Khand-e

Counting pixels to estimate size in grainy satellite photos!  It's like the '80s all over again!

 

J-20 is huuueegg.

Yeah, It's around the same size as a Flanker or even a Tomcat size wise.

Whether or not it cancels the JH-7B which is supposed to do the same thing allegedly, and retires other, older aircraft (which is speculated) remains to be seen.

As we learned from the WOT forums, It still count as T-72s have no layers, only the Abrams has layers.

HJ-12 135mm top attack anti tank missile.

They attempted to debut the model earlier this year at a French air show, but got told no after finding out they intended to bring a live missile system to display. Itwasn't hindered this time at the Zhuhai airshow however.

(Note that HJ = Hong Jian, which means Red Arrow in English, this is a common designation for guided anti tank missiles)

Range: 2000-4000m

Length(Missile): 1.00m

Diameter(Missile):135mm

Weight(Missile): 17kg

Guidance/Operation: Infrared Imaging and CCD, Top attack or direct fire capable.

Charge/Fuze: Tandem Heat with 1,100 RHAe behind ERA penetration, Impact fuzed.

QBZ-95 undergoing some pretty harsh reliability testing (2 part series).

If it surprises you the video is in Mandarin.... you must be easily surprised. (Someone did actually subtitle it though.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smDubjkoPXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA4zLe64pOY

Does it involve a Mazda RX-7?

No...

....It involves an RX-8 thank you very much!

What kind of savage do you take me for?

So yeah, I mentioned the Snow Leopard has like a billion variants, going to just make a post about those now. (Note that yes, these variants are all still amphibious.)

105mm Anti Tank/Direct fire variant with a high powered T83 series gun. Using the long, strengthened high pressure barrels, large charge combustible cases, and very long DU penetrators, this gun series can hit an astounding 600mm of RHA penetration at 2 kilometers distance.

x1 105mm main gun, x1 7.62mm coaxial, x1 roof mounted 12.7mm roof mounted HMG.

35mm SPAAG/Support gun.

Note: this is listed as a support gun because, despite It's intention as an short range (4km) AA gun and the bulky turret, it can still depress far enough and target ground forces.

x1 35mm gun, 1,000-1,200 rpm.

Engineer/Recovery Variant.

.....Guess.

x1 12.7mm HMG.

Command/Medical variant

Zzzzz...

Unarmed.

APC variant.

Less armed, however carries more troops to fill that whole "APC" role thing.

x1 remote controlled or small 1 man protected turret, armed with anything ranging from a 12.7-14.5mm HMG, to a 25mm-30mm (lighter model) autocannon.

And...another SPAAG variant.

I've pointed out China has some weird obsession with creating as many air defense systems as possible, here's another one, and infact, in the background you can see yet another which ill write about later. This one, after the air show last month, finally has an actual name, which is the CA/SA5.

x1 30mm 6 barreled Gatling gun with an rof believed to be in excess of 4,000 rpm, x4 FN-6A or HN-6A MANPAD missiles.

120mm Mortar mount.

Appears unarmed, aside from an optional 12.7mm machine gun, but the top unfolds much like the Stryker variant that does the same to reveal a 120mm mortar on a 360 degree mount that can deliver fast, rapid high angle indirect fire where needed.

122mm medium range howitzer.

For when longer range, heavier fire support is needed quickly, they made...this thing.

x1 122mm Gun-Howitzer, x1 12.7mm HMG.

There also is a 155mm variant that requires some rather heavy modifications to the basic design, but I can't find it at them moment for when the above isn't enough, but I'll try.

Anyway, thanks for reading, be sure to comment.

You know, I was kind of waiting to post about the Z-10 in my PLAAF thread. =(

I give up, the French are global heroes for mining the rainbow warrior in 1985 and deserve praise, and more national intelligence agencies should follow suit.

Seriously, fuck these shitters, they should be treated as a terrorist organization like ALF/ELF.

Well, it's definitely not turbine-driven.

...I just got an amazing idea!

