The PLAN might only have enough personnel to fill out six 055s in the short term.
052C/052D Class Destroyers
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
They probably will. I won't be surprised they will start laying another set of modules.
Perhaps, but I'm more curious about why there is the idea that construction will pause at 6 initially.
Is it based on observation of the modules currently identified or were there rumours about it?
Also, I'm wondering because the first batch was said to be 8 batches at least.
D
Deleted member 13312
Guest
Maybe because 6 is an even number that is divisible by 3 (the three fleets). Having 6 allows for each fleet to have 2 ships each, alternatively for the time being China is most likely going to have 3 carriers in service within the next 5 years. So 6 055s can be divided up among the 3 to for CBGs.
Seems a bit hard to entertain, considering the context of past years rumours saying that the first batch was initially 8 and then suggested it would be increased.
If they really did want a number divisible by 3 that also fulfills that context then 9 or 12 could work as well too.
But overall I'm more interested in whether there is any rumours suggesting we should only expect 6 ships in the immediate future and the logic behind where that rumour first came from.
D
Deleted member 13312
Guest
Considering that the 055s we are seeing now are the first iterations, it is likely that the designers are planning the next batch with particular changes and improvements.
6 would be the idea number as it gives the navy a usable number of hulls for the immediate future yet at the same time not being excessive.
It would be like seeing the incremental improvements of the Type 52 series.
I don't think we can make an estimate for how many ships of the initial variant would be before moving onto the next variant, considering technological advances for the navy will not be moving at the same pace as from 052 to 052C (including all the ships in between) and we don't know when the key technologies for the next variant will be ready by.
I mean, your theory is not terrible, but it is speculation that can be easily could responded to with a counter hypothesis. I'm asking for a solid grounding preferably from the Chinese boards, for why the idea of 6 initial 055 hulls is being suggested in the first place.