re: PLAN Type 052 Class Destroyer
Unless there are more 052D hulls under construction spotted, this is likely a test rig of sort for at least 2 new components - new VLS and new PAR radar system, thus it'd be at most 2 ships, but I won't be surprised if they stop at one and a bit longer later, move on to newer, larger hull design that can truly be benefited by such new components.
There are already 3 confirmed 052D hulls. One is the one launched recently, another was in the building hall, the other we saw modules of at JNCX and is likely currently started fitting together in the recently vacated building hall.
Recent trends look to me like the PLAN are finally starting to mass produce ships straight off the bat (3 052Ds, likely more to be manufactured off the bat without initial trialling, we have something like 6 to 8 056s identified at various shipyards in stages of construction without one having been trialled yet).
I think this may end up being the new norm. Either way 052D won't be a test rig -- I do not think any freshly built PLAN combatant has been a "test rig" over the last decade, only production models (052C, 054A) or gap fillers (052B, 051C, 054).
Flight III Burke is likely to be something along the lines of the Se Jong class, though there is a significant discussion going on rregarding it.
I would vote for them incoporating one AGS into it, having 128 cells, 2 RAMS and the helo facilities...along with upgrades to the newer dual band radars if they can fit it. But uit is really a stop gap and probably no more than 12 will be built, if that many.
There is so much conflicting reports regarding the future of burkes, some say there'll only be a few flight iii hulls, other places say there's going to even be a flight iv hull!
if reports of flight iii burkes' cost spiralling dramatically are true, it may be easier just for the USN to commission a fresh hull design after building a few flight iii burkes to fill the gap like you said. Although I'll be very surprised if they end up fitting AGS onto a burke hull, it doesn't seem big enough.
But I heavily doubt we'll be seeing a vessel like the original nuclear powered, 25k ton CG(X) proposal being built any time soon.
It's quite funny -- for once, I think the future surface combatant production of the PLAN is somewhat more certain than that of the USN, a role that is usually dramatically reversed.
I believe the Type 052D is a signifivant improvement for the PLAN. I believe they will build eight of them and they will make a huge improvement for the PLAN.
As to the next generation and what innovations it will bring forward, we will simply have to wait and see. We know they are more than capable of building a larger design and fitting it out with whatever new innovations they develop. Thye are proving this with every new ship class they build from the 056, to the o54As, o52Ds to the Liaon Ning.
It's very interesting imo because it seems the chinese shipbuilding industry is one of the major chinese defense industries which has finally "arrived" and caught up in most if not all areas, of the world current gold standards, especially in terms of having the ability to produce most/all subsystems indigenously. Recent gas turbine developments seem to finally have yielded a LM2500 equivalent, chinese sensors and electronics on paper seem as comprehensive as many of the world leading systems (difficult to generalize of course, but look at PARs). With advent of the new VLS it's only a matter of time and continued funding until PLAN ships are equipped with as a comprehensive loadout as Mk 41 VLS equipped ships and obviously hull construction and building rate is world class as well.
So it'll be interesting to see where they go from here, technology wise.
Compare that to the aerospace industry where there are still major challenges in developing and reliably producing heavy thrust engines, and manufacturing large planes.