So yeah, being that there's alot of tension between Taiwan and China for really obvious reasons, they themselves have been focusing alot on anti ship and landing based weapons to delay an assault if one ever did happen, their latest is a rather large land/ship based missile with a 150 km range and a speed of mach 2.0-2.5, but yeah, here you go.

http://www.janes.com/article/46788/taiwan-releases-first-firing-footage-of-hf-3-carrier-killer

(Note; for the most part, I hate Janes because they talk completely out of their ass alot, but, unfortunately they were the first with the story.)

So, yes, being that I am very lazy at times, and I really want a post I made regarding Taiwan and their love of thier US equipment and basing their future armament off of it much of the time transferred from the original small arms thread over here, behold the ghost of copy-paste past.

"I guess reference photos would be nice for what I'm referring to here. (warning, quite a few, will be featured in here if you're not really interested, just skim by this post.) basically, this fun little tidbit I shall call a mini showcase of Taiwanese small arms being used.

One thing I have been told by some Taiwanese friends is that, in general, their armed forces are generally quite trusting of US based designs (or, Belgian and Joint Belgian/US designs in the case of the SCAR/Other FN designs) that will be illustrated here somewhat. though they have accepted other foreign designs before.

T91 (Guess it goes with the trend that Taiwanese soldiers are quite insistent on not wanting to replace with AR-15 and 18 based designs they've been using for a while for a new design.)

SOPMOD/Flat top

and then the XT-97 (note, the caliber change thing I mentioned earlier could merely be a confusion as one of my Taiwanese friends pointed out there's also a Taiwanese Pistol with the same designation that, judging from It's appearance looks  based on a Glock 17 with a manual side safety, I'll have to look into it.) Also now been told It's intended more for marines and airborne forces. Christ finding concrete info on Taiwanese gear is even worse then Chinese gear, and that's saying ALOT. also, one notable difference that exists is that it actually uses a bolt head more styled like an AK pattern rifle as opposed to any Stoner design.

Note: nevermind to the above, there is infact a 5.56mm AR and 9mm SMG both based on the same design.

Image showing version with alternate stock and top rail designs among other changes, aswell as a carbine variant. also once again featuring the T91, the 86 that's the older, full length direct impingment variant more based on the M16A2 memory serve me, and the T93 sniper rifle based on the M24

-----

And just a few bonus pictures.

The XT-98, a modernized "marksman" variant of the T57 (License built copy of the M14) in Similar Fashion to the Mk.14/M39

and JUST because I feel BabyOlifant hasn't quite had a stroke yet, it turns out the GPC concept has spread to Taiwan, perhasp they should stop reading our random firearms forums, as they've also more recently developed a short stroke piston driven robustly built (sort of like an IAR from what I've been told) AR-15 variant that has a caliber of 6.8mm.....though, in this case, by committing what he'll probably consider the ultimate heresy of doing so by necking out standard 5.56x45mm casings. said rifles are known as the XT100 and XT101 with the difference being the barrel length and robustness mostly.

So, there's my little mini section on Taiwan and some of their insight into the AR-15/18, the SCAR, M14 and SSP AR-15's with IAR and alternate caliber variants. (and I guess a Cameo appearance from the M24/T93).

Also, the XT97 Pistol which caused  some initial confusion on the rifle.

(Glock 17 with manual safety for....some reason?)"

WZ-550 Wheeled, high mobility Tank Destroyer. (Missile based.)

So, as you probably guessed by their descriptions, these are designed for either prepared ambushes or hit and run attacks against tanks, It was one of the first platforms to demonstrate the use of the HJ-9 family (HJ-9, A mod, B mod) of missiles, which is arguably the best surface to surface AT missiles in the PLA's inventory. (at least subsonic/transonic wise.) which features massive armor penetration and range for it's class thanks in part to it's 2 stage design. (even though it's listed as a standard Tandem charge, it's speculated to be a double full sized charge as only cutaways older cutaways of the front of old variants have been seen.) these feature protection from a good majority of small arms fire and shrapnel/artillery splinters, and are amphibious to help get into better positions when needed (though, not really intended to fire while on the water.) depending on the variant, both the missile and the launch platform itself is capable of 2 tracking/seeking modes, including laser beam riding, or semi millimeter wave radar guidance that allows them to enter fire and forget mode and even fire on multiple targets at once before moving. I don't know, these really have a glass jaw in the event they are caught out, but their range, sensor packages, and mobility are intended to prevent that.

