054/A FFG Thread II
- Thread starter tphuang
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I wonder how much it would take to develop a shortened version of the U-VLS for the 054A. The larger dimensions of the U-VLS is compensated by the fact the U-VLS does not have a central plenum vent like the AJK-16 VLS has. The Buk missile is said to be around 5.5 meters long, I don't know the exact length of the HQ-16 if its the same, slightly longer or slightly shorter. It would be one missile per cell. This may require a change of the canister to something that is heat resistant if hot launched, since the exhaust gases would vent on the space between the sides of the canister or the VLS wall. Or go cold launch like the land based HQ-16 using a similar canister used on the land based versions. Yu-8 would require another canister change too. This can open the way of using these missiles for the 055 and 054B if the new frigate plans on using the U-VLS, or on the 052D if a future HHQ-16 gets a ARH version.
Having the U-VLS installed means the new 054A could share the same new quad pack missile development that is going to be used on the 052D. All the changes are going to be completely mechanical; no change on the HQ-16, guidance, illumination systems and so on. You're primarily laying groundwork in the future so you can use the quad missile. Of course this is all highly speculative.
That wouldn't be A anymore.
The key message of that leak(coupled with the post about lengthening not constituting enough of a change for a new letter) was basically that PLAN needs the line rolling.
We don't know if it's possible with these changes or no, but changing main weapon system is clearly enough for a new mod.
IMHO, HHQ-16 will remain to be a separate existence for lesser warships in foreseeable future.
This is only my theoretical to bridge the gap between the 054A and the 052D systems.
Contrary to what most people's own visions about weapons systems, perhaps the PLAN doesn't really care much about quad pack missiles and it really isn't as high a priority to them as some people might want to be. What I think is high on their list is electronic warfare along with communications.
I don't think there would be much changes at all except for logical changes on the EW, as the 054A carry the unique Type 751 ESM and ECM system which is not found on other PLAN ships. The last four 054A has changes however in the EW system. The Type 751 unit on the upper mast, likely the ESM, have been modified to a new version with what appears to be a crown of elements on top, and the 751 unit on the bottom is replaced by the beefier and ubiquitous Type 726-3 ECM that has become standard throughout the PLAN.
I can imagine the topmost 751 ESM unit to be replaced by 721-1 and -2 ESM systems as part of the PLAN's standardization around the Type 726 electronic warfare suite. The 052, 053H3, 051B and DDG 136/137 refits all feature the Type 726-1, -2, -3, -4, the set of which equips the 052C/D. The 726 EW system continues to evolve, and the Type 075 is the first ship to feature new changes and modifications to the 726 ESM system, or those units can be a new system, and those changes can be passed to future ships.
One of the biggest changes we have seen on the 054A all these years is the growth of SATCOMs on top of the hanger deck. If you take a ship, you can tell if the picture of it is an older one or a more recent one from the growth of the domes at the back. This reflects the explosion of Chinese satellite constellations in the last ten years, and one can imagine what and how the ship is using these satellites. These SATCOMs have been retrofitted into the ships all these years and done in an ad hoc manner, such as the location of one dome isn't the same on another ship, and some ships have different domes than others. The last four 054A also feature a brand new SATCOM array which is also found on the 053H3 refit. With new build 054A, all these mess would have to be standardized, and the SATCOMs will have to be fitted on the ship before it leaves the yard.
One potential change is the Type 364 radar to a new type, like the one you see on the Type 075. The 075 is the first installation of this new radar. If this happens on the 054A, then this new radar can become PLAN's new standard and it may also get fitted on top of the next 052D batch, and become part of the MLU kit for the older ships.
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Lethe
Captain
A good way to keep the line rolling is not to stop the line from rolling in the first place, which is what PLAN allowed to occur several years back now. If 054A does "resume" in much the same configuration as it ended, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that PLAN has likely experienced a development failure with 054B akin to that which led USN to first end and then resume Burke IIA production.
That is to say, the most plausible explanation of what we have seen these past few years is that there was an 054B program intended to follow-on from 054A shortly after 2020. That program ran into problems. Perhaps those problems were technical, perhaps doctrinal, perhaps both. A re-tooled 054B development program is now underway, and significant numbers of additional 054As have been ordered to compensate both for the 054Bs that were originally expected to already be under construction and for those originally expected to be constructed over the next few years, and as insurance against further potential problems with the 054B project.
