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As far as conventional warships are concerned in terms of 'major surface combatants' - cruisers, destroyers, frigates - it's a mixed bag. The main reason for this is that China is constantly expanding its navy and brining in new vessels every year however at the same time, yet as this is all quite recent it has yet to decommission its older ships - some from designs as early as the 1940s.here is a full list of active major surface combatants in the Chinese Navy (PLAN):Type 055 Destroyer (1, 7 more planned)Type 054A Frigate (30)Type 054 Frigate (2)Type 053H3 Frigate (7)Type 054H1/G Frigate (7, in reserve)Type 052D Destroyer (15, 10 more planned)Type 052C Destroyer (6)Type 052B Destroyer (2)Type 052 Destroyer (2, in reserve)Sovromenny-class Destroyer (4)Type 051C Destroyer (2)Type 051B Destroyer (1)Clearly, it is a big fleet. With 12 classes spread across 96 ships (including reserves + planned - many entering service soon), the list is slightly expansive to analyse in depth, particularly considering the similarities in these vessels.As a result, I think the fair approach here would be to go through most major classes so I will cut it down to the following eight:Type 055Type 052DType 052BSovromennyType 051CType 054AType 053H3Type 053H1GThis still looks relatively complex but I should hopefully be able to simplify it as I go through each one, breaking down their broader roles, capabilities and then comparing them to their European counterparts.Type 055The largest and most modern Chinese destroyers are not particularly like any single ships Europe has. They are 12,000t multirole warships that perform anti-air (AAW) and anti-submarine (ASW) roles in addition to secondary anti-ship and land-attack duties.I will, therefore, focus on independent segments:AAW - For air defence, these destroyers are equipped with the Type 346B air search radars. Though the number of targets they track isn’t known, they can cover at least 500km in range. Most European radars have ranges of 300–500km on air defence destroyers, divided into two types. The first is fixed arrays like the Type 346B which are heavier and more accurate but due to their weight are positioned lower on a ship, meaning they are less capable at surveying over the horizon. The other radars are rotating like SAMPSON which can see further over the horizon. As a whole, the Type 055 likely has slightly superior air detection capabilities compared to the average European destroyer, though it is less capable at engaging or detecting low altitude targets.As far as weaponry is concerned, most European ships use either SM-2 Block IIIA SAMs with a 118km range and Mach 3.5 speed, or Aster 30 with a 120km range and Mach 4.5 speed. For shorter ranges they have Aster 15 (30km, Mach 3.5) and ESSM (50km, Mach 4.5). China has the HHQ-9 with a similar range of 125km and a speed of mach 4.2 - these are generally similar in broader capability though the destroyers lack any short range lightweight SAMs for missile defence aside from HQ-10, a backup system more comparable to RIM-116.As a whole the Type 055 operates at a similar overall capability to most European air defence vessels - likely superior than some in terms of its size and quantity of firepower however its radar and weapon systems are marginally less accurate for more advanced threats.ASW - For detection, these warships are well equipped with towed sonar arrays along with hull-mounted platforms. They can also operate two helicopters with dipping sonars. Some of these systems are still behind the most modern European options in terms of accuracy and modern profile. The ship is also very large meaning, even with a stealth-based hull, it would create a far larger sonar signature.As far as weapons are concerned, the Type 055 is well equipped with short-range defensive weapons including ASROC variants and torpedoes, though as with any other warships its main weapons are the torpedoes on helicopters. With two light helicopters the ship has plenty of firepower, though perhaps still not as much as some of the largest ASW frigates entering service like the Type 26 with dual merlins.Other roles - In land-attack warfare the ship can carry CJ-10s in its VLS. These are very similar to tomahawks which are not currently used by any European country though the UK will introduce them over the coming years. Other countries also have vertically-launched Storm Shadow variants which are similar in capability. The YJ-18 anti-ship missiles sued by China have a similar level of sophistication to most modern European missiles such as Exocet, Otomat or RBS.15 though there is flexibility for more missiles in VLS.Conclusion - Obviously by far the most advanced vessels in the Chinese fleet, these ships have a similar capability to modern Arleigh Burkes with a slightly greater volume of fire for decreased weapon quality. When compared to European options, though, they are effectively like a reasonably modern first-class ASW frigate like FREMM