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The PLAN present and future: Or, The rapid modernization of the Chinese navy and marines.


Khand-e

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Note, apparently there's a limit to how much images you can post, so I just had to link some of them to actually be able to post this.

 

So, continuing with the trend of adding threads about sections of the PLA, Including the PLAGF land vehicles and weapon systems, and one I'm working on regarding Infantry based weapons and systems, I'd like to continue this trend and talk about the PLAN and the Marines, a bit about the past, and the present and what to expect in the future, so here we go. (Side note, yes, expect a thread about the PLAAF and Airborne eventually.)

 

Currently, China has the second largest navy in the world behind only the USN by tonnage and first by sheer number of major combatants, However, due in large part to old doctrines and military planning that has shifted in the favor of the PLAN very recently, their older ships have always left something to be desired (particularly, funding), but in the past 20-25 years or so, the PLAN and their Marines are currently undergoing a pretty massive modernization program to make sure they're the undisputed dominant naval power in the East and Southeast Asian region and to watch/guards the quite extensive coastline China has aswell as disputed assets and any civilians who venture into them against potential unprovoked attacks. And from what we're seeing so far, from what's been finished to future constructions and plans that have got the go ahead, It certainly appears that the PLAN will most certainly be a force to be reckoned with.

 

So, lets take a look at some of their latest vessels shall we? the military of China from 25-35 years ago to today has been completely night and day on modernization and its actually quite fast how fast they're catching up despite the problems that have plagued the nation for some time, but the Navy is, in my and many experts opinions, probably the fastest improving, so, without further ado, lets dig in.

 

Starting off primarily with surface fleet warships for now, one thing you'll note (as will I, as you'll see) is that a big theme with their new surface vessels is a high focus on stealthy designs, wither it be from radar, thermal sources, or acoustic signature, It's something designs strive to reduce, and also on highly or fully modular designs.

 

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Stealthy fast missile/patrol boats; The Type 022 Houbei class

 

1b0f05e.jpg

 

4tlbYWI.jpg?1

 

So, as you probably guessed from the description, these are designed to be sort of fast, stealthy hit and run or patrol craft with a triple hull oddly enough (rather strange to me for a vessel this size.) First introduced in 2004, these were designed to fulfill the role of something that could watch the coastal areas of important sections or do fast strikes on larger fleets, overwhelming them with the sheer amount of missiles that a small group could very quickly fire off, there's also different loadouts for other missions such as some with AA missiles instead of Anti ship missiles or even one with 2 cruise missiles that can target both sea and land targets, the Catamaran design provides increased stability at high speeds, particularly in choppy or rough weather, and one nifty feature that allows it to connect to certain types of aircraft that can effectively lock on targets for it at long range. For self defense or attacking small craft it also features a 6 barreled, 30x165mm Gatling CIWS that can protect against missiles and aircraft within range. as of the latest data, there's currently 83 vessels in this class active. and 105 Missile boats active total including older designs mostly on reserve or used for training and short patrols.

 

Specifications

 

Weight - 220 tonnes

 

Length - 140 feet/42.7 meters

 

Beam - 40 feet/12.2 meters

 

Draught - 5 feet/1.5 meters

 

Number of decks - 1

 

Top speed - 37 knots

 

Propulsion - x2 Diesel engines rated at 6,850 hp powering 4 waterjet engines.

 

Crew - 12 (A high level of automation keeps the crew small)

 

Range - Unknown at the moment.

 

Sensor package - x1 Type 362 surface radar, x1 navigational radar, HEOS 300 electro optics package.

 

Armament - 1x AO-18 30x165mm 6 barreled Gatling cannon/CIWS, firing at ~5000 RPM

 

x2 missile pods that can be loaded with various types of missiles depending on the task at hand, including: (Note, while it can, for the most part fire older versions of said munitions, I'm listing the latest for showing modernization/redundancy's sake.)

 

x8 C-803/YingJi-83 (or YJ-83 abbreviated) medium-long range anti ship missiles.

 

x8 C-803/C-805 land attack variant.

 

x2 HN-2/HN-3 "Hongniao" long range cruise missiles. (Nuclear capable)

 

x2 FLS-1 Launchers with x12 QW-3 or QW-4 MANPAD missiles each.

 

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Stealth dual configuration Corvette; The Type 056 /Type 056A (Special ASW variant)

 

plan+chinese+Type+056+Corvette+abcdef+Pe

 

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/451/83722981.jpg

 

1529731_-_main.jpg(Type 056A variant)

 

 

For those of you not really aware of naval designations, in modern terms, a Corvette usually refers a vessel class thats the smallest size for a "full size" warship, usually being smaller then a Frigate but bigger then things like patrol craft, cutters, gun boats, missile boats, etc. This doesn't apply 100% of the time but is generally (key word) the accepted term for the most part. Now that that little bit is out of the way, time to talk about this.

