StopSquarkS
New Member
Old (2012) photos of 宁波 (139) and 鄱阳湖 (882) practicing UNREP
PLAN Sovremenny DDG 136, 137, 138 & 139 Thread
- Thread starter FarkTypeSoldier
- Start date
Great pics!
But I do not think I would characterize this as them "practicing" UNREP...they are actually performing it.
StopSquarkS
New Member
宁波 (139) firing a P-270 missile
I agree with Jeff's assessment on their capabilities as well as usefulness.
I do have my own opinion on how the PLAN should operate these vessels.
The four Sov's, along with their Chinese analogues the Type 052B's DDG 168 & DDG 169 as well as 051B DDG 167 and 051C's DDG's 115 and 116 and the old 051's DDG 112 and 113 should all be placed together in a separate unit under a single fleet.
Their relatively unique propulsion, weapon and sensor systems, will allow the PLAN to concentrate all of their particular logistical requirements under a single command and I believe will, in the end allow these 'special children' the care and feeding they require.
The unit could also develop tactics suited to their unique systems and capabilities.
Just my 2 cents.
I do have my own opinion on how the PLAN should operate these vessels.
The four Sov's, along with their Chinese analogues the Type 052B's DDG 168 & DDG 169 as well as 051B DDG 167 and 051C's DDG's 115 and 116 and the old 051's DDG 112 and 113 should all be placed together in a separate unit under a single fleet.
Their relatively unique propulsion, weapon and sensor systems, will allow the PLAN to concentrate all of their particular logistical requirements under a single command and I believe will, in the end allow these 'special children' the care and feeding they require.
The unit could also develop tactics suited to their unique systems and capabilities.
Just my 2 cents.
antiterror13
Brigadier
what kind of upgrades, anybody knows?
DDG 136 and 139 getting a refit. 137 and 138 will also probably going to be modernized.
Well, the PLAN has a total of four Sovremennys (as you point out). They are:
Hangzhou DDG-136
Fuzhou DDG-137
Taizhou DDG-138
Ningbo DDG-139
But they are also two different variants of the Sovremenny design from Russia.
The first two ships were Type 956A , and were purchased from Russia while they were being built and delivered in 1999 and 2000. They cost $600 million dollars (US) for both..
In 2002 China ordered two new, improved 956EM variants which were built from the start for China and they were delivered in 2005 and 2006. These improved ships cost $1.5 billion dollars (US) for both...or over twice as much.
The improved 956EM vessels had the aft AK-130 gun removed. In addition, the four AK-630 CIWS were replaced by a Kashtan CIWS short-range air defence system on each side. Each Kashtan system has a 3R86E1 command module and two 3R87E combat modules. Each combat module has two 30 mm GSh-30k six-barrel guns (range 0.5 to 4 km) and two SA-N-11 air defense missiles (range of 1.5 to 8 km) with an auto-reloader. The improved 956EM version is also the first to be armed with the newer version of the SS-N-22 missile, which was designated 3-M80MBE. There were reports that the new missile was funded by China. The newer missile increases the range from 120 km to 200 km. The air defense software was upgraded to accommodate the newer SA-N-12/SA-17 SAM system.
In 2006, extra spheres were added to the superstructures of the Chinese ships when they were upgraded with the domestic HN-900 Data link (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B) and SATCOM (probably the SNTI-240).
I am not sure what the new upgrades will be, but they are apparenytly being applied to both the 956A and 956EM types because we see in that photo that 137 and 138 are being worked on. DDG-137 is the Fuzhou and was the second Type 956A vessel. DDG-138 is the first 956EM vessel and is the Taizhou.
It will be interesting to see what they do to these vessels.
As I have repeatedly said, these are very capable and potent vessels, and I expect the PLAN will keep them in service into the 2030s.
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asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
Imagine they added in a VLS system!!
8 SA-N-11 and in general each Kashtan get 24 reloads.
Yes. I have always believed that the Sovremennys were very well armed for a non-VLS vessel. Two single armed launchers for the AAW missiles with 24 missiles for each launcher totaling 48. Eight very decent ASuM missiles, and then with the two Kashtan CIWS, four 30mm CIWS with 64 total Close-in AAW missiles. So a total of 112 AAW missiles. A single Hormone ASW helicopter. Not bad at all...including of course that dual 130mm main gun.
Very similar in function to the Kidd Class DDGs the US produced...which were known in US service as AEGIS light. With their New Threat Upgrade in the 1990s, they were capable of cooperative engagement with the AEGIS cruisers...meaning the AEGIS vessel could control their AAW missiles while the Kidd's remained "silent" from an electronic sensor standpoint. Two 127mm guns, two 20mm Phalanx, two dual-arm launchers for standard missiles with 40 missiles in each magazine for a total of 80 missiles, two Seahawk ASW helos.
Powerful stuff.
Now Taiwan has all four of those vessels. But in Taiwan service I believe the vessels are only equipped with like 24 standard missiles for each magazine, or 48 standard missiles per ship...so very similar to the PLAN Sovs main AAW loadout..
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