052C/052D Class Destroyers
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
joshuatree
Captain
I hope not, as the 052Ds get commissioned, I hope they decommission the remaining 051s and transfer over the seasoned crews. With so many remaining 053H3s and 053H1Gs, there's more than plenty of older generation (before PLAN had their breakthrough modern designs) ships that already serve low intensity areas. The SCS may no longer be a lower tech area given the USN is pivoting more there along with Japan wanting to get their way into those waters too. Vietnam also has been upgrading their naval roster.
051 ASMs can be re-purposed elsewhere.
Ultra
Junior Member
I am guessing it is due to the fact that China was a brown water/green water navy before and they weren't operating as blue water navy as of now, so they are relatively inexperience in this type of design - the problem with door in stormy sea condition only surfaced when they were operating in blue sea. As China operates more and more as a blue water navy, little issues will be discover and designs will be adapted and refined.
Well they were actually operating within the western pacific when the issue popped up, so it's not exactly blue water, and is actually well within the real of their operational scope of previous years. And of course, blue water conditions vary greatly; the persian gulf is quite different to the strait of magdellan, etc.
I agree that they will adjust certain small design details as they become acquainted to blue water operations, but the small issue regarding the door should never have been an issue, and isn't one which is unique to blue water operations but rather increased frequency of operations in general.
Is ninth hull confirmed? If true, that'd suggest just 3 052D built by Dalian, to get to rumored final tally of 12. Or even just two, if one believes that JN will be building an even number of hulls. Does it make sense to invest in start of production at Dalian for just 2-3 hulls, when those hulls are sure to be more expensive than JN ones, where production process has been optimized? Could we be lookign at more than 12 052D hulls?
I personalize would not be surprised and believe there will be more than 12.
Time will tell.
timepass
Brigadier
We have to first see what composition PLAN will adopt for surface vessels...
IMO, PLAN will be going to have in its each fleet 3DDG/3FFG/5OPV & 1CG flotillas and its pretty much on.
OPVs: (056) 22 commissioned & 3-4 building (correct me if I am wrong) & will reach eventually to final number 60.
FFGs: (054/054A) 2+20 commissioned & 2 launched & 2 building & soon will see more units either 054As or 054Bs to reach 36 numbers.
DDGs: (051B/C + 052/B + SVs) 11 DDGs.
(052C/D) 6+9 (commissioned/sea trails/building).
Total 26 DDGs, so either they will go for 10 more 052Ds or may be 052Es.
CG: 055 is very much on & will reach to 12.
PS: I haven't count old vessels (051s/053s) here.
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Well, however they slice and dice the numbers in each fleet...like I said, I will not be surprised to see more than 12 Type 052Ds.
Blackstone
Brigadier
You know Jeff, I'm beginning to think PLAN will make 052D/n the workhorse of its fleet, just like the Arleigh Burkes, and we might see three-dozen or so of them. 054A/Bs are cheaper, but they're also less capable.
I would not doubt that the 052D could become the PLAN's DDG work horse.
Remember, as the US built up it Burke fleet, they had the OHP FFGs throughout most of that time. It's only been in the last 8-10 years that those FFGs went away. And now, with the SSC being called a frigate, and with these initial LCS being upgraded to a near SSC standard, the US will also have a whole slew of new FFGs in addition to all of those Burkes.
I would not be surprised to ultimately see the PLAN have 24 054A and 18-24 O52Ds, if not more.
The 052Cs are going to be around for a long time too and they are decent vessels themselves.
But with 64 very good VLS cells that can take multiple types of missiles, the 052D is going to be a very good vessel.
They will augment them with a dozen or so Type 055s probably before it is all said and done, sort of like the US has augmented the Burkes for so many years with the Ticos.
Time will tell.