 

Basically, for quite some time, China wanted a large-ish modern patrol vessel to replace the aging and rather underwhelming Type 037 Gun/Missile fast attack craft, mainly one that could help fill the hole in China's somewhat lacking Submarine detection network and also improve the living conditons on board the ship for longer patrols and featuring a highly modular design. And, although it took a bit of time, they finally got their answer in the form of the Type 056 Stealth Corvettes first launched in 2013. interestingly, these are the first PLAN vessels to "officially" be classified as a Corvette which is why I wanted to give a bit on context earlier.

 

Anyway, these are sort of like the Type 022 in the coastal patrol role, the main difference of course being that theyre much larger, likely have more range, and are going to be a key part of bringing China's submarine defense network to much higher standards and can do tasks such as search and rescue. Infact, as mentioned earlier, some of the vessels are specifically built in a dedicated sub hunter/ASW role in a variant known as the Type 056A (which takes advantage of the ships fully modular design), which is a configuration being built concurrently with the standard 056 variants.

 

One interesting note is that they've been retrofitted with upgrades to their stealth capability quite rapidly and efficiently, these retrofits include, but are not limited to: suppression systems for the infrared signature of the chimney, the exhaust pipe being covered to reduce it's signature, modifications to the bulwark of the bow to reduce it's radar signature, and later on, forther modifcations to the superstructure to to reduce radar cross section including replacing the sharper edges on the with slanted angles on the fire control platform aswell as giving more slanted angles to the chimney, these design modifications can be seen in further detail here. http://www.mdc.idv.tw/mdc/navy/china/056.htm

 

And of course, as mentioned, the Type 056A, which features a redesigned stern to accompany a very extensive and powerful, variable depth sonar array and a towed sonar array, which gives it both active and passive sonar capability.

 

Anyway, these are a big example of a big improvement over it's predecessor and showing just how seriously the PLAN is taking their full modernization campaign. Currently there's 43 planned for the first batch, and at least 20 (likely more however) for the second order, 23 of these are complete, 5 of which being the 056A configurations, with 7 more of varied configs currently under construction.

 

Specifications

 

Weight - 1,450-1500 tonnes combat loaded.

 

Length - 292 feet/89 meters

 

Beam - 38 feet/11.6 meters

 

Draft - 13 feet/4 meters

 

Speed - 28 Knots

 

Propulsion - x2 CODAD Diesel engines, 7000 horsepower each, x2 propeller shafts.

 

Range - 3,500 nautical miles at cruising speed of 18 knots

 

Crew - 60

 

Sensors and Countermeasures - SR64 model Air and Surface search and tracking/targeting radar, TR47 model gun fire control radar, Type 754 helicopter control and approach radar, active and passive variable depth sonar systems (Type 056A configuration), x2 Jammers and Decoy launchers, model IR-17 optronics, and a SITN240 SATCOM communication system.

 

Helipad - x1, usually used for Naval Z-9 mutirole transport/utility/recon/ASW helicopter capable of carrying a light anti ship missile load or magnetic anomaly detection equipment and light homing torpedoes or ASW rockets/missiles when in ASW mode.

 

Armament - x1 H/PJ-26 76mm main gun on the bow deck. capable of firing various guided projectiles

 

x2 Double pods for C-803/YingJi-83 medium-long range anti ship missiles amidship, pods pointing opposite directions.

 

x1 HQ-10 short range surface to air missile launcher with 8 missiles, modified to act with limited CIWS capability

 

x2 H/PJ-17 30x165mm dual mode auto/manual remote weapon stations amidship, used as defense against threats such as small craft, helicopters at close range, and mines close to the surface (with special ammunition) rate of fire is estimated to be around 600 rounds per minute.

 

x2 Triple 324mm acoustic seeking torpedoes on each side amidship, likely Yu-7 model or an update of it.

 

Various mounts for GPMGs or HMGs for close range defense.

 

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Stealth Multi-Mission Frigate: Type 054A/Type 054B

 

054b6.jpg Computer Render.

 

rUVROif.jpg

 

So, Frigates in the modern navy really are the jack of all trades ships as far as surface warships go, with battleships extinct and cruisers extinct in the wild so to say. Well, the Ticonderoga class of the USN is the only class of vessel classified as a Cruiser, but to be honest they really don't do much a contemporary US Destroyer can't, and are completely outclassed by the Zumwalt class Destroyers coming and are facing likely early retirement anyway so, the cruiser classification is really kind of pointless on them.