combined with a fixed-array long range air defence destroyer. The only limitation is the fact with one ship instead of two separate ones, they lack redundancy advantages or versatility.Type 052DBy far the most common destroyers in the Chinese fleet, these vessels went for a similar multirole approach however as they are only a little over half the size at 7,500t they are not able to reach the same capability with most individual aspects.AAW - The Type 052D uses a slightly earlier variant of theType 055’s radar, the Type 346A. It is similar in most respects but at a smaller size, meaning it has a shorter range at about 450km and tracks less targets. Still, it is at a similar level to semi-modern SPY radars like SPY-3 or modernised SPY-1 variants (perhaps not as much as SPY-6 however this is not deployed in Europe at all). It uses the same SAMs as the Type 055 so all the same comparisons apply. The main difference is that the Type 052D lacks the same volume of fire for sustained actions with only 64 VLS including some for ASROC and AShMs, leaving only around 48 cells for air defence even in a specialised anti-air role, a similar volume to most European counterparts.ASW - With variable-depth and towed sonars, the Type 052D still has the detection equipment of a modern anti-submarine vessel however it smaller size restricts it to the use of a single helicopter, limiting versatility somewhat. Still, it can perform many of the same ASW missions as a dedicated ASW frigate.Other Roles - The warship lacks the a land-attack option aside from its basic main gun at short ranges. For anti-ship missiles it likely uses a similar load of standard modern missiles to most European counterparts.Conclusion - As a smaller vessel than the Type 055, the Type 052D generally does many of the same jobs, just slightly worse and with less versatility to perform multiple major missions at once. Nonetheless, when performing a specific role such as anti-submarine or air defence operations the Type 052D is still in a similar range to most European specialist escorts and could conduct itself relatively effectively.Type 052BThough the Type 052C was more widely used, it was very similar to the D variant and I felt there wasn’t enough difference to really warrant a completely separate comparison. The Type 052B were an earlier model which was still using many older sensors and weapon systems, though largely with the modern designs of the later ships.AAW - The Type 052B uses an older medium-range radar from Russia, the Frigate MAE-5. It has a range of up to 300km though it is just a little over 200km against most conventional combat aircraft. It also lacks a long range air defence capability with only short-range Buk SAM variants, limiting any kind of escort capability. Furthermore, these missiles are deployed from old single-arm missile launchers and so they lack any kind of rapid fire capability against large numbers of threats.ASW - The destroyer has a large number of short-range submarine defences including 240mm ASW rocket launchers and several torpedo tubes with a standard helicopter for long range engagements. For detection they are equipped with basic hull-mounted sonars along with towed arrays so they have decent capability detection and a slightly lower sonar profile.Anti-Ship Warfare - With sixteen YJ-83s, this vessel has a stronger focus towards anti-ship missions, however these missiles are not massively sophisticated and have been shown to be vulnerable to various countermeasures in the past such as the used against the US Navy and met with decoys and SAMs.Conclusion - Although the class was established as an early air-defence destroyer, they are limited by a medium-range radar and relatively short range SAMs (<40km maximum range is not really enough for fleet air defence). Similarly, ASW capabilities are decent but still limited in scale somewhat.Sovremenny-classThe class was bought as a stop-gap when China lacked air defence support though they are broadly similar in capability to the Type 052B, however due to the Russian design they have some unique weapon systems and capabilities.AAW - The Sovremenny-class uses another medium-range air search radar but has slightly improved SAMs with the HQ-16s and their 75km range which provides slightly better capability to protect nearby warships that may be operating within the vicinity of up to a few dozen kilometres from the ship, however with a mach 3 speed they still provide opportunity for targets to turn and move out of range beyond a certain point.ASW - Though they often carry ASW helicopters, these vessels are limited in this capacity with only short-range ship-based defences and hull-based sonars.Anti-Ship Warfare - The Chinese navy uses an older but larger anti-ship missile variant on their Sovremenny-class variants - the YJ-12. With a supersonic speed and large warhead these missiles are relatively capable and often a greater threat than the slower more reliable modern counterparts.Conclusion - These vessels have some basic