052/052B Class Destroyers

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Re: DDG 052C Thread

They are capable of carrying the nuclear Tomahawks and the US still has them in inventory...but none are out at sea at this time. As I understand it, all the Tomohawks deployed aboard ships at the current time (and for the last several years) are conventional.

As Popeye has said, the SSBN Ohio Class carry their nuclear SLBMs when on patrol.
 

tphuang

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
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re: PLAN Type 052 Class Destroyer

these 2 photos are taken pretty recently from HD shipyard. It looks like they are really not working on it all that much. Kind of sad really, since NSF needs a lot of help.
 

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timepass

Brigadier
re: PLAN Type 052 Class Destroyer

Thnx TP for the pics.

well anyhow these pics confirm that they under retrofitting phase.
 

franco-russe

Senior Member
re: PLAN Type 052 Class Destroyer

Well, at least 112 is now in the HD/ZH drydock, and they seem to have put up even more scaffolding than before. It would perhaps be premature to say retrofitting, but at least there is a small mast on top of the hangar that may sustain a Type 517 Knife Rest radar.
 

sealordlawrence

Junior Member
»Ø¸´: Type 052 (Luhu Class)

This is potentially one of the most interesting ships in the PLAN right now. Being one of the oldest (if not the oldest?) of the HQ-7 generation (as I like to call them) it will be fascinating to see what they do to her as she may gives us some pointers as to what the PLAN is going to do with the 14 HQ-7 ships that they have as they approach their mid-life points.

I agree with franco-russe, the fact that it is now in the dry dock (I think that is the same one the 051C class was built in..?) suggests that it is not going to be scrapped. However, no work has been done yet that gives us any clue as to what is going to be the result. And those two masts on the hangar have always been there, the larger held a volume search radar (Type 518 IIRC?) and the smaller held the Type 347G director for the now removed aft twin 37mm.

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franco-russe

Senior Member
re: PLAN Type 052 Class Destroyer

No, the base for the Type 518 radar on top of the hangar was removed and the new pole mast (still red-leaded), similar to the one for 517 on LUHAI 167, was installed instead.

It would appear that all Chinese-built destroyers should now have 517, since they are even on the new 052C, while they are disappearing from frigates – none on 054/054A, removed from 053H1G, but still on 053H2G/053H3.

The base for HHQ-7, or really Crotale Naval, is still in place, while those, as you note, for the 37 mm guns have been removed along with the associated 347G fire control radars. The openings in the stern for launching the DUBV43 VDS have been plated in.

All in all this looks to be a serious mid-life update, though not conducted with any great urgency, since the ship has been in since mid-2009.

The drydock is apparently only used for repairs and is located at 31 15 30 N 121 32 58 E in what I believe was formerly Zhonghua (but tphuang may correct me on this).

Type 051C was of course built in Dalian, not in Shanghai.

The first PLAN ship to get HHQ-7 was, I think, 051G 109 in 1990. Since then, six more 051s have been equipped with this SAM, so the total number of HHQ-7 units is 20. This SAM is not about to go away from the PLAN any time soon (or from the Marine Nationale, for that matter).
 

sealordlawrence

Junior Member
»Ø¸´: Type 052 (Luhu Class)

On closer inspection you may be right, that mast looks substantially thinner than the one that was there before and Type 517 would certainly make sense. Amongst my various other curiosities around this project I will be interested to see if the Type 730 or one of the RAM type systems, I dont want to speculate though! With that said, if the Type 518 has gone I am expecting to see Type 382 (Sea Eagle) put in an appearance as a replacement. It would be an interesting development if it did as it would be the first HQ-7 ship thus equipped possibly leading to a sensor configuration similar to the 051C class.

I dont count the 051's as they seem to be approaching the ends of their lives (they basically got HQ-7 as part of their mid-life upgrade), I should have better explained my categorization.
 
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franco-russe

Senior Member
Re: »Ø¸´: Type 052 (Luhu Class)

Without the Type 051, you have 13 HHQ-7 equipped ships (LUHU, LUHAI, JIANGWEI II).

You should bear in mention that HQ-7 is not only found in the Navy. A number of division-level air defence battalions of the Ground Forces also have it, on that horrible-looking launch vehicle developed for the Armée de l’Air (I find it hard to believe that anything that ugly could have been designed in France, of all countries!). So it is not only a question of getting rid of an obsolescent system (though as far as I remember updated with a faster missile in French and no doubt Chinese service) from one of the Armed Forces.

I do not like to speculate either, but yes, a 730-HHQ-10 combination looks like a distinct possibility. And Type 382, too, to replace 363S.
 

sealordlawrence

Junior Member
»Ø¸´: Type 052 (Luhu Class)

Ships new built with HQ-7 I have,

10 x Jiangwei II

2 x Luhu class

1 x Luhai class

2 x Jiangkai-I Class

For a total of 15.

Do you have the Hull numbers for the 051's you think have been fitted with HQ-7? The only ones I have notes of are 109, 110, 165, 166.

I dont think HQ-7 as a system is going anywhere though I agree that an upgraded missile is probable. The biggest changes to the ships will probably be in radar and CMS.
 
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