Re: DDG 052C Thread
You guys have valid points but why I said it was a disappointment is because drawing the US as a yardstick, the US has standardized on the hot-launch MK-41 platform which afford them a far more flexible, not to mention efficient, mission payload options, not just for SAMs but for the offensive punch like cruise missiles as well. Inch for inch and pound for pound, the circular cold-launch arrangement ain't as efficient, though the space and displacement would be required to house the cold-launch system that's unavoidable.
Plus, there has been 4 years since the first 2 boats launched and there was no apparent improvement in terms of loadout, that's another reason for disappointment...it's not like the 2-year gap with 071 LPD. It's 4 years we're talking about! Whatever China hoped to close the gap already pulled further ahead by all its neighboring enemies.
If anyone gonna say adopting a more modular, more offensive-capable launch system would be too aggressive, I'd tell you the day when the world stop saying China is a threat would be when China's army reduced to using arrows and stones.
And I agreed with ZTZ99, contend with "at-least" ain't gonna cut the mustard. Certainly I don't buy the "next-generation DDG design" as yet.
Anyway, after 4 years still rolling out with a less-efficient, less-modular launch system is a disappointment.
okay, this is the kind of fanboy stuff I'm talking about.
Whenever PLAN produces a new vessel class, it typically builds one or two prototype, solves all of its problems and then move on to serial production later. We have seen this with 054, Song, Yuan, 071, Type 22 (to a minor degree), Type 082A and so on. In most cases, the first of mass produced vessels get launched 3 or 4 years the prototype got launched. In the case of 052C, it took 7 years for this process to happen. The reason why it took so long is that the complexity of 052C and the improvement over 051B (remember there was a large jump from 051B to 052B) is so dramatic that they needed at least 5 years to fix all of the problems found in the new long air defense missile, the launch system, the new multi-functional radar and the combat system.
The fact that it took them 7 years should tell you that they set the bar of entry very high when it comes to the combat system, MFR and other new electronics. It's clear from 054A, that PLAN does not need 7 years to just develop a new SAM, FCRs and launch system. Now, I think there is also the additional factor of relocation of JN shipyard, but it was going to be long regardless if you consider the jump from 051B to 052B to 052C.
As for this concept of modular, offensive VLS, you have to consider the consequences. If you want to combine HQ-16 and HH-9 on the same ship, you would have to fit in all of the radars and electronics needed to support the missiles. These additions will add weight and space requirements that current 052C hull simply cannot support (consider additional electronics interference from having radars supporting both missiles). You would need a complete new hull series in order to support that. Now, consider that they just finished the process of being able to locally produce QC280 (aka QT25000), which weight class of destroyers can they support with just this class of gas turbine available? Simply put, the move to a new ddg series would require too much change. Now that they've finally found this long range air defense system to be mature, they need to mass produce this class while also working on building the prototype for the next ddg series.
If we are only considering adding LACMs to 052C, we have already seen that the space used for YJ-62 launchers can be used to hold LACM launchers. At the same time, the HH-9 SAMs would also have secondary anti-shipping modes like S-300 and SM-2, so there is no real shortage of strike power.
What I would say is that I'm expecting it to have more VLS modules on these ones than the first 2. I think they would've made a mistake if they did not increase from 48 to say 60. That's the kind of change they can make without too radically changing the hull.
As usual, waiting patiently to see more from this recently launched ship.