multirole capabilities but don’t really stand out as specialised warships in any area, particularly compared to more modern European designs like the newer air defence destroyers from Western nations.Type 051CThese destroyers, commissioned later than the previous two but based on an older design, are some of the more specialised vessels in service with China, centred around air defence using the S-300 air defence system.AAW - For detection they use the same medium-range Frigate radar as the Type 052B and some similar destroyers of the time. It lacks the reach of some more modern destroyers but still retains a decent level of accuracy against modern targets and can track a reasonable number of potential threats.For engaging airborne targets , the missile carries 48 S-300FM SAMs with a range of up to 150km and a claimed speed of Mach 6, though there are conflicting sources on this matter. Compared to most European alternatives this looks quite good, though its surveillance limitations balance it somewhat.Other roles - The destroyer is equipped with relatively standard equipment for secondary missions - 8 YJ-83 AShMs, some torpedoes tubes for short range submarine defence and a 100mm general purpose gun.Conclusion - These vessels are reasonably capable air defence specialists though they may work better accompanied by another more modern vessel with a better radar. In other roles they have basic defensive capabilities but nothing to stand out.Type 054AThe most popular and advanced frigate in Chinese service, the Type 054A is similar in capability to most modern anti-submarine frigates in European service with similarly advanced self defence capabilities in secondary roles.ASW - In its primary role, the Type 054As have a low profile hull with reduced noise, hull-mounted and towed sonars for reasonably capable standard detection options. With a Z-9 helicopter for ASW like many other warships on this list, it also has dipping sonar capabilities and sonobuoys, though these hare relatively lightweight helicopters and may fall short of some European options, particularly the substantially larger Merlin with a greater endurance and larger torpedo payload.Regarding weaponry, obviously they have a relatively basic platform for engagement with the helicopter which is standard of most counterparts, though the Chinese torpedoes (despite being similar to the USU Mk.46) has a shorter range than most European options and is slightly restricted in this respect. The frigate is also well equipped for defensive weaponry with not only torpedoes but also VLS space for Chinese ASROC variants. These rocket platforms, the Yu-8, has a decent extended range of up to 30km which is enough to counter many heavyweight torpedoes, however this is an unguided system and relies on the torpedo to reach the target. This torpedo, however, has a very short range of 3km and so must be very close to its target.Other Roles - For air defence the frigate has HQ-16 SAMs in a 32-cell VLS. Shared with the ASROC, there may be 16–24 missiles carried at a time which is not an enormous amount but competent nevertheless, particularly with the decent range of the missiles (about 50km, comparable to ESSM used by many European nations on their vessels). In anti-ship warfare they only have basic YJ-83s and a light 76mm gun which primarily supports missile defence with the CIWS.Conclusion - The frigate is similar to some of the more modern anti-submarine frigates currently used by larger European countries such as France and Germany. At about 4,100t it seems to me like the best comparison would be a scaled down French FREMM frigate. It loses the 16 land-attack cruise missiles as a secondary mission and has a slightly less advanced hull design and sonar systems but it largely similar in general capabilities such as the ASW sensors, weapons and SAMs. Compared to larger ASW frigates like the T26 and Italian FREMM, both with space for two larger anti-submarine helicopters in addition to secondary land-attack capabilities, the frigates are less individually capable but for smaller escorts they are still reasonably modern and competent ships.Type 053H3One of the older but still widely used frigates in Chinese use, this class first entered service in the late 1990s using China’s older wave of equipment meaning they fall behind the modern generations of warships in either China or Europe however they are still competent in basic roles.ASW - Once again these frigates were fitted with common sonars of their time and have standard light ASW helicopters however these systems are dated somewhat the hull design isn’t particularly quiet by modern standards. For weapons the frigate relies on it is helicopter with only incredibly short range anti-submarine rockets for immediate defence.AAW - These frigates use the relatively standard HQ-7 SAMs that had previously been standard on most Chinese vessels. Based on the Crotale, they are competent missiles by those older standards among the likes of Aspide or Sea Wolf (maybe a little