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It's difficult to reverse engineer out causes without knowing what their original plans for the ship were, and how or if their evolution of the vision for what they wanted 054B to be (size, new subsystems, new technology) and role to be.
For all we know what 054B will end up being was very different to what their original requirements for 054B was say, 5 or 10 years ago. Of course, it can't be ruled out that there may have been technical challenges with various subsystems -- if 054B does end up with IEPS as we expect I think there's a good chance the challenge may have been making it viable and reliable, for example -- but at the same time it also depends on how quickly they churn out these extra 20 054As.
Because these twenty 054As, if they are churned out in a relatively fast speed say 20 over 4-5 years, suggests to me that such numbers would be inappropriate if the goal was only as insurance against 054Bs meant to be in production or potential problems with 054B down the line. That is to say, given how recently the last batch of 054A construction finished, I find it hard to believe the PLAN would have expected 20 054Bs to be produced within the span of five years given the extent and variety of new technologies it would be expected to field, as well as the speed of acceptance and commissioning into the PLAN and being combat ready.
Whereas the 054A is such a known quantity that I imagine by the time the ship finishes sea trials it would require a new crew a much shorter time to become combat ready compared to a new ship like 054B where the entire book has to be written, retested, and rewritten again.
So, my personal speculation is that these extra 054As are mostly a response to the much pronounced and flaunted shipbuilding programs in the region and across the world WRT medium and large frigates from various navies seeking to bolster their fleet numbers. While it's possible the 20 054As are also partially a hedge against delays of 054B, the sheer number of them being procured doesn't make sense as a mere hedge IMHO.
Instead, I think it makes sense more as a "oh, you're going to augment your fleet numbers with FFG(X)? Okay, we'll continue with 054B planned to enter service around the same time, but we'll just casually add another 20 054As to the fleet in the mean time."
With 50 054As in service, that will be just 20 ships short of the number of 056/As in service, and basically the same number of 056As produced to this point.
That's quite a significant augmentation to regional patrol/presence missions to augment 056/As as well as in the ASW role and providing a medium range AAW capability against low to medium capability foes in the area, while still being sufficiently blue water capable to contribute to task forces with destroyers, while the PLAN awaits 054B to emerge that is going to be significantly more capable in all of those domains.
Hard to say if it ran into technical problems as we know too little about it. Technical problems sounds like a Base 2 issue, and the ship hasn't even left Base 1. The problems you have with the Zumwalt that leads to the Flight III and the LCS leading to the Constellation class, came out because you got ships in metal and matter to have this problems in the first place.
If there are issues with IEPS, assuming the ship will even use IEPS, that's another thing. But the ship's designation of "054B" --- the leaks made by hiring ads refer to it as "XX4B", points to the ship being diesel.
Then all the rough drawings of leaks on the ship, not the glorious fan made CG models, all point to a conservatively designed ship. It still looks a lot like the 054, but now with the obligatory format of having gatling CIWS at the front and the HQ-10 launcher on top of the hanger. The Type 347 and 366 radars are retained, and on top of the mast you got a Chinese Lantern dome that hides its main radar. I would assume this radar to be a dual sided AESA, and it can be the same one you see on the 075 right now, just that the dome itself wasn't a good idea that they nixed it and went bare. Then you have the obligatory ESM mast on the back. The Chinese lantern sits upon a fat obelisk of an integrated mast, likely holding the IFF and the CEC in panels facing four directions.
My own personal hunch is that this ship isn't much of a departure from the 054A, and lacks enough ambition and vision. A bit too conservative perhaps. In a more peaceful political climate this ship would have been okay, but as things heat up, it is no longer okay. The revised 054B would be a revised, more radical, if not more powerful ship, but one that has to be balanced by a safe counterpart.
I would consider looking at the 075 to where the next frigate might be going. Hudong Zhonghua is going to be making it, and HDZ might be the ones designing the ship as it did with its predecessors.
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One thing I wonder is whether the 054A will adopt using the YJ-12 missile. I don't think there is a technical obstacle to this. This seems to be a decision by the higher ups if they want to say yes or no to this. If they might foresee that conflict is likely in the near future, this is something to consider. The other question is whether the YJ-12 can also be used to arm the 056/056A line.