052C/052D Class Destroyers

DDG 174 Hefei is commissioned into PLAN South Sea Fleet service today (December 12th) at Sanya Naval Base.



中国产新型导弹驱逐舰合肥舰入列命名及授旗仪式，12日上午在三亚某军港举行，标志着该舰正式加入人民海军的战斗序列。受海军司令员吴胜利、政委苗华委托，海军副政委王登平出席仪式并为合肥舰授旗、颁发命名证书。

　　冬日的三亚，蓝天碧海，温暖如春。停泊在码头的合肥舰悬挂满旗，舰上官兵精神抖擞，分区列队。上午9时，在雄壮的军乐伴奏下，合肥舰入列命名授旗仪式正式开始。王登平宣读了合肥舰入列命名命令，并为该舰授旗、颁发命名证书。舰长赵岩泉代表全体舰员接过八一军旗和命名证书。安徽省合肥市有关领导与合肥舰签订了共建协议，并授予该舰全体官兵“合肥市荣誉市民”称号。

We just knew this was going to happen soon, and hopefully 175 gets commissioned into the fleet early next year.
Anyway, here's a picture of the commissioning of the 3rd 052D.
You know i like to see photo's of the ships with those ceremonial flags, as it leaves in no doubt that the vessel has officially been accepted into the fleet.

steve_rolfe said:

You know i like to see photo's of the ships with those ceremonial flags, as it leaves in no doubt that the vessel has officially been accepted into the fleet.

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The only meaningful moment is when they hoist up the naval ensign instead of the shipyard flag after the trials. This is the official moment. The ship could be dressed like that for launching ceremony before sea trials and before entering the list.

Janiz said:

The only meaningful moment is when they hoist up the naval ensign instead of the shipyard flag after the trials. This is the official moment. The ship could be dressed like that for launching ceremony before sea trials and before entering the list.

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In this case there is a pretty clear Chinese military flag on the bow of the ship, which is also somewhat ceremonial in nature.
Naval (or in this case military) ensigns are not usually mounted on those ceremonial locations (bow or stern of a ship) during standard operations.

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Either way, nice to see 174 commissioned.

I don't recall this picture being posted here before -- but confirmation that 052D has the same type of VDS as 056A and the last few 054A, at last!

Bltizo said:

I don't recall this picture being posted here before -- but confirmation that 052D has the same type of VDS as 056A and the last few 054A, at last!

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The presence of VDS is quite important IMO -- for a surface combatant, outside of having an ASW helicopter, a towed variable depth sonar is the next best sonar type for ASW work... and it's even better if that VDS is accompanied by a straight line towed array sonar.
We know the 18th 054A and onwards have a VDS + TAS, which makes 7 054As with VDS + TAS (assuming 24 054As), add that to 8 current known 056As with VDS + TAS (with more likely in future), as well as all 12 052Ds virtually guaranteed to all have the same VDS + TAS outfit as well... that makes 26 surface combatants with quite comprehensive ASW suites including hull sonar (all of those surface combatants have hull sonar) + VDS + TAS... the last of which are likely to enter service by 2020 (given the last 052D will probably enter service around then).

And that doesn't include the likely possibility that more 056As will be built in the short term, as well as the likely possibility that the 054A successor in a few years will also have a VDS + TAS outfit as well of at least equal capability.... and add to that a possible order for a further twelve 052Ds... not to mention 055s which likely will not forgo a comprehensive ASW suite either...

Considering all that, as well as the fact that all six 052Cs have hull sonar + TAS and 054As 1 to 16 have hull sonar + TAS as well, then that actually gives the Chinese Navy a very large fleet of surface combatants with comprehensive sonar suites for ASW work.
Obviously we don't know the exact absolute capability of those sonar suites, but the fact that they're paying so much attention to giving them at least the types of sonar that are needed for exceptional ASW ships is encouraging.

Also future upgrades can add ASW equipment like TAS on the early Type 054A units which currently don't have it

But I think using the FFG for heavy under water screening is very important and adding a Type 056 for this role is important too

Imagine a submarine near Chinese coast and the navy has to tie down a DDG for this role ? Not good due of resources

So it's important the FFG and corvettes can do this job

I think I wrote both here and on my blog in 2014 that this was the case.

Also, the 054A should all have TAS.

Type 056 ASW version is just taking over the role of sub-chasers from the Type 037s. Not surprising at all that they have VDS.

asif iqbal said:

Also future upgrades can add ASW equipment like TAS on the early Type 054A units which currently don't have it

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Just to reiterate what tphuang said, all 054As have TAS, it is only the pair of 054s which do not have TAS.

So a summary as I know it:
2 x 052 post refit = bow sonar and TAS
2 x 052B = bow sonar (no TAS)
6 x 052C = bow sonar and TAS
12 x 052D = bow sonar and TAS and VDS
2 x 054 = bow sonar (no TAS)
17 x 054A (first 17) = bow sonar and TAS
7 x 054A (last 7) = bow sonar and TAS and VDS
Unknown number of 056s with bow sonar and TAS (though all 056s are suspected to have at least bow sonar)
8 (or more) x 056As = bow sonar and TAS and VDS

tphuang said:

I think I wrote both here and on my blog in 2014 that this was the case.

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I think 052D having a VDS has been highly suspected/virtually confirmed since the aft square door was first IDed... but I do not recall that picture showing the VDS clearly being posted before.

Yes clearly I meant VDS instead of TAS