052D is a very comfortable ship. For soldiers, the ship has a laundry room, drying room, gym, recreation room, etc. Chinese state media has also photographed the interior of 052D
052C/052D Class Destroyers
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
lcloo
Captain
They are not similar in capability.
I'd guess the PLA wants numbers. 055 is quite a bit more expensive. Even if the 055 is more capable, 2 052DLs will be able to cover more area, be more survivable in case an enemy missile gets a lucky hit, be more available for deployment due to maintenance etc
By the way, does anyone know how many shells the 052D and 055 can carry for their main gun?
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052DL is much cheaper due to smaller size and engine: they use mixed diesel + gas turbine vs all gas turbine on the 055. Meanwhile sometimes you just don't need the magazine depth or just numbers, you need presence but with something serious.
2x 052D can fit this requirement better than a 055+056.
If you look at the carrier group diagram from Modern Ships, we can see a number of Type-052s acting as radar pickets along the threat axis. Diagrams of US carrier groups also have radar pickets on the threat axis.
For radar pickets, what matters is the radar on the ship, not a very large number of missiles
Is it possible sometime in the near future for the PLAN to upgrade their 6 Type 052C destroyers in order for them to achieve the same/similar level of technological advancement and offensive plus defensive capabilities as the Type 052D destroyers, older 1st batch at the very least?
Such as universal VLS cells, more advanced radar systems and fire control systems, etc.
Such as universal VLS cells, more advanced radar systems and fire control systems, etc.
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Type-052C-class-armament-02.jpg
Logically they might. These ships might already have been designed for future upgrades in mind. I have ideas of how I may do it myself if I were in PLAN's place.
According to my own ideas:
The front circular VLS can be changed to the U-VLS, to be loaded with the latest version of HHQ-9. However on the rear area, the slanted antiship missile canister layout is retained but instead of the YJ-62, they are using the YJ-12 instead. Using the 7 meter missle requirement U-VLS, we might be able to use the YU-8 ASROC and quad pack SAM, but not the YJ-18, which is why we use the YJ-12 instead as the YJ-62 replacement.
The four main radar panels are overhauled, replacing the old modules with the current ones used in the latest 052D.
The IFF systems are changed to the bar arrays you see placed on top of the 052D's bridge.
The ESM antenna mast is changed to the 052D standard.
The Type 517 VHF array changed to the Type 520 'fly swatter' array.
Main gun and the two Type 730 CIWs are retained. So we can save our Yuan and get the ships out to service faster.
Add a VDS for the ASW.
052C already has a minor update installed where two ESM omnidirectional arrays were switched from the older design to a newer design found only in the batch 2 052D and 052D extended. Other minor updates include installation of new circular SATCOMs.
Never heard that. Do you have any photo?