Could or may not. The thing is, if this is an X-band AA director, this is certainly a horrible place to put it because at least a quarter of the view towards the front is obscured.
Domes are domes. You cannot judge what the radar is underneath just by its shape.
The 054A supports two radars on top of two high masts. The structural weight for the masts are considerably much higher than one without or having a short mast. In addition to that, the front mast support the Fregat like radar on the 054A supports at least six other peripherals.
The 054A has a dome on the rear too, and its as big as any radar. But this is a satellite communication dome. Lets put it this way, it appears the 054A has more equipment on board than the Talwar.
Yeas it's a single huge complex which holds aside it's own deathweight, 24 Shtill missiles. It has 8 missiles less than in the 054As VLS but still the weight of the whole system is over 90tons (according to Norman Friedmans book of armaments). The stuff used to divert the rocket fumes out in Hot launched VLS systems is still not as extensive as the hydraulic and mechanical gear which operates the tradditional SAM launchers. Hence the bigger weight.
No. Seriously I got heavy doubts on Friedman's estimations. Hydraulic and mechanical gear don't weigh as much, and besides, its far more likely to be electric, like those used in cranes and heavy equipment. Plus there is only one of them.
Blast hardening would certainly add to the weight and space of the VLS. The rail launcher isn't blast hardened. In addition to the main tube being blast hardened, so will all the ducts and channels around the tubes.
The VLS is not free of mechanical and hydraulic equipment either. Something has to open the hatch covers.
Every tube has sensors and wiring. All of them require plumbing with associative blast hardening.
A VLS version of the same missile weighs more than its rail launched version because it has to have a short blast stage underneath with directional controls to tilt the missile over.
In addition, the VLS version of the missile has to be encased with its own cartridge. All that takes up more weight and space. The rail launched version does not.
And finally, a VLS is designed around the largest missile it is projected to carry, even though that missile is not what it is carrying right now.
Yeah, but GE won't make the mistake of comparing a 124 ,meter ship vs. 133 meter ship. That's way too big a difference versus the scale of the length.
As a matter of fact, Jane's listed the 054A at 132 meters too. Add to that, it also lists the draught of the 054A to be higher than the Talwar's.
If you want to head back to the more armament means more displacement logic, the 054A also has six torpedo tubes, the Talwar only has four. It has two RBUs, the Talwar only has one. Plus the 054A has two decoy launchers to boot. If you figure out what the incoming Indian ship that has six torpedo tubes and two RBUs, guess what its weight is supposed to be.
