052C/052D Class Destroyers
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Yes, that what “L” is for. And also you can see the new much larger rectangle warning radar at the back.
052DL is just the current Internet shoo in name for the extended deck 052D with the improved VHF radar. Its not official. The L being for "Long". Other Internet buzzers refer to it as 052DG with the "G" for "Gai", the Chinese term for improved, same as "Kai" for Japanese and just simply "M" or "Mod" for Russian.
This was taken not too long ago but its not the most recent of pictures, which showed 120 Chengdu has already left the roost and has joined her permanent home base.
120 Chengdu is the last of the non stretched 052D to reach service, so this is an end of an era. With three 052DL already on sea trials, two already in the advanced PLAN stage trials, one in the shipyard trials, I would think they are not slowing down but hastening the process and also improving it.
I see no indication of slowdown of construction but I anticipate 052D might possibly end around the 30th ship. The ship is becoming more and more the old model. To keep the shipyards filled, you preferably need to go all out 055, but they might still go build additional 052D as a way of subsidy if 055 costs are too high. Also I believe its high time for a 052D successor.
