I just watched Rear Admiral Zhang on a military talkshow on "Beijing TV". The topic of the day was Type 055 DDG. In typical fashion of modern popular media, all their questions for the admiral were greatly exaggerated and even outrageous. One of them was whether if the DDG will be 13,000 tons plus, making it the biggest surface combatants in the world.
This is what he said specifically. He first started with USN's Spruance Class destoryer, which was the most successful design in history. Itself along with its related Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke totalled to 100+ hulls produced. This reduces design risks and improve design maturation. But the biggest benefit of all is the reduced costs. Since those ships share high percentages of common parts, the mass production doesn't just lower costs but also make them easier to maintain for USN bases around the world. He said it's like designing a skyscraper and then build another 100 more using the same blueprint.
He said in this day and age, the hull is no longer that important. The true differences are in the weapons, engines and especially the electronics. He used Spruance-Arleigh Burke example again, fitting an old late 60's early 70's design with modern electronics and engines, still making it the most capable DDG in the world. He then drifted off course a bit, mentioning the MK-41 modules, saying they're like beer cans in a case, since they all are the same size, you can put any missiles you want in there.
Then he said China is very similar, sometimes even more careful than the US. He mentioned how first truly modern Chinese destroyer, 051, is only in the mid-4000s tons range. Then through each upgrades the tonnage improved by small increments, but still no more than 1000 tons per variance. Even though 055 is a much more different design than 052 class, it still wouldn't suddenly pop out as a totally different monster than the 052.
That's pretty much what he said in that episode, apart from the typical BS and out of this world jokes. But jokes aside, I do think he's telling the truth in this case.
