052/052B Class Destroyers

Re: DDG 052C Thread

Yep. I'd even dare to say USN navy never had such a building/modernization programme in the last 50 or so years. Even at the heights of the Cold war, there was hardly more than 3 destroyers built per year, and all of them were less capable than Burkes. It is actually strange that the entire DoD defense spending, in terms of GDP percentage, is higher today than it was at the spending low point of the Cold war, in 1979.

And when we take into account how many other big vessels USN (like carriers) had during the Cold war, and how many of its capital ships were area defence ships, i beileve USN never had today's ratio of area air defence ships per carrier/amphibious assault ship. I find that interesting...

Re: DDG 052C Thread

franco-russe said:

That may be so, but that is heritage and certainly not the way the USN is going to build destroyers in the future. When construction of BURKE class destroyers Flight IIB (or whatever they will eventually be called) was resumed after the unhappy interlude of the three white elephants of the ZUMWALT class, it will be at the following rate in FY10-15: 1-2-1-2-1-2, for a total of nine in six years, and similar rates in the years ahead until 2040 (US shipbuilding programmes may have been modified since, but not radically changed).

With four destroyers currently under construction, all likely to be in service by 2012, China so far does not compare too badly.

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I suppose the key issue is Arleigh Burke ships have been built by Ingalls as well as Bath Ironwork simultaneously, while 052 series can only be built at Jiangnan shipyard for now. There is a possibility for Dalian Shipyard to resume construction for destroyers after they're done with Vayarg. Therefore whether PLAN's destroyer fleet would accelerate its expansion is remain to be seen.

Re: DDG 052C Thread

EDIATH said:

I suppose the key issue is Arleigh Burke ships have been built by Ingalls as well as Bath Ironwork simultaneously, while 052 series can only be built at Jiangnan shipyard for now. There is a possibility for Dalian Shipyard to resume construction for destroyers after they're done with Vayarg. Therefore whether PLAN's destroyer fleet would accelerate its expansion is remain to be seen.

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Not to mention China's shipyards with the capabilities to construct ships of such displacement have to work on civilian ships too, so the PLAN have to share the work queue with civilian sectors.

Re: DDG 052C Thread

MwRYum said:

Not to mention China's shipyards with the capabilities to construct ships of such displacement have to work on civilian ships too, so the PLAN have to share the work queue with civilian sectors.

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Not really some of the berth in Changxin shipyard are dedicated to naval ships construction . Plus what you see in Changxin is only the beginning in the next 10 years Hudong and other shipyard will be move there too . So it will be gigantic shipyard They can pump out any number of ships providing they have the budget

Re: DDG 052C Thread

The Arleigh Burke class DDG is like the USN "gold standard". It's a very successful platform that will likely go to flight 3 production, and has effectively replaced the Kidd, Spruance class, and many fuctions previously performed by the OH Perry's. Its price is also affordable (by USN standards) at $1.1 billion each, versus the Zumwalt class at $3.5 billion (construction cost) or $5.964 billion (total program cost?) each.

The PLAN jumped from point-defense AAW in the 1990s to zone-defense AAW with 052B/051C/052C in 2000's. But unlike the USN, the PLAN has not had many years to fully deploy, operate, and absorb the new technologies. I'd expect to see at least a couple more revisions before the PLAN has an AAW DDG that they're happy with.

Re: DDG 052C Thread

Just throwing an idea out there. Any chance that of those 4 under construction, only one of them (the one we have the clearest photos for) is the 052C+? The others might be the 10,000 ton displacement 052D with the square VLS? After all, we don't have clear photos for those others, and we don't know if they are actually the same!

Re: DDG 052C Thread

Roger604 said:

Just throwing an idea out there. Any chance that of those 4 under construction, only one of them (the one we have the clearest photos for) is the 052C+? The others might be the 10,000 ton displacement 052D with the square VLS? After all, we don't have clear photos for those others, and we don't know if they are actually the same!

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If there was something (as significant as being) in the 10k ton range I'm sure we would've heard about it (like earlier this year we heard about how a new destroyer was going to come out). Depressingly enough, we don't even know if PLAN is working on a higher displacement destroyer with square/modular VLS and such. There was that whole debate a few pages back on propulsion, money, time, technology etc relating to PLAN destroyer development.

Re: DDG 052C Thread

Roger604 said:

Just throwing an idea out there. Any chance that of those 4 under construction, only one of them (the one we have the clearest photos for) is the 052C+? The others might be the 10,000 ton displacement 052D with the square VLS? After all, we don't have clear photos for those others, and we don't know if they are actually the same!

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I wouldn't hold my breath for it if I were you.

Re: DDG 052C Thread

^ We'll know soon enough. I have my suspicion about this because Huitong's site had some details about 052D, including a bit about integrated mast sensors. I also read an interesting article on Chinese BBS saying that 172 will be the last 052C and the next ones will be 10,000 ton displacement destroyers with the square VLS.

Re: DDG 052C Thread

Sounds like wishful thinking. If the PLAN had a new destroyer design that they are building right now, there would be little reason to build 052cs at the same time. They might as well hold off for a few years and move straight onto the new destroyer class.