re: PLAN Type 052 Class Destroyer
Are those fan pics, or something more official?
Having 72 VLS Hot cells, and two of the FN-3000L launchers would be a significant upgrade to the Type 052Cs, which, IMHO are already very decent vessels. Although I wouldn't give up entirely on the GUN CIWS systems, maybe two of them amidships to augment the FN-3000L systems, or peprhaps a couple of those auto fire 25mm guns we see on the new Type 056 OPV. You simply need those types of weapons to ensure that any suicide bomber small craft can be dispatched at close quarters..
They are certainly not official drawings, though they are very well done.
With the type 052C hull as it is I think it would be hard for it to squeeze a burke number of VLS without making it dramatically larger, but something in the 64+ range should be doable.
Let's wait and see if this 7th DDG hull is 052C or 052D as some people have been speculating.
Some talked about it as a dual band radar.
You mean this new PAR? If it was dual band shouldn't there be another "set" of arrays being tested?
The current 346 L-band is selected because of compromise between accuracy and range.
I thought 346 was S band?
---------- Post added at 09:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 AM ----------
Compare the ship´s grating (you know the bars that protect crew from falling off a deck). if we assume that both have the same height for both ships, then we can assume that the two PARS have about 3+something times the grating height, in other words have the same height. In addition, 346 is not square, but its almost. This new PAR is not a square. Its also a rectangle, more so than 346, in which the base is considerably wider than the height. Thats why the (correct) impression that its much wider than 346.
Well measuring it off the screen with a ruler gives tells me the width and height are identical for the new PAR, not the most accurate of course. But I feel quite certain this thing is almost fully a square.
Just for the hell of it, I measured the new PAR at 3cm vs 3cm while 346 was 3cm vs 2.5cm (so 9cm^2, 7.5cm^2 respectively). So at the minimum, assuming new PAR and 346 have the same height, the new PAR has an area roughly 20% greater than 346, certainly not an insignificant increase.
I disagree. Taking into acount that these ships havent been produced since a good number of years, why would they build these new 052C, if 052D is right around the corner ??
There could be any amount of reasons really. Anything from subsystems delayed, or PLAN feel they needed a few more 052Cs to fill up the gap while they waited for 052D, whatever.
Whether the seventh hull in JN is 052D or 052C is yet to be seen, but the possibility should be entertained.
---------- Post added at 09:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 AM ----------
I believe that there could be room on the structure aft of the stacks for the CIWS if they are as self contained as I think they are. Or, for the much smaller 25mm autocannons like are on the Type 056 OPV. They are, like the MK-38 on US ships, a very small footprint, and not too much wirining for their remote control function.
I'll try and modify a drawing or two to show each.
Actually I believe the 056 autocannons are 30mm.
But I completely agree -- I hope 052D and all following new surface combatants are armed with the new 30mm gun as well, for point defense especially if their ciws are not gun based. It seems a small, nice gun and I believe the PLAN will have learnt the potential value of such systems with their trips to aden.