 

However, point being, aside from aircraft carriers, Destroyers really are the heaviest surface combat ships in today's world, so, this is where I mean that Frigates are sort of jack of all trade class ships these days, They can be second fiddle escort ships in a fleet while generally being better sub hunters, they can still fight other vessels or provide shore bombardment, just not as good as destroyers, they can do things like coastal patrol, watching troubled areas of ocean, ASW, or do search and rescue, but something like a Corvette can do it cheaper and with less manpower, but they still have their place.

 

Ok, now that that's out of the way, lets talk about the Type 054 A and B, Basically, the Type 054A was developed to deliver a badly needed replacement for the aging Type 053 and it's derivatives, It's currently the most common variant as only 2 standard Type 054 models were made and the more advanced B variant is currently about to have the second vessel in it's class completed very soon, the main differences of the B variant is the increased size, which allows for more armament and electronics to be fitted along with more crew space, various methods to increase survivability, a slightly stealthier profile (the Type 054 in general is a very stealthy design, so it was hard to improve on alot), an all electric propulsion system to decrease noise, and better ASW capabilities to add yet another tool to China's much needed submarine defense network as mentioned above with the Type 056. (Note that, while It does feature some very potent ASW tools of it's own, It's still mostly designed for AAW, jack of all trades etc etc.)

 

Currently, China has an estimated 46 Frigates in service, of that number, 2 are Type 054s, 16 are Type 054As, and 1 is a Type 054B with a 2nd very close to completion. At least 22 more Type 054A/B Variants are planned in this batch, though its not known how many of the originally planned A variants will be built as Bs when layed down instead. There's also been rumors of a Type 057 class follow on floating around for some time, with supposed construction beginning in early 2015, take it with a grain of salt though, I've heard nothing 100% solid on it.

 

Specifications (Reminder, the Type 54B is a very newly completed design, so unless noted otherwise, the specs are for the Type 054A/A+)

 

Weight - 4000 tonnes combat loaded (Type 054A), 5000 tonnes combat loaded (Type 054B)

 

Length - 440 Feet/134 Meters

 

Beam - 52 feet/ 16 Meters

 

Crew - 165

 

Range - 8025 nautical miles at 18 knots

 

Speed - 28 Knots

 

Propulsion - x4 CODAD Shaanxi brand diesel engines producing 7600 hp each (Type 054A) IEP rated at 20 MW (Type 054B) x2 propeller shafts

 

Sensors, Countermeasures and Electronics - Type 382 3D air/surface search radar capable of tracking 40+ targets in real time from over 120 km away, MR-36A surface search radar, x2 Racal RM-1290 navigation radars operating in I-band, SNTI-240 SATCOM, AKD5000S Ku band backup SATCOM, HN-900 Data link system, Type 344 Mineral-ME "Band Stand" for ship-ship missile control, over the horizon radar and target acquisition and target designation, x4 Type 345 2 channel radar to guide multiple SAMs at once, TR47C CIWS fire control, Type 347G main gun fire-control radar, MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system integrating Bull Horn active and Whale Tongue passive hull-mounted, search and attack sonar, x2 18-tube decoy/chaff rocket launchers, Type 922-1 radar warning receiver and HZ-100 Electronic Counter Measures and Electronic signals intelligence, Kashtan-3 missile jamming system.

 

Helipad - x1, usually used for Naval Z-9 mutirole transport/utility/recon/ASW helicopter capable of carrying a light anti ship missile load or magnetic anomaly detection equipment and light homing torpedoes or ASW rockets/missiles when in ASW mode. (Yep, I copy pasted from the Type 056A) It can also launch 2 medium sized boats at a time and recover from the stern of the ship.

 

Armament - x1 PJ-26 76mm dual purpose main gun on the bow deck. capable of firing various guided projectiles.

 

x2 Type 730 7 barreled 30x165mm Gatling Cannon CIWS, 4,500-6,000 rounds per minute.

 

X2 FL3000N missile based CIWS/Short ranged SAM, 24 missile capacity (added on 054B)

 

x2 Quad pod C-803 anti ship missiles amidship facing opposite directions. (Missiles replaced with longer range, faster C-805 variant in 054B, likely to be retrofitted to A variants.)

 

x1 32 capacity vertical launch system with HHQ-16D long range surface to air missiles, or CY-3 60km range anti submarine missiles.

 

x2 Triple 324mm torpedo tubes loaded with Yu-7 acoustic seeking torpedoes, 1 on each side.

