052C/052D Class Destroyers

Max Demian

Junior Member
Registered Member
Any info on the growth margin of Type 052D?

The hulls seem pretty maxed out as they are, sitting 1m deeper than 052Cs and displacing upwards of 8000t.
 

Tam

Brigadier
Registered Member
Any info on the growth margin of Type 052D?

The hulls seem pretty maxed out as they are, sitting 1m deeper than 052Cs and displacing upwards of 8000t.

The platform's foundations goes back to the original Type 052 and should be tapped out. Hence why I suspect its headed towards the end of the line, leaving behind the 055 and the next gen frigate --- ship I speculate to be between the 054A and the 052D in displacement.
 

Max Demian

Junior Member
Registered Member
The platform's foundations goes back to the original Type 052 and should be tapped out. Hence why I suspect its headed towards the end of the line, leaving behind the 055 and the next gen frigate --- ship I speculate to be between the 054A and the 052D in displacement.
They ought to make the switch soon and not build too many of them. Overweight Type 052D hulls without growth margins and hybrid electric or all electric drive are a poor investment for the future.
 

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
the Type 054B should enlarged to 6,000 tons with dual hangers

and they should end the Type 052D programme

future should be FFG+ CG and no DDG they have enough for now
 

gongolongo

Junior Member
Registered Member
the Type 054B should enlarged to 6,000 tons with dual hangers

and they should end the Type 052D programme

future should be FFG+ CG and no DDG they have enough for now
Theoretically yes but you have to remember the economics of acquisitions. The Type 052D is half the price of 055. There are cost-benefit arguements for both sides.
 

Lethe

Captain
the Type 054B should enlarged to 6,000 tons with dual hangers

and they should end the Type 052D programme

Several years ago I argued for a future production mix of 6000t ASW frigates (with dual hangars) and 055s, supplemented by a new 2500-3000 ton light ASW frigate (with 1x hangar) replacing 056 in production.

The ongoing production of 052Ds (and 056s) put an end to that discussion for a time but I still believe it represents the best path forward.

In any case, we will want to see evidence of something under construction soon. PLAN has only another another fifteen years of "boom" time remaining before the potential for future growth in the surface combatant inventory will be greatly constrained by having to replace large numbers of existing ships, so each period that passes between now and then without evidence of new construction subtracts directly from future inventory projections.
 

Tam

Brigadier
Registered Member
They ought to make the switch soon and not build too many of them. Overweight Type 052D hulls without growth margins and hybrid electric or all electric drive are a poor investment for the future.

They stopped at 25, although for the sake of expediency they might still order a few more as a possibility. The switch is toward the 055 itself. There is a pause now after an aggressive 5 year build program but we may start to see something come out in the months or two that can determine if the 052X program is continued or not.
 

Tam

Brigadier
Registered Member
Theoretically yes but you have to remember the economics of acquisitions. The Type 052D is half the price of 055. There are cost-benefit arguements for both sides.

The 052D may have the advantage in the upfront cost or buy cost, but in the long run, it maybe something else. The all AESA approach on the 055 may make it cheaper and easier to maintain, no mechanical radars that need overhauls. The amount of crew on the two seems the same or similar, and the larger ship may make it more comfortable. There is also a ceiling finite number of ships that existing PLAN bases can hold so you will reach at that point the way forward is not to outnumber but to improve the capabilities within this finite amount.
 

weig2000

Captain
the Type 054B should enlarged to 6,000 tons with dual hangers

and they should end the Type 052D programme

future should be FFG+ CG and no DDG they have enough for now

This would be what I advocate in the mid- to long term, although I think they should continue to build another 10 052D's or so. This is because 1) PLAN needs a critical mass of modern destroyers in current situation and 2) 052D has been in batch production for a while now so the cost, production speed and training are all optimized.

Longer term, 052D's potential has been maxed out and are a bit smallish. I've never quite liked the idea of a 4000+ tons 054B or 057 frigate - they're too small for blue-water ASW and have less endurance. A 6000-ton frigate would be ideal. 055 and its upgrades obviously would continue to be built.

So in a few years, they should only build the 6000-ton frigate and 13,000-ton destroyer/cruiser.
 
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