLA Navy has announced the commissioning of six Type 055 large destroyers, namely the Nanchang, the Lhasa, the Dalian, the Anshan, the Yan'an and the Wuxi. Two more have also been reportedly launched, bringing the total number of this ship class to eight.
The ship class Type 055 has a displacement of more than 12,000 tons, is equipped with a 112-cell missile vertical launch system and is endowed with the capability to gain strong situational awareness, making it one of the most powerful warships in the world, analysts said.
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is preparing to leave the Trump administration after what a new report has described as months of tension with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, potentially triggering another change at the army’s top echelons.
According to the Friday report by The Wall Street Journal, Driscoll is expected to step down before the end of the year and could leave his post earlier. The newspaper cited people familiar with discussions over his departure.
The Journal reported that Driscoll and his family vacated the official residence assigned to the army secretary at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall this summer, a move that could indicate he was preparing to leave the position.
The reported departure would come at a time of continuing uncertainty at the top echelons of the army.
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The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns the enemies that any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic will not go unanswered.
In a statement on Thursday, the IRGC issued a “stern warning” to the enemies after US forces launched strikes against the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
Following the US military attack on a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport with aerial projectiles, the IRGC carried out new strikes targeting the US air base from which the attack originated in the wee hours of Thursday, it added.
“This response is a serious warning to the enemy that they should know the act of aggression will not go unanswered,” the IRGC emphasized.
The elite military force warned of a “more decisive” response if the enemy repeated any act of aggression.
It also said the responsibility for the consequences of any IRGC response lies with the aggressor.
The statement comes after the IRGC Navy on Thursday forced an American tanker to turn back. The tanker ...