Specifications

Weight - 14,000kg.

Crew - 3.

Speed - 100 km/h on roads, 5km/h amphibious.

Propulsion, 4x4 powered by a 320hp turbo charged diesel.

Range - 600km.

Launcher/Vehicle sensors - Fully night vision/thermal capable, digital target zoom, TV goniometry, long range ground search radar (unknown type), laser command transmission systems. fire control for MMV mode. day/night driving mode.

Protection, very limited mine protection, protection against 7.62mm AP all around and shrapnel/artillery fragments, fully NBC equipped, automatic fire suppression system, IR smoke canister launchers.

Armament - x4 HJ-9 family two stage anti tank missiles, x8 held in reserve. (Launcher tilts from -10/+10 degrees.)

And, about the different variations of the HJ-9 itself.

HJ-9/A/B Specifications.

Weight - 36kg, 37kg (A), 38kg (B ), Missile only.

Length - 1200mm

Diameter - 6"/152mm

Minimum range - 100m (50m for B variant).

Maximum range - 5000m, 5,500m (A) 6,000m (B ).

Propulsion - 2 stage solid fuel rocket engines.

Speed - unknown.

Penetration - 1100-1200mm RHA behind ERA (Standard and A). 1300-1400mm Behind ERA (B ).

Fuzing - Contact fuze on nose probe, demonstrated to work at impact angles of up to 68-75 degrees.

Guidance - Laser beam riding (Standard), Laser beam riding or Semi-MMW guidance. (A and B ).

Note: had to space out B here or the ) at the end would make it an emotion, and any emoticons not canonized by the holy forum of SA are heretical.

Can imagine ammo boxes for them being far less of a pain in the ass to move new boxes to the gun and reload inside an AFV being a thing too.

Oh and, before I forget, more machinegun = better machinegun.

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.

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)

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)

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

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

Size 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.)

Older 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.

Here's mine from like, a billion patches and 2 dlcs ago that are probably nerfed to hell and shitty now because NATO only faggots in this game bitch about everything.

China: Yeah, I remember when this deck had about....twice the unit count it does now, but at least we have the most prototypes, thanks Madmat.

USSR: meh, never put any effort into it.

Eurocorps: No seriously, fuck this blatantly broken deck and anyone who plays it.

To discuss a more modern Swedish AFV, the CV90120-T. Will it find a viable user? It would seem that it a very marketable vehicle among NATO and allied countries that would like to have an airliftable 120 mm gun platform. Russia has the 2S25 and China has the ZTQ which are roughly equivalent in role.

 

The CV90120T needs to be on one of those match-making reality shows.

In all fairness, while the Type-62G variant is a really badass light tank, their production (aswell as the entire ZTQ-62 line) has been retired for nearly 2 years now and plans for what will be done with the remaining vehicles is still up in the air. So it might be out of this race before it even begins.

There is a new "light" variant of the Type-99A2 family that's been spotted a few times though, though little is really known about it, let alone whether or not it will be offered for export.

Anyway, for more content, some airborne weapons.

The CM-400AKG, while intended as a general purpose air to surface ro surface missile, It also tends to work as an anti ship missile (considering it's based on the design of one, the YJ-12, not too surprising), with a range of 400km (export versions are limited to 250km due to the MTCR treaty) and a top speed of mach 5.5-6 with a 2 different warheads consisting of either a 150kg blast warhead or a 200kg hardened armor piercing warhead for larger ships or hardened targets.

Currently it has various different land, sea, and air launch capable platforms, including some Pakistani ones as they bought some of the export version.

Also pictured: the LS-6 Guided glide bomb: 500kg General purpose bomb as the main warhead, INS, GPS, and laser guidance options, Impact or proximity fuzing option, standoff capability, range in excess of 60 km, etc etc. Its a perfect standoff weapon with quite a large bang.

