Two PLA Type 055 Destroyers Complete First Live-Fire Drill in East China Sea — Eastern Theater Debut

China's PLA Navy newly commissioned Type 055 guided-missile destroyers Dongguan (Hull 109) and Anqing (Hull 110) — each displacing 13,200 tons — conducted their inaugural joint live-fire drill in the East China Sea in late March 2026. This marks the first Type 055 assignment specifically to the PLA Eastern Theater Command, which oversees Taiwan contingency operations. The exercise simulated coordinated strikes against air, surface, and subsurface threats. The Type 055 destroyer (NATO: Renhai-class) is China's most capable surface combatant, equipped with 112 vertical launch cells, advanced phased-array radar, and anti-ship/land-attack cruise missiles. Deploying two to the Eastern Theater adds significant strike capacity directly relevant to Taiwan and East China Sea contingencies. The drill adds to an already elevated Eastern Theater posture that includes increased ADIZ incursions and the March 25 aerial spike.