054/A FFG Thread II
- Thread starter tphuang
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franco-russe
Senior Member
Will they never hand over HD 8 SANYA 574, the farthest 054A?
I'd take out the HQ-7 and replace it right there with an 18 cell FL-3000N.
I'd take out the HQ-7 and YJ-83 and give it to the China Coast Guard
so they can party with the japan coast guardIMO that's not likely to occur, due to high cost of refitting all the systems and installing VLS with deep deck penetration (on a frigate).
I don't foresee the HQ-7 system being replaced by HQ-10 either, as seen with other recent refits on 051B, 052, 054, & Jiangwei class ships.
HQ-7 equipped ships, like the 056 with HQ-10, are capable of point defense with SRSAM but not local area air defense with MRSAM. Effectively, the 052, 054, etc. are like bigger versions of 056. Replacing the HQ-7 with HQ-10 may improve existing CIWS capability, but not add "new" capability to the ship. Seems that the Chinese Navy is willing to upgrade HQ-7 installation to improved HQ-7 variant, but not go much further than that on older ships.
Suppose if the HQ-7 & reloader were replaced with 8-cel VLS with quad packed MRSAM, then that may add new local area air defense capabiility to the ship. But I think the Chinese Navy would prefer to just order a new ship.
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I doubt the PLAN could have been satisfied originally with such a large frigate carrying so modest a anti-air armament. I think 054 must have been accepted in its initial configuration only because the hulls were ready sooner than the armament. So I would be somewhat surprised if the original 054 was not designed with being upgraded to 054A standard at a later date in mind.
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joshuatree
Captain
Which is why it be far easier and cheaper to replace the 630s with 730s to improve CIWS capability. 8 cell VLS vs 32 cell VLS does have a cost difference but it's really not that significant compared to the labor cost of redoing the deck which will be a fixed cost regardless on VLS size.
Could simply be chalked up as the cost of validating 054 hull design. Considering they do not have VLS, no 730s, less sensors, maybe no TAS, the first pair were definitely cheaper to build. Now if you look at present cost required to rework the ships to 054A standard, it might not be that much more expensive to simply build another pair of 054As instead. The technicals are all possible, this is simply a cost-benefit analysis decision.
I'd point to the Jiangwei I and Jiangwei II as examples. Four Jiangwei I frigates were built with HQ-61 SAM, then 10 improved Jiangwei II frigates with HQ-7. The Jiangwei I has been in service for 2 decades and they have yet to replace the HQ-61 with HQ-7.
If the Chinese Navy wanted the 054 to have better AAW capability, they could have built the ship a SA-N-12 launcher. They had imported the SA-N-12 system for 052B previously, but opted for the cheaper HQ-7. Though it's possible that the ship designers took future VLS upgrade in mind, unless if the security situation worsens considerably I do not foresee the existing HQ-7 system being replaced. Same for 052 and 051B.
Considering the numerous Jianghu and Jiangwei class frigates still in service, I doubt the 054 would be made avail for sale to foreign customer, or transfer to coast guard service any time soon.
If the Chinese Navy wanted the 054 to have better AAW capability, they could have built the ship a SA-N-12 launcher. They had imported the SA-N-12 system for 052B previously, but opted for the cheaper HQ-7. Though it's possible that the ship designers took future VLS upgrade in mind, unless if the security situation worsens considerably I do not foresee the existing HQ-7 system being replaced. Same for 052 and 051B.
Considering the numerous Jianghu and Jiangwei class frigates still in service, I doubt the 054 would be made avail for sale to foreign customer, or transfer to coast guard service any time soon.
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plawolf
Lieutenant General
Air defence is not the only job FFGs need to perform, and with the number and quality of AAW DDGs and FFGs the PLAN is getting, I think they have anti-air pretty thoroughly covered without needing to rework the 054s.
Even as they are, they are still very capable FFGs and compares favourably to most FFGs in active service around the world.
For now and probably the short to medium future, I see the 054s as having a great potential role as dedicated training ships to help train up the large number of new crews the PLAN would need for their rapid growing fleet of 054As.
Even after 054A production stops, they could still serve in a training role as with the size of the PLAN 054A fleet, replacement crews are likely to be needed fairly regularly.
In a combat scenario, the 054s would make great ASW FFGs, freeing up 054As to focus on AAW.
The 054s are very new and capable FFGs, and there is zero need or justification for getting rid of them anytime soon, especially since the PLAN still have so many JiangWeis, JiangHus and 051s that could do with replacing way before its the turn of the 054s.
Even as they are, they are still very capable FFGs and compares favourably to most FFGs in active service around the world.
For now and probably the short to medium future, I see the 054s as having a great potential role as dedicated training ships to help train up the large number of new crews the PLAN would need for their rapid growing fleet of 054As.
Even after 054A production stops, they could still serve in a training role as with the size of the PLAN 054A fleet, replacement crews are likely to be needed fairly regularly.
In a combat scenario, the 054s would make great ASW FFGs, freeing up 054As to focus on AAW.
The 054s are very new and capable FFGs, and there is zero need or justification for getting rid of them anytime soon, especially since the PLAN still have so many JiangWeis, JiangHus and 051s that could do with replacing way before its the turn of the 054s.