So, start with the smaller guys this time around, Pistols and SMGs/PDWs.

Anyway I posted this a while back, but this is the next generation of the QSZ-92 pistol, simply designated the Qx4.

Now, aside from a few things that, in addition to 5.8x21mm and 9x19mm Luger, It's also scheduled to be made in several export calibers such as .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .357 SIG and even 7.62x25mm Tokarev, (infact, it was originally slated to be export only until fairly recently) It also features a variety of product improvements to keep up with soldier feedback.

Anyway, the main history behind the weapon and the 5.8x21mm cartridge is rather simple, when the round was being drawn up, it was required to be an accurate, flat shooting round able to penetrate most enemy body armor at close range, while having a lower muzzle flash, sound, and recoil then the older 7.62x25mm and the 5.7x28mm NATO uses to allow for rapid, accurate fire and faster target acquisition and engagement, and being able to deliver a wound considered worse then that given from a standard 9x19mm Ball round (Considering pistol ball doesn't quite perform well, this one was surprisingly easy.)

The solution was the above, which is the 5.8x21mm DAP-92 AP cartridge. It does have less muzzle flash, recoil, and sound report then a Five-Seven, and for the most part, uses a heavier AP round, though this gives the Five Seven a bit of an edge on Energy and quite a bit of a velocity advantage, The relatively heavy round for a PDW AP round is there for a reason though, the theory being that, at the expected velocities it will achieve, combined with the fact the weight of the round is centered near the back will cause it to yaw in soft flesh almost immediately, in Chinese tests yawing supposedly starts at as little as after 1cm of penetration into flesh, leaving an exit wound behind up to 2.5 times larger overall then 9mm ball.

9mm Ball 124 grain.

5.8x21mm DAP-92

Entrance and Exit for 5.8x21mm DA92

As far as the projectile goes technical wise, It's a 45 grain (3g) grain spitzer point design with a copper washed steel jacket (and case), a hardened tool steel core that runs most of the forward length, and a lead base in the back, this is what shifts the weight near the back, while also helping to keep It's trajectory rather flat if fired a bit downrange. Aside from being able to penetrate any soft body armor (and some weaker "hard" armors) it's been put up against, It's been demonstrated from a pistol barrel (while fixed to a benchrest) to be able to penetrate a 1.5mm Helmet steel plate (sometimes quoted at 1.3mm) with 50mm of hardened pine wood behind it... what exactly the point of this test was I'm not certain, as the effective range of the pistol is only supposed to be around 50m *shrug*.

And yet, despite all this effort to make a 9mm replacement for military units are restricted to FMJs and other crap for pistols....many units ironically still use the 9mm version of the QSZ-92.

Specifications. (QX4 version)

Weight - 1.7 pounds/760 grams

Overall Length - 7.5 inches/190mm

Barrel Length - 4.4 Inches/111mm

Width - 1.38 inches/35mm

Height - 5.3 inches/135mm

Sights - Fixed 3 dot, night lit sights an option.

Action - Short recoil, locked breech, rotating barrel lock.

Calibers (In PLA service) 5.8x21mm, 9x19mm Luger

Calibers (Export models) 7.62x25mm Tokarev, 9x19mm Luger, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .45 ACP.

Effective Range - 50m+ (5.8x21 and 9x19mm Luger.)

Performance - 5.8x21mm DAP92 - 45 grains (3g) @ 1,610 feet per second (260 Ft/lbs./ 350 Joules), 9x19mm Luger FMJ - 124 grains @ 1,150 fps. (365 ft/lbs./~500 joules).

Magazine Capacities - 20 rounds (5.8x21mm), 15 rounds (9x19mm Luger)

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.

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.

-------------------

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

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.

-------------------

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

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

Computer Render.

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.

(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.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

But at some stage the fulcrum tipping point is reached. 45-70 Government is certainly not "SCHV".

I'm sure it would've been very SCHV by the standards of the late 1700s if it somehow existed back then.

Checkmate!

Is 6 mm still small caliber? 6.1? 6.2? 6.3? 6.4? 6.5? Nope that's GPC! Will await the write up.

Yep, Zero regrets on anything.