So, anybody wanna talk about the 3rd piece of nugget offered by Fzgfzy, that the 054B will appear soon? What do you guys expect besides the integrated mast? Is it possible to switch the VLS system to the universal VLS? Quad pack HQ-16?
Quad-packed HQ-16 is never going to happen, even with the universal CCL VLS. The missile body is just too fat. I think quad-packed DK-10A is far more realistic. That, along with a 4-panel X-band AESA, 32-cell CCL VLS, IEP, at ~5,000 tons, would be a very good 054B as far as I'm concerned.
If the HQ-16 is anything like its progenitor the Russian Buk missile, just the missile body itself is 400mm, and that's not even including the wings. The ESSM by comparison has a missile body diameter of 254mm; it can easily quad-pack in to the 650mm width Mk 41, while the HQ-16 will not be able to quad-pack into either of the PLAN's VL systems.If the MK-41 can quad pack ESSM, I think there's a chance for the universal VLS to quad pack the HQ-16, or at least some variant of it. It doesn't really matter though, some variant of the DK-10A is just fine, it just needs some sort of quad-packed mid-range air defense missile, and it should be designed with the universal VLS in mind. By that I mean it should make as much use of the 800mm width and the 7m length as possible to maximize range and lethality.
This is just not right at all.Shtil-1's 9M317ME missile(much more related to HQ-16) is 360mm (folded), which is much closer.