Chinese Navy receives second upgraded Sovremenny-class destroyer

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy put the upgraded Sovremenny-class destroyer Fuzhou to active service recently.

Distinguishable by its hull number 137, the Fuzhou featured in a series of drills recently organized by the PLA Eastern Theater Command, Chinese state-owned media reported. This indicates that the Fuzhou has wrapped up its mid-term upgrade and refit and has returned to active service.

Hangzhou, the first Sovremenny-class warship finished its refitting in late 2019 and was seen taking part in exercises in March 2021.

Fuzhou now has a 32-unit vertical launch missile system for the HHQ-16 air defense missiles that replaced the two original sets of Shtil air defense missile systems, and eight YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles that replaced the original eight P-270 anti-ship missiles.