 

x2 6 pod 240mm Type 87 Anti Submarine rockets.

 

Various GPMG and HMG mounts for close range defense.

 

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Steath (see a patten yet?) Workhorse of the surface fleet: Type 052D Guided Missile Destroyer.

 

plan052d.jpg

 

173+sea+trialType+052D+Class+Guided+Miss

 

173+sea+trialType+052D+Class+Guided+Miss

 

173+sea+trialType+052D+Class+Guided+Miss

(Note, This is supposed to be the Changsha, or pennant number 173, It undergoing sea trials at the time of this photo so it didn't have it painted on the hull.)

 

So, along with the rest of the Type 052 family, the recently introduced D variant is designed to be the backbone of the surface warfare fleet, and the main surface defenders of a future carrier fleet (as I'll post about later, the PLAN has ambitions greater then a mere 1 Carrier), these ship classes are what truly show that the PLAN is very serious about defending itself against any perceived invasion, controlling it's interests and being the real dominant seapower in Asia for the long forseeable future, so, here we go, lets talk about it.

 

Possibly the most notable feature of 052D is that it uses an AESA radar system similar in function to the US AEGIS system that can potentially detect certain 5th generation Stealth aircraft, and a data link system far more advanced then those used on previous vessels that may set the standard for whats installed or retrofitted onto other ships, aside from that, it still has more mundane features, like the ability to launch and recover 2 medium sized boats at the same time from the stern like the Type 054A/B,

 

Currently, China has 24 active destroyers, If we go by the number of Type 052 variants alone, then 2 are Type 052As (note that the A actually is the base variant in this case, sometimes It's merely referred to as "Type 052"), 2 are Type 052Bs, 6 are Type 052Cs, and 2 are Type 052Ds, 3 other D variants have been completed but haven't been commissioned yet, and at least 7 more D variants are planned. Much like rumors of the Type 057 Frigate, there's also rumors of a complimenting Type 055 Destroyer to go with it but, once again, take it with a grain of salt, I'm getting sleepy so, unfortunately for now, going to try and cut this short.

 

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Specifications

 

Weight - 7,500 tonnes combat loaded

 

Length - 512 feet/156 meters

 

Beam - 60 feet/18 meters

 

Draught - 21 feet/6.5 meters

 

Crew - 280

 

Speed - 30+ knots

 

Range - 5,000 Nautical miles at 18 knots

 

Propulsion - x2 QC-280 Gas turbine engines (37,550 horsepower each) and x2 MTU 20V 956TB92 Diesel engines (8,050 horsepower each) in a CODOG configuration,

 

Sensors, Electronics, and Countermeasures - Type IR-17 Optronics, 4x Type 346A active phased array radar, 1x Type 364 air search radar, 1x Type 366 radar, 1x Type 517HA VHF search radar, 1x Type 760 navigation radar, 1x Type 349 fire control radar, 1x Type 754 helicopter control and approach radar, 1x MGK-335MS-E hull sonar, 1x towed array sonar (TAS), 1x variable depth sonar (VDS), JSIDLS (Joint Service Integrated Data Link System), SITN240 SATCOM system, HZ-100 Electronic Counter Measures and Electronic signals intelligence, Kashtan-3 missile jamming system, and 4x Type 726-4 decoy launchers (18 rockets each).

 

Helipad - x1, usually used for Naval Z-9 mutirole transport/utility/recon/ASW helicopter capable of carrying a light anti ship missile load or magnetic anomaly detection equipment and light homing torpedoes or ASW rockets/missiles when in ASW mode. (Yep, I copy pasted from the Type 054B) It can also launch 2 medium sized boats at a time and recover from the stern of the ship.

 

Armament - x1 bow mounted H/PJ-38 130mm Dual Purpose gun with a massive variety of rounds including guided shells, missiles, and sub caliber rounds. (Type 210 100mm gun on older Type 052 variants.)

 

x2 32 Capacity vertical launch systems, 1 fore and 1 aft, carrying assortment of HHQ-9B long range surface to air missiles, YJ-18A mach 3 anti ship missiles, (oddly enough, this has an EMP warhead variant), CY-2 or CY-5 anti submarine missiles, or some munitions small enough to be quad packed into 1 pod.

 

x1 24 FL3000N missile based CIWS/short range Surface to air missile launcher.

 

x1 Type 730 7 barreled 30x165mm Gatling cannon CIWS/Short range air defense, 4,500-6000 rounds per minute.

 

X2 H/PJ-17 30x165mm dual mode auto/manual remote weapon stations amidship, used as defense against threats such as small craft, helicopters at close range, and mines close to the surface (with special ammunition) rate of fire is estimated to be around 600 rounds per minute.

