Somewhat off-topic, but in response to the comment regarding the Kirov-class cruisers...
There is a distinct possibility that we might see larger surface combatants become commonplace in the future. This isn't a topic that should be dismissed as a mere joke.
The Type 055's large dimensions, for instance, are necessitated by the large VLS cells compared to US systems, as well as needing to cram 112 of those onto a single ship. Another reason for its impressive size is that it needs to generate a metric ass-ton of energy, enough for IEP and railguns in future variants. Last-generation destroyers didn't need to be as big, because they didn't need huge powerplants for railguns, neither did they need to fit a lot of of large VLS modules.
So what happens when navies decide that 85 cm VLS cells aren't enough? Or when 60-80 MW of installed power isn't enough?
As an avid reader of naval history, I'm already seeing parallels to the dreadnought race of the early 20th century. Before WWI, the 12" gun was deemed sufficient and saw common use. It didn't take long before the Orion-class set the new standard to 13.5" guns, and soon after that, the famous Queen Elizabeth-class with their 15" rifles. Yet, not 6 years after the first was commissioned, the Japanese put the first 16.1"-gunned Nagato into service, and other navies scrambled to play catch-up.
Considering the above, the introduction of the Type 055 as the new 'standard' of destroyer in the Chinese Navy should be setting off alarm bells for rival naval powers. It can fire more missiles, and bigger missiles, with longer range and greater destructive power, than any other conventional destroyer in service, with a sensor suite that isn't necessarily top-notch but still highly capable -- and China is building 6-8 of these warships in just the first batch.
Logic dictates that as time goes on, navies will want to cram bigger and bigger missiles, and more of them, onto their surface combatants. We may not see anything like the Kirov in the next 10-15 years, but after that? It's not far-fetched at all to suggest that there might come a day, when navies want to go back to Soviet doctrine, and fit their cruisers with the future equivalent of the P-700. In other words, the Type 055 could very well be the trigger for a 21st century destroyer race.
