Chinese Navy (PLAN) Commissioned its Fourth Type 052D Kunming-class Destroyer "Yinchuan".

The first vessel of of the class, Kunming (hull number 172), was commissioned in March 2014. Changsha (hull number 173) , the second Type 052D Destroyer to join the PLAN, was launched just four months after head of the class Kunming but was commissioned much later, in August 2015. Hefei (hull number 174) was launched at the Changxing Jiangnan naval shipyard near Shanghai on July 2nd 2013 and was commissioned in December 2015.

There first four ships of the class all belong to the PLAN's South Sea Fleet and are homeported in Yulin Naval Base located in the Yalong Bay (city of Sanya) on Hainan island.

At least 12 Type 052D Destroyers are expected to be built for the PLAN, most of them (80%) by Changxing Jiangnan naval shipyard near Shanghai (the rest at Dalian shipyard in North East China).

The Type 052D Kunming class (Nato designation: Luyang III) is the latest generation of guided-missile destroyer (DDG) of the Chinese Navy. It is based on its predecessor, the Type 052C DDG and likely shares the same hull. However the Type 052D incorporates many improvements in terms of design as well as sensors and weapons fit. This new class of vessel is considered as the Chinese equivalent to the American AEGIS destroyers.

Link to Type 052D Kunming Class Destroyer technical datasheet