China's first home-grown 10,000-ton class missile destroyer, the Type 055, is the best fit for China's future electromagnetic gun, for the all-electric warship could meet the weapon's huge power supply demand, according to Chinese military experts on Monday.
Because direction energy weapons (DEW), including electromagnetic and laser guns, would consume a huge amount of energy, only warships with integrated full electronic propulsion systems could meet such energy requirements, Song Zhongping, a Beijing-based military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Monday.
China's People's Liberation Army should consider the feasibility of equipping the Type 055, its first fully-electronic guided missile destroyer, with the electromagnetic guns, Song added.
Cheng Shuoren, a military analyst, was quoted by the Science and Technology Daily on Monday as saying that the weapon is also larger and heavier than traditional ship guns, making it almost impossible to fit on current vessels without a complete modification other than the Type 055.
With the new electromagnetic guns, the Type 055 will become a genuine "dreadnought" vessel in the 21st Century, Cheng said.
The Type 055 was unveiled at the Jiangnan Shipyard in East China's Shanghai on June 28, 2017, the Xinhua News Agency said.
The warship is the first of China's new generation destroyers. It is equipped with new air defenses, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons.
The vessel marks a milestone in improving the nation's navy armament system and in building a strong and modern navy, Xinhua said.
