You are comparing apples vs. oranges to get your "lower cost per launch". Have you factored operating costs? Both ships should have about 300 crewmen, for instance, so the cost of crewmen per launch is lower for the 055. Another factor is that the 055 has solid state radars all around. It is not subject to the mechanical stress, wear and tear all the other secondary radars on the 052D would be subjected to. As you have more ships, that means more ships to feed, fuel, house and maintain, such as stripping the hull for barnacles and repainting them. Then during the course of war, the 055 would be more survivable, due to its greater stealth, a more advanced ECM suite, a more advanced data communication system, and having more LPI radars. Hence its apples vs. oranges.