10 Biggest and Most Powerful Destroyer Ships In The World

Destroyers are fast and long-endurance naval ships which are used to escort bigger vessels in a convoy, fleet or carrier battle group and defend them in case of an attack or threat.

Before the Second World War started, destroyers were light vessels with little endurance, however, they increased in size after the war ended. They became larger, more powerful and became capable of independent operations.

The concept of this type of ship was conceived by Fernando Villaamil in 1885, for the naval forces of Spain to defend against torpedo boats. By 1904, these torpedo boat destroyers were armed vessels built to destroy other torpedo boats. By the First World War, navies began to use the simple term destroyer instead of torpedo boat destroyers.

In this article, we will look at the 10 Biggest and Most Powerful Destroyer Ships in the World.

1. USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), United States

The lead ship of the U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt Class, this guided-missile destroyer is considered to be the world’s most advanced surface combatant. It has stealth capabilities and a radar cross-section like a fishing vessel. It was commissioned in 2016 and its home port is Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The destroyer has a 15,656-tonne displacement and is 182.9 m long, and 24.6 m broad with an 8.4 m draft. It can attain a speed of 30 knots and accommodate a crew of 158.

It has a vertical launch system and an integrated power system with two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines and two Rolls-Royce RR4500 turbine generators. It also boasts an electro-optical suite with 5 Lockheed Martin sensors.

It has a BAE Systems Land and Armaments 57 mm mk 110 naval gun. The ship is designed to perform various missions such as deterrence, power projection, sea control, command and control.

The biggest destroyer is named after Elmo Russell Zumwalt Jr., a naval officer and the youngest man to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations.

Recently, the destroyer underwent upgrades including the integration of a Conventional Prompt Strike weapon system and new missile tubes.

USS Zumwalt and two other ships in the class are the Navy’s first to field the Common Hypersonic Glide Body missile, designed to strike targets miles away with no warning.

2. Type 055 Destroyer, China

Also called the Renhai-class cruiser, this multi-role surface combatant was developed by China. Per reports, this class of guided-missile destroyers is expanding, with the 9th ship in the series completing outfitting and getting ready for sea trials.

The Type 055 destroyer has a full load displacement of 12,000 to 13,000 tons. It is 180 m long and has 112 vertical launch system cells for deploying several munitions including surface-to-air, anti-ship and land-attack missiles.

It has Type 346B radar and a combined gas and gas system for propulsion, allowing it to achieve a speed of approximately 30 knots.

These destroyers were built for air defence, surface warfare, and anti-submarine roles and often acts as an escort for China’s carrier strike groups.

3. Sejong the Great-class Destroyer, South Korea

ROKS Sejong the Great is the lead ship of this class, constructed for the Republic of Korea Navy. Named after the 4th king of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, this ship has an Aegis Combat System and an AN/SPY-1D multi-function radar antennae.

The Sejong the Great Class is the 3rd phase of Seoul’s Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX) program, a shipbuilding program which aims to enhance the navy’s capabilities to defend maritime areas around the country from various kinds of threats and to become a blue water navy.

They have a standard displacement of 8500 tonnes and a full load displacement of 11,000 tonnes. The destroyers measure 166 m lengthwise, and 21.4 m breadthwise and have a 6.25 m draft. They have a range of 5500 nm and a speed of 30 knots with a complement of 300.

These are the biggest destroyers in the South Korean Navy and are larger than destroyers of other navies. They are bulkier and heavier than the Arleigh Burke Class destroyers. Some analysts say that this class of ships resembles cruisers rather than destroyers.

4. Hobart-class Destroyer, Australia

HMAS Hobart (III) is the first of the three vessels of this class of destroyers built by the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance in Austral…

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