 

x2 Triple 324mm torpedo mounts with 1 on each side, loaded with Yu-7 acoustic seeking torpedoes.

 

Various GPMG and HMG mounts for close range threats.

 

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The next updates in line will likely be about the PLAN's submarine force, more indepth views of weapon systems used, and the Marines.

 

Be sure to check my other topics covering the other branches of the PLA.

 

http://sturgeonshouse.ipbhost.com/index.php?/topic/71-the-future-of-pla-bullit-spitting-devices-powerful-chinese-weapons-and-units-thread/- Regarding Infantry, small arms, and infantry support weapons.

 

http://sturgeonshouse.ipbhost.com/index.php?/topic/10-vehicles-of-the-pla-or-glorious-fear-mongering-about-china-over-wars-that-will-probably-not-happen-now-with-content/- Regarding land based vehicles, armor, and weapon systems.

 

http://sturgeonshouse.ipbhost.com/index.php?/topic/87-the-plaaf-and-airborne-a-look-at-the-past-present-and-the-future/- Regarding the PLAAF Aircraft and weapon systems, helicopters, and the Airborne.

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So what size of Navy is the PLA headed for? And are they going for more of a "brown water" fleet or a "blue water" one?

Do they have anything comparable to LCS? Maybe that Corvette?

 

The LCS would indeed be most comparable to the Type 056 and Corvette class vessels in general, at least as far as weapon loadout and intended roles go (Coastal patrol and defense, Search and Rescue, and Mine/Submarine hunting near the shore.) The main problem is that, by modern standards at least, the LCS would be rather heavy if it were a Corvette class, yet It's about as well armed or even less armed then some Corvette classes such as the Type 056.

 

They're strange vessels for sure, mostly in the sense that I feel that the LCS ship classes displace far too much weight for 1. how armed they are and, more importantly, 2. What their actual intended role is.

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So yeah, talking to Colli on TS about nuclear related things got me thinking I should do updates about nuclear things, so, let's talk about nuclear propelled submarines, or better yet, nuclear armed nuclear propelled submarines.

 

So, let's do the breakdown, I'm mostly going to be talking about the Type 094 as that's the main boomer in service right now, right now the PLAN's boomer fleet consists of:

 

1x Type 092 (NATO Callsign: Xia class)

 

2QBS9xH.jpg

 

The oldest of the boomer fleet, this Class saw only 1 hull complete and in service, with a second one never reaching completion for unknown reasons (likely scrapped, though an accident during its construction is speculated), Despite receiving numerous upgrades in it's lifetime to keep it up to date, the Xia is likely to be retired now that the last, more advanced Type 094 is about to finish construction and fitting, (it possibly already has, but not much has been heard about it in a bit.), which also carries the improved JL-2 SLBMs as opposed to the JS-1A class. Though the fate of the ship is still not certain, talks of leasing it to Pakistan upon retirement have been made.

 

x6 Type 094/ Type 2 Upgrade. (NATO Callsign: Jin class)

 

rWL7AUl.jpg

 

2dtubnb.jpg

 

some guy on google earth took photos of Type 2 upgraded Type 094s, here you go.

 

Type+094++Jin+Class++nuclear-powered+bal

 

and a comparison to some of the proposal pictures for reference.

 

YKxK3nz.jpg

 

H7CbuKF.jpg

 

bg74Hyq.pngSize comparison between older JL-1 and JL-2

 

With the 6th and final of the series (likely) entering the water, these submarines form the current backbone of the boomer fleet with the Xia supplementing what it can, these are designed to run quieter, longer, and with the vastly improved JL-2 SLBMs (particularly the "Jia" and "Yi upgraded variants) that, with a 12,000-14,000 km range, finally gave the PLAN at least the basics for a viable submarine based nuclear deterrent, In addition, some have been witness with the "Type-2" upgrade mentioned before that lengthens the hull of the ships slightly, moves the conning tower forward and increases missile capacity from 12 to 16 missiles, it's believed that this upgrade can be retrofitted to currently active Type 094s to help bolster their deterrent capability, but a bit remains unknown at the moment, regardless, this gives them a viable way to keep missiles hidden in the event M.A.D. rears it's head.

 

Specifications (Regular variant unless stated otherwise)

 

Length - 436 feet/133 meters

 

Beam - 41 feet/12.5 meters

 

Weight - 8000 tonnes surfaced, 11,000 tonnes submerged

 

Propulsion - x1 Nuclear reactor, unknown model,, 1 propeller shaft.