less accurate) but by now aren’t particularly helpful against stealth missiles or advanced combat aircraft and limited in range to the same type of range as most CIWS missile types today. The radar has a decent range but is a basic 2D system only capable of tracking a handful of targets. In a mid-life upgrade some will be replaced by TY-90 however this is simply a more efficient CIWS-type missile with a still restricted range rather than a larger local air defence missile.Other roles - Again the ship has relatively standard set of anti-ship missiles and a 100mm gun for basic land-attack and anti-ship uses. It also carries a number of old 37mm AA guns though these are being replaced by CIWS.Conclusion - To me this class immediately reminds me of the Type 23s with a similar older generation of missiles and other weapons, being upgraded now to slightly more modern systems. With that said, comparing the two classes initially the Type 23 was still far more advanced, despite entering service a decade earlier, and today its SAMs and sensors (air search radar and sonars) have been substantially upgraded to the same level as modern peers. Though both use modern helicopters, the Type 23 has access to the Merlin at nearly 3x the size.These are mediocre anti-submarine frigates, adequate against some less sophisticated opponents but compared to Europe they mostly only match up to some of the older ASW frigates being phased out or some second-rate general purpose frigates.Type 053H1Though these older vessels are now entering reserve, they still make up a good deal of China’s frigate fleet. By modern standards, however, they are practically obsolete and have few systems that could still be used effectively against modern opponents in an armed conflict.They lacked any SAMs, instead restricted to gun based systems such as 100mm cannons and 37mm AA guns while most of the ASW defences were for short range use with little more range than Second World War options like depth charges, however they could still embark a Z-9 for some improvement in capabilities when working as picket ships supporting a larger task force. They also had some older anti-ship missiles for a basic capability in that field.As a whole they are still not completely worthless as old general purpose frigates for basic patrol duties, however they shouldn’t be relied on for any serious actions against advanced air raids or sophisticated submarine attacks and don’t really compare to anything in use by Europe’s major players.CorvettesThough they aren't necessarily as large or dedicated to certain roles, I thought it would be worth touching on as the Type 056 and 056A respectively are similar in many respects to some European corvette designs, particularly the Braunschweig-class in the German Navy.Both vessels accommodate reasonably modern medium-range air search radars, have some light CIWS-sized anti-air missiles and a smaller number of anti-ship missiles. The main difference lies in their specialised combat-specific duties. The Type 056 corvettes have towed sonars and carry light ASW helicopters, allowing them to provide a relatively valuable addition to most ASW operations effectively as lightweight frigates in a support role. The German corvettes, on the other hand, use drones for reconnaissance and patrol missions while having a secondary wartime mission of anti-ship strategic warfare with a large capacity for mines. In direct conflict, these vessels are also slightly better equipped for more capable missile defences, more modern anti-ship missiles and a land-attack capability.SummaryAs a whole, China’s fleet is less specialised than European alternatives however many ships are still able to operate at a similar level of capability.In the air defence role, the Type 051C, Type 052D, and Type 055 all provide roughly similar levels of surveillance and engagement capabilities though they may be less capable in specific areas such as low-altitude missile defence or engaging stealth aircraft.In anti-submarine missions, China has a large class of ASW specialists which are small and relatively single purpose frigates (the Type 054A) but largely just as modern as many similarly sized European front line frigates. Their other ships are ageing more so but they still have a small flotilla of decent second-line frigates and modern corvettes to support them in littoral areas.It is worth noting, as a minor addition, that this does not factor in training, personnel, doctrine or other external factors - only the quality of the ships, their equipment and designs. Certain information is also slightly limited as there are some areas where China is a bit elusive about its military, though most information stated here has been backed up by multiple sources.IndexAAW - Anti-Air WarfareASW - Anti-Submarine WarfareVLS - Vertical Launching System - common launch platform for missile systems.AshM - Anti-Ship Missiles.ASROC - Anti-Submarine Rocket - rocket-boosted anti-submarine torpedoes to extend range.SAM - Surface-to-Air Missiles.