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 Australia.

One of the biggest destroyers, they provide air defence for accompanying naval vessels, land forces and infrastructure in coastal regions and for self-protection against missiles and aircraft.

They are also equipped with the Aegis Combat System phased array radar and SM-2 missile which allows it to effectively engage with enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150 km.

These destroyers with a 7000 ton full-load displacement, carry a helicopter for surveillance and response to support key warfare areas. They also have long-range anti-ship missiles and naval guns for firing munitions to support the land forces.

The destroyers of this class also engage in undersea warfare, thanks to their advanced sonars, decoys, surface-launched torpedoes and other defensive weapons.

These ships are 146.7 m long, and 18.6 m broad, with a 7.2 m draught and a speed of over 28 knots. They have a 4500 nm range and can accommodate a crew of approximately 180.

5. Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer, United States

These destroyers are centred around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multi-function passive electronically scanned array radar. The U.S. Navy has 74 of these in active service and there are plans to add 19 more to the fleet.

They are named after Arleigh Burke, an American destroyer admiral during the Second World War and later the Chief of Naval Operations.

With an LOA of 153. 9 m to 155.3 m, and a displacement ranging from 8300 to 9700 tonnes, with weapons including more than 90 missiles, these destroyers are more heavily armed than previous classes of missile cruisers.

These destroyers can conduct anti-aircraft warfare with Aegis and surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine warfare, anti-submarine rockets, ASW helicopters etc. The class has evolved into mobile anti-ballistic missile and anti-satellite platforms.

Its lead ship, the USS Arleigh Burke was commissioned in 1991 and the class has 4 variants, called Flights.

6. Atago Class, Japan

One of the biggest destroyers is the 2 active ships of this class, the JS Atago, the lead ship and the JS Ashigara.

These ships are 165 m long, and 21 m wide, with a 6.1 m draft. They have a full load displacement of 10,000 tonnes, a speed of 30 knots and a complement of 300.

The design of these warships is an upgraded version of the Kongo-class destroyers with a 4 m extension of the hull. Their superstructure is bigger than their American counterparts, the Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA.

These destroyers with the Aegis Weapon System also have surface-to-air missiles, anti-ballistic missiles, a 96-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launching System and anti-submarine missiles. They have a flight deck and an enclosed hangar to accommodate one helicopter.

7. Udaloy II-class Destroyers, Russia

These anti-submarine guided-missile destroyers were built for the Soviet Navy and 7 of them are still operational with the Russian Navy. About 12 were constructed between 1980 and 1990 and the 13th ship was a modified design, known as the Udaloy Class II, which followed in 1999.

They displace approximately 8000 tonnes when fully loaded. These ships are 163 m long, 19.3 m wide and have a 6.2 m draught. They are powered by 2 gas turbines allowing them to attain a maximum speed of 29 knots and a range of 7700 nm while sailing at 18 knots.

Although they have a few variations, their weapons and sensors are efficient for antisubmarine warfare, with mounted sonars, two RBU-6000 12-round ASW rocket launchers for depth charges and two quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes.

They can accommodate two Ka-27 Helix ASW helicopters. However, they lack significant anti-ship armament. Their main air-defence armament is the Kinzhal (SA-N-9) surface-to-air missile system.

8. Daring Class Destroyers, United Kingdom

This class comprises 6 Type 45 destroyers, namely HMS Daring, Dauntless, Diamond, Dragon, Defender and Duncan that were constructed for anti-missile and anti-aircraft warfare. They have a clear exterior since their deck equipment and rafts are hidden behind panels.

These warships are 152 m long, displace 7350 tonnes, and have a speed of 30 knots with a range of 7000 nm.

Made to protect land and sea forces from aircraft attacks and defend naval ships against supersonic anti-ship missiles, Sea Viper is the main weapon of this class.

It has long-range and missile-directing radars, combat control centre and vertical missile silos enabling it to launch 8 missiles in less than 10 seconds and guide around 16 missiles at the same time.

It also has a SAMPSON radar system which can identify threats over long distances. Unlike other radars, this system can perform various functions simultaneously with speed and accuracy.

9. Kolkata-class Destroyers, India

Also referred to as Project 15 A or Project 15 Alpha, this class of destroyers consists of three ships, Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai, all constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited in India.

Considered to be the largest destroyers of the Indian Navy, they have land-attack capabilities, modern sensors and weapon systems and feature an extended use of net-centric capability like the Cooperative Engagement Capability.

They have a displacement of 7400 tonnes at full load and measure 163 m lengthwise, 17.4 m breadthwise and have a draught of 6.5 m.

They can achieve a speed of 30 knots, have a range of 6000 nautical miles and a complement of 50 officers and 250 sailors.

Their primary offensive armament includes supersonic BrahMos anti-ship and land attack missiles. They are fitted into a 16-cell universal vertical launcher module enabling 1 missile launch per silo and all 16 missiles can be fired in salvo.

10. Luyang III-class, China

The Type 052D is a class of guided missile destroyers in the Chinese Navy. They are a larger variant of the Type 052C.

They have a canister-type vertical launching system that is not limited to surface-to-air missiles, making them China’s first multi-role destroyer ships.

25 of these destroyers are in active service. They displace approximately 7500 tonnes at full load and measure 156 to 161 metres lengthwise and 17 to 18 m breadthwise. They can achieve a maximum speed of up to 30 knots and have a range of 4500 nm.

One of the ships of this class is Nanning, launched in 2019 at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai and commissioned in 2021.

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