 

Speed - True speed classified, believed to be at least above 23 knots.

 

Crew - 120

 

Armament - x6 533mm heavy torpedo tubes with a room loaded with a mix of Yu-6 and Yu-8 high performance designs most likely, all located in the bow, x12 JL-2 missiles and their derivatives, (x16 for Type 2 upgrade)

 

x1 (?) Type 096 (NATO Callsign: Tang class.)

 

6296926907_8d2b34e2c4_b.jpgOlder mockup.

 

So, being that China in general is extremely strict about nuclear secrets, this would apply to boomers, and this makes the latest class a complete enigma. supposedly the first one just launched but hasn't been commissioned yet, however, according to some people I've spoke to natively, a submarine matching the description of the Type 096 or possibly a different mockup was debuted on national television in 2010, I'm not quite sure about that one, just because I don't think they could keep something as large as a new SSBN hidden to US and Russian intelligence for that long. but, to quote Datang of the DFI forum who happens to be native to China, India is paranoid about it and the supposed TV airing, and It's gone as far as to get a NATO designation, so something is surely there, but, to quote Mr. DaTang mentioned earlier.

 

"There are reports that design of the Type 096 Tang-class boat has already commenced several years ago. According to one report, images of an unknown SSBN mockup with 24 missile tubes were aired on China Central Television in 2008.21/22 In early 2010, Vijay Sakhuja, the Director of Research at the Indian Council of World Affairs and a former Indian naval officer, wrote with confidence: “China is engaged in the development of the next-generation Type 096 submarine, supposedly similar to the 094 Jin-class models, which may possess capabilities to launch missile from under the [Arctic] ice cap. In July 2009, one Chinese blogger with a current or former affiliation with the PLAN described the design specifications of the Type 096 and speculated that the new platform will include “noise reduction devices” making it quieter than the Type 094 Jin-class SSBN."

 

I don't know, I'll follow up on it, but this poster is usually right about...basically every everything on matters like this.

 

Regardless, these are supposed to be the next generation of the PLAN's SSBN class, with an SLBM compliment of 24 to finally rival their US and Russian counterparts, a new JL-3 SLBM to go with it, a decibel level reduciton of around 15 dBs compared to the Type 094, and a listed speed of "In excess of 32 knots", these will truly be what's needed to close the gap between other nations if produced in larger amounts.

 

....The problem is, one was scheduled to launch late this year, supposedly it did, but, no one's spotted it yet, so the hunt is on to see it, other aspects are also unknown, such as how many are planned to be built, but if these are as good as they're cracked up to be, they'll certainly be a major threat to watch out for incase things ever go too hot.

 

So yeah, sorry I can't find a picture of this elusive bastard, but there's some things even I don't know, but, supposedly India is paranoid about it and confident it's real, former PLAN members are writing about it, and it has a NATO designation, so the odds of it being hidden for too long are pretty small.

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As concerning as the military resurgence of the Middle Kingdom is for the United States and it's Asian allies, I can't imagine what it must be like for India, given its geographic location.

 

Yeah, China and India don't exactly get along too well, one big reason Pakistan sees them as such a great ally.

 

Though, I wouldn't be concerned about the US because, contrary to fear mongers who insist it's inevitable, I highly doubt the US will get involved in a war with China or vice versa unless a real major fuck up happens.

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  • 2 months later...

So, after much speculation of the reality of the program, the PLAN has confirmed the Type 055 Class of destroyers is infact a real project, with the first 2 vessels seeing completion around 2017-2018 and being commissioned in 2019.

 

http://war.163.com/14/1230/11/AEN7ETQC00014OMD.html(Has concepts and mockups, but it's in Mandarin)

 

MomB4ZE.jpg

 

Judging from the concepts and some specifications thrown around, it does follow alot of design trends from the Type 052D, however some influences from the USN Zumwalt class is also noticeable in the design. and the RN Type 45 arguably.

 

Armament is supposed to be highly varied, from the 130mm automatic gun, the YJ-100  heavy anti ship/land attack missile with an 800km range, dedicated cruise missiles, various medium and long range SAMs, anti ballistic missile systems, anti radiation missiles, EMP and laser based weapons, and other things, Weight is supposed to be between 10.000-13,000 tonnes, making it quite heavy for a DD. (Though the article below suspects a lower weight, you decide.)

 

However, while it is indeed intended to be a large upgrade over the previous Type 052D, Chinese military expert Yin Zhuo has reminded people not to overanalyze the project so early on. http://english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/china-military-news/2015-01/08/content_6302025.htm(This one is in English.)

