Placard on CNS Fuyang about its VLS, showing a "missile". Ayi says this is hinting at quad packing (on the 054A?)
054/A FFG Thread II
- Thread starter tphuang
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Maybe, but this one is the first photo of ESSM from Google search...Placard on CNS Fuyang about its VLS, showing a "missile". Ayi says this is hinting at quad packing (on the 054A?)
Yes, because the PLA doesn't want to show their missile
If it could fit in 054A's smaller VLS it definitely could fit on UVLS.
FriedRiceNSpice
Major
Why not both? Frigates only have 32 cell VLS, and likely a portion of the cells will be allocated to ASW weapons (of which multipack may also be desirable) or possibly even drones in future.
Ideally the greater volume of UVLS would be utilized to fit a more capable missile for multipack. I'd imagine something similar to the HQ-9C would be multipacked on UVLS, while frigates may quadpack something like the rumored 555 missile (same ballpark performance parameters as ESSM).
The H/AKJ-16 is slightly larger than Mk41 right? So not surprising?
ESSM being quad-packed is presumably what makes this a hint towards quad-packing, as Ayi says.
Placard on CNS Fuyang about its VLS, showing a "missile". Ayi says this is hinting at quad packing (on the 054A?)
If 054A is actually capable of quad packing a competent MR SAM, it would certainly somewhat change the assessment of all H/AJK-16 VLS equipped ships...
Though a picture of ESSM seems like a very roundabout way of conveying the idea (if that is even what they wanted to convey to begin with)
I know, but why pursue quad packing on the 054A's first instead of the 052D/055's UVLS? A quad packable SAM is a much better addition to the PLAN's larger combatants, unless the PLAN's idea is that UVLS be conserved for larger missiles and ESSM-like MR SAMs to mostly/only be fitted in H/AJK-16.