Re: PLAN Type 052 Class Destroyer
I posted the following on my own page, and also around the net:
March 21, 2014
The Chinese Navy commissioned the first of class, Type 052D, destroyer, DDG-172, Kunming, on March 21, 2014. This is a new class of destroyer that is a significant upgrade over the Type 052C,
, destroyers that the Chinese have finished building six of. The Lanzhou Class was Chinas first true multi-rile, wide
area defense destroyer employing a sophisticated battle management system, Phased Array Radars, and Vertical Lunch missile systems. That earlier class had 48 cells for surface to air missile to defend a large group ships (like a carrier battle group) against air attack from aircraft or missiles.
The Type 052D Class, or
, has been upgraded significantly. This vessel employs 64 cells of vertical launch
missiles that are capable of launching anti-air missiles, anti-surface missiles, or anti-submarine missiles from the same cells, similar to the US Navy Mk-41 Vertical Launch System. In addition, the vessel
sports a new main gun, 1a 130mm dual purpose gun supposedly capable of firing extended range munitions. Critically, the vessel is also fitted with larger and more powerful Active Phased Array Radars (APARS) over the Lanzhou Class, which will undoubtedly have longer range, and may well have better discrimination and resolution over their earlier APARS.
In addition, rather than two 30mm Close in Weapon System (CIWS) guns, the Kunming carrier a CIWS gun forward, but now has a 24-missile launcher, the FL-3000N, aft, over the helicopter hanger deck for close
in missile defense. This system, also deployed on the Chinese aircraft carrier,
, appears to be the equivalent of the US Navy RAM missile system.
With these improvements, the Chinese Navy, with the
, are approaching parity with the US Navy systems deployed
on the AEGIS Destroyers of the Arliegh Burke Class...though the Chinese vessels are 2,000 tons lighter and carry less missiles.
Here are pictures from the commissioning of the vessel.
The second in class, the DDG-172, Changsha, is preparing for sea trials and should also be commissioned later this year.
The third in class was launched last year and is currently fitting out. The fourth in class was recently launched and is also fitting out. The fifth in class in under construction, with the modular pieces of the sixth in class ready to go into the Chinese construction facilities.
It is expected that the Chinese will build at least twelve of these very capable vessels. With the previous six
, this will give the PLAN eighteen very capable, very modern destroyers of this type. They also have eleven or twelve other modern destroyers of different classes.