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  • 3 months later...

Type 1130 11 Barreled 30x165mm CIWS thats been installed on certain ships, has improved fire control and target radar for tracking/prediction compared to the older 630 and 730 models. can fire semi guided, proximity fuzed frag shells at up to 11,000-12,000 rpm for maximum kill potential on multiple fast moving anti ship missiles. It is capable to be further augmented with FL-3000 AGM/Aircraft missiles according to the PLAN.

 

CVA%20gatling.jpg?itok=EG73nBN7

 

Gatling gun is dominate.

 

As of now, the only ship confirmed to be having it in active service is the Liaoning, though future indigenous carriers and possibly some destroyers will likely have it aswell.

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Type 055 "test stand" setup, note this is mostly just to design the layout and test electronics, It's not intended to go into the water as a completed ship.

 

0BWgrXz.jpg

 

Compare the above to some concept art of the Type 055 (and that it's too big to be a test stand for a Type 052D) and it looks to be actually credible.

 

ZuLTamT.jpg

 

9klVbqB.jpg

 

 

Satellite image

 

TQDZ8cg.jpg

 

Estimated size comparison of the Type 055 vs current Type 052

 

53HEX6T.jpg

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I just think American ships are ugly. PopSci says the Type 055 will be the largest non-battleship surface combatant since the Tone Class Heavy Cruiser. They also compared it heavily with the Ticonderoga. 

 

It would actually be the second if the planned displacement is correct.

 

Chinese estimates put it at 10,000-13,000 tons on completion, which would make it slightly lighter then the Zumwalts which weigh 15,000

 

It does however have a fuckload of VLS tubes, its hard to see if they're not outlined in the satellite photo, but currently 112 full size tubes so far. (and it's not uncommon for PLAN and USN ships to make packs of smaller missiles that can fit multiple missiles inside a single tube.)

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It would actually be the second if the planned displacement is correct.

 

Chinese estimates put it at 10,000-13,000 tons on completion, which would make it slightly lighter then the Zumwalts which weigh 15,000

 

It does however have a fuckload of VLS tubes, its hard to see if they're not outlined in the satellite photo, but currently 112 full size tubes so far. (and it's not uncommon for PLAN and USN ships to make packs of smaller missiles that can fit multiple missiles inside a single tube.)

I think they specified that is was the largest built in Asia, I just left that out by accident.

 

They also say the 055 could have 128 tubes maximum which would give it more than the Ticonderoga. 

 

How many of those puppies are planned besides the first two? China doesn't need to have dozens of these things. 

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I think they specified that is was the largest built in Asia, I just left that out by accident.

 

They also say the 055 could have 128 tubes maximum which would give it more than the Ticonderoga. 

 

How many of those puppies are planned besides the first two? China doesn't need to have dozens of these things. 

 

128 tubes wouldn't be unlikely, though the test platform above has slots for 112 as there's less on the front, likely to make walking on the front "deck" of it easier for now while fucking around with electronics.

 

Also, speculation is currently 4-6.

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128 tubes wouldn't be unlikely, though the test platform above has slots for 112 as there's less on the front, likely to make walking on the front "deck" of it easier for now while fucking around with electronics.

 

Also, speculation is currently 4-6.

With all these new toys I can easily see the PLAN being able to play ball with the USN in the South and East China Seas within the next few decades. 

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So, this has been talked about for a bit (as it was mentioned here), but in addition to a new Destroyer design, it looks like there could be a new Frigate design aswell, designated the Type 057 (I find this rather odd, as the construction of the Type 054B block is just gearing up.)

 

Also, this is from a Russian news site, they may have translated wrong.

 

eFmgC2g.jpg

 

nPwgpiv.jpg

 

According to glorious Russian media!

 

"China finished design of a new frigate of the Type 057 project of the fourth generation, reports mil.news.sina.com.cn portal. It is expected that construction of the ships of this type will begin at the end of the 2014th ─ the first quarter 2015. Allegedly, a series of frigates of the new project will consist of 20 ships, and their delivery of Naval Forces of China will come to the end by 2025. As a part of Navy of People's liberation army of China frigates of the Type 057 project will replace the same quantity of the outdated ships of a similar class of the Type 053 project. For the first time the ships of the Type 057 project will be equipped with the hybrid power plant which will allow to reduce significantly their noisiness in comparison with frigates of the previous projects. Displacement of Type 057 will make about 4-5 thousand tons. The ships it is planned to equip with new radar stations, installations of vertical start-up of rockets and surface-to-air missile missile systems. In a design of frigates technologies of a low-visibility will be applied. Two anti-submarine helicopters and prospecting unmanned aerial vehicles will be based on frigates of the Type 057 project. In the middle of March, 2013 of Naval Forces of China took advantage of a new frigate of the Type 056 project constructed with application of technologies of a low-visibility. As a part of fleet the ship with board number 582 received the name "Bengbu" in honor of prefecture in the province Ankhoy in East China. As expected, in interests of the Chinese military 20 ships of this kind will be constructed."

