You may know that the Type 055 destroyer is the world’s most advanced 10,000-ton destroyer, boasting powerful radar, numerous missiles, and excellent stealth capabilities. But have you ever considered this: if a fire breaks out inside the warship, billowing smoke and toxic fumes would paralyze even the most advanced systems? After all, a Type 055 destroyer has over 200 kilometers of electrical cables, covering the command center, engine room, and weapons depot—essentially the ship’s “neural network.”
Yet, in these unseen areas, China’s military industry has quietly completed a revolution—standardizing the entire ship with low-smoke halogen-free flame-retardant cables. This not only makes the Type 055 destroyer safer but also provides crucial protection in critical moments, making it the most robust “stealth protection” of the Chinese Navy.
I. What do warships fear most? Not shells, but “toxic smoke”
Imagine: A Type 055 destroyer is on a mission in the open sea when suddenly a short circuit causes a fire. If traditional PVC cables were used, burning them would release a large amount of toxic hydrogen chloride gas and dense black smoke. Inside the confined space of a ship, this “chemical cloud” would spread rapidly, reducing visibility to zero, causing personnel to suffocate and collapse within seconds.
Even more terrifying, these acidic gases would corrode precision electronic equipment—radar malfunctions, fire control failures, and communication breakdowns would render the entire warship instantly “blind and deaf,” more deadly than being hit by a bullet.
However, the Type 055 destroyer is different. Its cables use military-grade low-smoke halogen-free flame-retardant material (LSZH), which produces almost no toxic gases and very little smoke when burning, maintaining visibility of over 60%. This means that even in the event of a fire, the crew has enough time to escape or extinguish the fire, and critical systems can remain operational.
II. How “Hardcore” are the Cables of the Type 055 Destroyer? Standards Ten Times Higher Than Civilian Standards. Civilian low-smoke halogen-free cables adhere to the national standard GB, but the Type 055 destroyer uses the national military standard GJB, which is extremely stringent. For example: GJB 773A-2000, “General Specification for Low-Smoke Halogen-Free Cables for Ships,” requires that after the cable burns in a flame for 120 seconds, the smoke transmittance must be greater than 60%, and the halogen acid gas release must be less than 5 mg/g; GJB 1916, “General Requirements for Ship Electrical Systems,” stipulates that cables must pass more than a dozen environmental tests, including salt spray, mold, damp heat, vibration, and shock; and regarding flame retardancy, they must pass the IEC 60332-3 bundled burning test, with the flame spread distance not exceeding 2.5 meters.
More importantly, the cables for the Type 055 destroyer not only need to be fireproof, but also interference-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and vibration-resistant. After all, it operates year-round in environments with high salt, high humidity, and strong electromagnetic fields, and ordinary cables would have long since deteriorated.
III. Real-world Applications: From “Brain” to “Feet,” Covering the Entire Ship
1. Combat Command Center: Low-Smoke Halogen-Free + Double-Layer Shielding
The “brain” of the Type 055 destroyer—the combat command center—integrates dozens of systems, including radar, electronic warfare, communications, and navigation. The cables here must be resistant to electromagnetic interference, fireproof, and produce low smoke.
The solution? Double-layer shielded low-smoke halogen-free cables: the inner layer of aluminum foil protects against high-frequency interference, the outer layer of copper wire braid protects against low-frequency noise, and the middle layer is halogen-free polyolefin insulation. Even in high-intensity electronic warfare, signals can be transmitted stably, and toxic gases are not released in case of fire.
2. Propulsion System: High-Temperature Resistant, Withstands the “Baking”
The Type 055 destroyer uses a combined gas turbine and diesel propulsion system, where the gas turbine room temperature consistently exceeds 80°C. Ordinary cables are prone to aging and insulation failure here.
However, the cross-linked polyolefin (XLPO) insulated cables used in the Type 055 destroyer can withstand long-term operating temperatures up to 125°C and short-term temperatures up to 250°C, perfectly adapting to the “sauna” environment of the propulsion room.
3. Weapon Launch System: High Reliability, Never “Drops the Buck”
The Type 055 destroyer’s 112 vertical launch system (VLS) cells are each controlled by cables for launch timing. A signal interruption would have disastrous consequences.
Therefore, the VLS control cables utilize miniaturized low-smoke halogen-free fire-resistant cables, further protected by armor, ensuring accurate ignition even under vibration, impact, high temperatures, and even localized fires.
IV. Domestic Breakthrough: From “Import Dependence” to “Independent Control”
In the past, high-end marine low-smoke halogen-free materials were long monopolized by Europe and the United States, especially high-temperature resistant resins and flame retardants. However, in recent years, domestic companies such as TST CABLE and TST SEAL have achieved technological breakthroughs, launching military-grade LSZH materials with independent intellectual property rights.
According to *China Shipbuilding Industry*, subsequent batches of the Type 055 destroyer have fully adopted domestically produced low-smoke halogen-free cables, not only reducing costs but also significantly shortening the delivery cycle. This signifies that China’s ship electrical systems have truly achieved “independent control.”
V. Future Trends: Intelligentization + Lightweighting, Making Warships “Smarter”
With the development of the improved Type 055 destroyer and the next generation of destroyers, TST CABLE products are also being upgraded:
Fiber Optic Composite Cables: Replacing electrical signals with optical signals, resulting in stronger anti-interference capabilities and higher bandwidth;
Lightweight Design: High-performance materials such as PEEK and PI are used in key components, reducing weight and increasing efficiency;
Intelligent Monitoring: Cables have built-in temperature sensors for real-time warnings of overload and aging risks.
Sealed Modules: Used for fireproofing, corrosion prevention, waterproofing, and electromagnetic interference resistance in military equipment.
The power of the Type 055 destroyer is not only reflected in its missiles and radars, but also hidden in the unseen details. Each TST CABLE low-smoke halogen-free cable is like an “invisible armor” for the warship, silently protecting it in peacetime and turning the tide in times of crisis.
It is silent, yet crucial to life and death; it is unassuming, yet a true “national treasure.” Its presence is felt in every step the Chinese Navy takes towards the deep blue sea.
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