054/A FFG Thread II

[Jeff Head]

It is only LIAONING and a selection of East Sea Fleet ships, ranging from the destroyer 136 to a humble water tanker, that have had the awful white pennant numbers.

In the present task force, 136 is the only one to have them...

"Awful?" LOL! You wound my feelings. Hehehe.

Not so awful to those of us who are used to them my friend...but understandable given the long time policy of the PLAN to use something different.

So, perhaps just a carrier group centered on the Liaoning will have them? In that case, we have seen the carrier, we have seen a single Type 054! the Sov, DDG-136 (which is somewhat of a surprise to me), and apparently a tanker/replenishment vessel. I would expect to see at least one Type 052C and perhaps another FFG for a full group to ensure adequate ASW and AAW coverage.

Then again, who knows why they are painting these numbers as they are? A trial? As franco says, it could very well have nothing to o with the carrier group at all.

At that, it will be a powerful group, perhaps also consisting of at least one Type 093 SSN.

Time will tell.

 

[Lintuperhonen]

It is only LIAONING and a selection of East Sea Fleet ships, ranging from the destroyer 136 to a humble water tanker, that have had the awful white pennant numbers.

In the present task force, 136 is the only one to have them, while 139, 525, 529 and 882 have black pt.nos.

I doubt that all ships will get them: When finishing its refit at Shenjia, Shanghai, in April this year, it had the white pt.no., but now it has obviously changed back to black.

I also like the old style markings. They resemble of "The Good Old Times" and somehow look more stylish. But I also think that the new pennant number system is more practical in poor visiblity and so on.

 

[Blackstone]

I also like the old style markings. They resemble of "The Good Old Times" and somehow look more stylish. But I also think that the new pennant number system is more practical in poor visiblity and so on.

We differ on what constitute 'style,' and in my youth, things like loud colors, jive clothing, gaudy car adornment, and overstated decorum (i.e., huge hull numbers) were frowned upon because they suggest the 'look-at-me' mentality generally associated with the less refined segments of the society.

 

[Mysterre]

things like loud colors, jive clothing

Dayam, you must be old LOL

 

[LesAdieux]

cctv reported the mission last night, it said sona once detacted foreign submarine, alarm was given, and helicopters were sent out to search, cctv even gave pictures of three or four circling heli, they talked about whose sub it was.

 

[cn_habs]

cctv reported the mission last night, it said sona once detacted foreign submarine, alarm was given, and helicopters were sent out to search, cctv even gave pictures of three or four circling heli, they talked about whose sub it was.

Good practice during peace time for sure. I'd be worried if 054s never found anything.

 

[jobjed]

"Awful?" LOL! You wound my feelings. Hehehe.

Not so awful to those of us who are used to them my friend...but understandable given the long time policy of the PLAN to use something different.

So, perhaps just a carrier group centered on the Liaoning will have them? In that case, we have seen the carrier, we have seen a single Type 054A, the Sov, DDG-136 (which is somewhat of a surprise to me), and apparently a tanker/replenishment vessel. I would expect to see at least one Type 052C and perhaps another FFG for a full group to ensure adequate ASW and AAW coverage.

At that, it will be a powerful group, perhaps also consisting of at least one Type 093 SSN.

Time will tell.

I believe it was a Type 054 that got painted with the new scheme. Number 526 IIRC, not a type 054A.

 

[franco-russe]

"Awful?" LOL! You wound my feelings. Hehehe.

Not so awful to those of us who are used to them my friend...but understandable given the long time policy of the PLAN to use something different.

So, perhaps just a carrier group centered on the Liaoning will have them? In that case, we have seen the carrier, we have seen a single Type 054A, the Sov, DDG-136 (which is somewhat of a surprise to me), and apparently a tanker/replenishment vessel. I would expect to see at least one Type 052C and perhaps another FFG for a full group to ensure adequate ASW and AAW coverage.

At that, it will be a powerful group, perhaps also consisting of at least one Type 093 SSN.

Time will tell.

It was not my intention to comment unfavourably on US naval practices. The USN uses a rather dark grey on the background of which the white pt.nos. stand out in stark contrast.

PLAN uses a much lighter shade of grey, not too different from the white pt.no. I feared a repetition of the experience with the yellow numbers introduced by PLAAF in 2005. However smart they may look at close quarter, they are devilishly difficult to read at a distance (happily, the red numbers are slowly coming back!).

But I do not have much belief in your theory of a dedicated carrier escort made up of ships (including a SOVREMENNYY!) with white pt.nos. I think that once LIAONING is based at Jiaonan, an escort will be provided, when necessary, by the local 1 Destroyer Flotilla. I believe that it was precisely for that reason that the flotilla, somewhat unexpectly, is getting a full four 054A frigates, 538, 546, 547 and soon 550, supplementing the two upgraded 052 destroyers and the two 051C AAW destroyers.

 

[Mysterre]

I think that once LIAONING is based at Jiaonan, an escort will be provided, when necessary, by the local 1 Destroyer Flotilla. I believe that it was precisely for that reason that the flotilla, somewhat unexpectly, is getting a full four 054A frigates, 538, 546, 547 and soon 550, supplementing the two upgraded 052 destroyers and the two 051C AAW destroyers.

Those 052's in today's world are worth essentially nothing except for their 16 antiship missiles and their 2 ASW helos; they could not protect any other ship from an air attack but themselves. 051C's cannot defend against a saturaton attack or low sea-skimming missiles. IMO a pair of 052D's, once fitted out, are the latest and greatest the PLAN can provide and should be assigned to the carrier, along with 3-4 054A's.

 

[franco-russe]

I believe it was a Type 054 that got painted with the new scheme. Number 526 IIRC, not a type 054A.

Sorry, I see I left out the identity of the ship that had its pennant number painted white: It was 525, which is now again black in the pictures above. I shall add the number to my text.