 

Translations errors are by virtue of the fact Mandarin-Russian-English doesn't generally go well.

 

Interestingly enough, Some Russian sources were also advising the Russian Armed forces to purchase some Type 054As as escort vessels last year, which would be a pretty amusing case of the shoe being on the other foot.

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So, this has been talked about for a bit (as it was mentioned here), but in addition to a new Destroyer design, it looks like there could be a new Frigate design aswell, designated the Type 057 (I find this rather odd, as the construction of the Type 054B block is just gearing up.)

 

Also, this is from a Russian news site, they may have translated wrong.

 

eFmgC2g.jpg

 

nPwgpiv.jpg

 

According to glorious Russian media!

 

"China finished design of a new frigate of the Type 057 project of the fourth generation, reports mil.news.sina.com.cn portal. It is expected that construction of the ships of this type will begin at the end of the 2014th ─ the first quarter 2015. Allegedly, a series of frigates of the new project will consist of 20 ships, and their delivery of Naval Forces of China will come to the end by 2025. As a part of Navy of People's liberation army of China frigates of the Type 057 project will replace the same quantity of the outdated ships of a similar class of the Type 053 project. For the first time the ships of the Type 057 project will be equipped with the hybrid power plant which will allow to reduce significantly their noisiness in comparison with frigates of the previous projects. Displacement of Type 057 will make about 4-5 thousand tons. The ships it is planned to equip with new radar stations, installations of vertical start-up of rockets and surface-to-air missile missile systems. In a design of frigates technologies of a low-visibility will be applied. Two anti-submarine helicopters and prospecting unmanned aerial vehicles will be based on frigates of the Type 057 project. In the middle of March, 2013 of Naval Forces of China took advantage of a new frigate of the Type 056 project constructed with application of technologies of a low-visibility. As a part of fleet the ship with board number 582 received the name "Bengbu" in honor of prefecture in the province Ankhoy in East China. As expected, in interests of the Chinese military 20 ships of this kind will be constructed."

 

Translations errors are by virtue of the fact Mandarin-Russian-English doesn't generally go well.

 

Interestingly enough, Some Russian sources were also advising the Russian Armed forces to purchase some Type 054As as escort vessels last year, which would be a pretty amusing case of the shoe being on the other foot.

 

Quick Yuri!, Russify the ship we cant let those fake commie's appear stronker than us in Eastern Russia Sea

 

*adds strip of ducktape to the outer hull, replaces Chinese coffee machine in officers lobby with a Russian one*

 

You see, glorious Russian modification, hell if you really want a case of the shoe being state-mandated to the other foot we should make 200 crappy versions of these and sell them to 3rd world countries! 

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Quick Yuri!, Russify the ship we cant let those fake commie's appear stronker than us in Eastern Russia Sea

 

*adds strip of ducktape to the outer hull, replaces Chinese coffee machine in officers lobby with a Russian one*

 

You see, glorious Russian modification, hell if you really want a case of the shoe being state-mandated to the other foot we should make 200 crappy versions of these and sell them to 3rd world countries! 

 

You shall not desecrate beautiful PLAN vessel that way!

 

But in all seriousness.

 

visit1.jpg

 

That's the ship model that was recommended for purchase, not the concepts above.

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  • 3 months later...

U10553P27DT20150925153413.jpg

 

Small diagram for Type 093 Attack Submarine to Type 093G Attack/Guided missile conversion with 16 tubes for Cruise missiles or Anti ship missiles (More then 1 missile per tube can be fitted with some models.)

 

I guess unlike the Ohio SSGNs which are converted from Boomers obviously, you get less capacity but a smaller, faster/more agile attack sub frame to use it on, I guess which is better depends on the scenario.

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U10553P27DT20150925153413.jpg

 

Small diagram for Type 093 Attack Submarine to Type 093G Attack/Guided missile conversion with 16 tubes for Cruise missiles or Anti ship missiles (More then 1 missile per tube can be fitted with some models.)

 

I guess unlike the Ohio SSGNs which are converted from Boomers obviously, you get less capacity but a smaller, faster/more agile attack sub frame to use it on, I guess which is better depends on the scenario.

All out of freaking upvotes for today. :/

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