During the Sino-Russian joint exercises, a Russian officer visits the Type 052D destroyer, his expression solemn upon seeing the vertical launch system.

Standing in front of the 052D's vertical launch system, not a single Russian naval officer could manage a smile.

This moment occurred during the joint military exercises between China and Russia on July 8th, when both sides organized visits to each other's vessels. A delegation of Russian officers, after obtaining permission, boarded the Chinese 052D missile destroyer for a tour. In the footage, almost none of the Russian personnel standing in front of the vertical launch cells were smiling—some even furrowed their brows, wearing expressions of deep seriousness.

This scene is understandable: as of now, the Russian Navy has no vessel capable of directly matching even this 052D, which is not the most advanced missile destroyer in China’s fleet.

Currently, the most impressive new warship in the Russian Navy is the Project 22350. However, it is at least 2,000 tons smaller than the 052D, and its long-range oceanic endurance simply cannot compare. It features 32 VLS cells using the "Rudok" air defense system, upgraded later to include 24 cells of the larger-caliber 3S24 vertical launch system. These two distinct types of VLS systems are incompatible—no single cell can accommodate all missile types.

In contrast, China’s 052D already belongs to the world’s elite tier. Its standard configuration includes 64 vertical launch cells—among the few mature, mass-produced cold-hot co-located universal VLS systems globally. The same launch cell can fire either cold-launched HQ-9B long-range air defense missiles or hot-launched YJ-18 and even the hypersonic YJ-21 anti-ship missiles. Under certain conditions, it can also launch Yu-8 anti-submarine missiles and long-range land-attack cruise missiles. Some cells reach depths of 7 meters, others up to 9 meters. This superior compatibility enables broader mission adaptability. Particularly notable is the 9-meter-deep launch cell designed specifically for the YJ-21, which currently stands unmatched worldwide—even the U.S.-made MK41 VLS system cannot launch such heavy, long-range missiles.

Thus, we can now understand why these Russian naval officers looked so grim upon seeing these vertical launch systems. This isn’t merely a matter of technological gap—it’s that, even within the next 3 to 5 years, the Russian Navy will likely have no experimental platform remotely comparable to the 052D. These naval experts spend their careers studying the combat capabilities of both domestic and global warships; this profound sense of helplessness cuts deeply into their hearts.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870282805766282/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.