054/A FFG Thread II

[franco-russe]

I do not believe it is an either/or, given the structure of the Chinese warship industry.

Hudong and Huangpu are frigate yards, and will continue to put out frigates, likely Type 057 when they have completed 20-22-24 054A’s.

Jiangnan and Dalian are destroyer yards, and will continue to build destroyers, first completing 052C and 8 052D before turning to 055.

 

[delft]

Thanks for that info.

Indeed, the

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aircraft carriers are nuclear powered (like the Nimits class. But the Ford class has two, very powerful and efficient nuclear reactors in each vessel, which are said to provide at least 200% more power than the older ones in a significantly smaller footprint. But the nuclear reactor is used to superheat water creating steam which then runs generators that power the vessel.

The

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(formerly DDG-21) uses 2 Rolls-Royce MT30 Gas Turbines producing 36 Mw each.

Perhaps I'm too old fashioned. PWR's use light water heated above 100 Celsius because it is under pressure. What is special about Ford's PWR's?

 

[Jeff Head]

Perhaps I'm too old fashioned. PWR's use light water heated above 100 Celsius because it is under pressure. What is special about Ford's PWR's?

The designation for the new reactor is the A1B. These will replace the A4W reactors on the Nimitz class.

The new reactor plant is a smaller and more efficient design that will provides nearly three times the electrical power of the Nimitz-class reactor plant. This is because the new plant has a higher core energy density, lower demands for pumping power, a simpler construction, and makes use of, and benefits from much more modern electronic controls and displays.

In addition to producing more power, these updates and modernizations have led to a 65% reduction in the requirements for watch standing as well as a significant decrease of required maintenance. The cores on these reactors will not have to be changed over the expected 50 year life of the carrier.

 

[MwRYum]

There were about 33 type 053 units built (Jianghu designation). The question is, do people think the type 054A will replace them in the same quantity? If so, we're still about 13 units behind. Or does the increase in capability in the type 054A over the type 053s make up for the difference in number? Do the 2208s and increasing number of type 056 factor into the build equation?

What's more of a priority for the surface fleet? More destroyers? Type 055 vs type 054B? These are open questions, I'm just curious on what others think. Personally, I think the focus will be on the type 052Ds and 056s to build up the navy, one short range, one long range. The current 054s have established a base for China's blue water fleet. They may or may not build a few more considering the construction costs should have dropped significantly now due to economies of scale and production refinement. A few more years later, the 053H22G/H3s (14 total) will be getting older and then a next gen frigate to replace those numbers will make sense. The advancements made in R&D for the next gen frigate will also be applicable for a cruiser 055 as well.

If purely by capability, the 056 can easily trumped the 053s, or at least except the later batches. They could easily build and field more 056s taking over duties currently shouldered by earlier 053s and even those antique 051s, freeing up those "blue water assets" such as 054A, 052C/D.

I'm still doubtful about the 054B FFG and 055 DDG though, as those 2 are nothing more than wetdream at this time, at least, not until their respective lead boats are putting together at the shipyards.

 

[SinoSoldier]

I do not believe it is an either/or, given the structure of the Chinese warship industry.

Hudong and Huangpu are frigate yards, and will continue to put out frigates, likely Type 057 when they have completed 20-22-24 054A’s.

Jiangnan and Dalian are destroyer yards, and will continue to build destroyers, first completing 052C and 8 052D before turning to 055.

The actual rumor is that they will make the move to the 055 once four Ds are built.

 

[franco-russe]

Yes, in all probability, when they have built four Type 052D (172-175) at Jiangnan. But four others (117-120) are expected to be built at Dalian.

 

[Jeff Head]

Yes, in all probability, when they have built four Type 052D (172-175) at Jiangnan. But four others (117-120) are expected to be built at Dalian.

Yes...I would expect that the total number of Type 052Ds would be at least eight.

As to the Type 055 starting up soon at Jiangnan, we will just have to wait and see. This has been rumored for quite some time now.

 

[franco-russe]

We are mixing up threads a bit here, but then we are really discussing the future of PLAN principal surface combatants.

052B/C/D and 054(A) are one generation, entering service 2004-05. It seems natural that PLAN would move on to a new generation of surface ships to appear some 15 years later. I think new destroyers and frigates will have enhanced stealth characteristics, and they ought to improve ASW capabilities significantly.

We can improve the guesswork about 055. Six are expected to be in service by 2020, so probably 2 in 2018, 2 in 2019 and 2 in 2020. Assuming a 3-year construction period, the first should be laid down in 2015.

At about the same time, they should have completed the 054A series, whether they will be 20, 22, or 24 in all (I guess 22). So the new frigate class, 057, should also be laid down about 2015.

 

[Totoro]

Disregarding sourceless tables that offer unverifiable claims, isn't it more logical that if 055 is, indeed, such a huge leap - a 12,000 ton ship which would have to have a whole new power pack, there'd be just an initial ship or two, followed by a pause of few years, followed by a (slightly) refined design ready for serial production?

Pretty much all of the PLAN's medium sized or larger vessels that've seen over the decades have followed that principle. The only exception I can think of is 056 class, but that's a much smaller, cheaper and simpler ship for simpler tasks. And even with that numerous changes were seen on successive vessels of the class.

So, while theoretically possible that by 2020 there's 6 055 ships, a more realistic timetable would be one or two being built next year, launched in 2015., then comissioned by 2018 or 2019, while two more start construction in 2018 or so and then two more year after. Comissioning all 6 by 2020 seems impossible, but launching them is plausible under the condition that there's basically 4 docks building them (spread in two shipyards?) Perhaps a single shipyard could do it if the first serial production pair starts building them in 2017. but that doesn't seem as enough time to test the initial pair. But who knows...

 

[Blitzo]

052D production is seemingly going into mass production without waiting for a pair. I expect that is the new "normal" for the PLAN -- which is in line with the major shipbuilding programmes of all other navies.

I think PLAN is the only country that had toyed with the "first a pair" BS, and that was only for their DDGs from 052 to 052C, as they were testing the waters for new technologies and their fledging shipbuilding industry