2. Hefei guided missile destroyer

The South China Sea Fleet of the PLA navy welcomed a new guided missile destroyer, the Hefei, on Dec. 12, 2015. This new warship is the third 052D guided missile destroyer to be independently developed and built by China. Together with the Kunming (Hull No. 172) and the Changsha (Hull No. 173), all three of China’s 052D guided missile destroyers belong to the South China Sea Fleet. The destroyers specialize in regional air defense and attacking surface targets.