Type 051 destroyer, Museum ship of a guided missile destroyer class in Jiangshan Town, China.
The Type 051 destroyer, also known as the Luda class, measures approximately 433 feet (132 meters) in length and displaces around 3,670 tons (3,330 metric tons), featuring missile systems, naval guns, and sonar equipment designed for multi-role naval combat operations.
Construction of the first Type 051 destroyers began in 1968 at Chinese shipyards, with trials starting in 1971, though full operational deployment was delayed until the mid-1980s due to workmanship issues during the Cultural Revolution.
The Type 051 destroyers hold significance as pioneer naval vessels that marked China's entry into large-scale guided missile warfare and influenced the evolution of subsequent Chinese warship designs throughout the late twentieth century.
Several Type 051 ships are now preserved as museum vessels in Chinese cities including Qingdao, Tianjin, and Nanchang, where visitors interested in military history and naval technology can explore these decommissioned warships.
The destroyer Jinan was converted into China's first helicopter-capable destroyer in 1987 by adding a hangar and flight deck, becoming the first Chinese vessel to operate helicopters at sea during active service.
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