Lethe
Captain
And how confident are we that all four 054APs were contracted to the one shipyard? Do we have visual confirmation of four 054AP hulls from Hudong-Zhonghua?
054/A FFG Thread II
- Thread starter tphuang
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And how confident are we that all four 054APs were contracted to the one shipyard? Do we have visual confirmation of four 054AP hulls from Hudong-Zhonghua?
I would say, very confident.
As an export agreement, some details of the contract was provided to international defense media quite openly -- including which shipyard would build them -- and no PLA watchers of note have suggested otherwise either.
054AP hull 1 launched August 2020, hull 2 launched January this year (at the same time as 075 hull 3).
As for 054AP hulls 3 and 4 -- we have aerial pics showing modules for two 054A pattern hulls on the side of the drydock when 075 hull 3 + 054AP hull 2 was launched this year. I recall (but can't track down) other pictures taken from the air showing those modules have been started to be assembled in drydock.
While the identity of those two hulls have yet to be confirmed, I would not be surprised if at least one of them -- if not both -- were for 054AP. We will know soon enough in time.
Furthermore, it is also generally accepted that the PLAN has ordered another 20 054A frigates (whether they may see some improvements or not compared to the first 30, who knows) -- and the first of those 20 restarts, is the one identified at HP.
There have also been some indications that of the 20 054A restarts, HP will get 12 of them while HD gets 8 -- so that both technically get "12" 054A frigates on top of the 30 that were originally built (HD adding the four 054APs to their 8 restarts). But we will see.
In any case, it would very much be a significant surprise if the 054A being built at HP right now ended up being an 054AP, because it is confirmed the four 054APs will be built at HD.
That should be 054A/P #2, #3, and #4 in that picture there. 054A/P #1 was built in the dockyard across the river, which cannot be seen in this picture, and would be moored on the other side of the river. This dock was also used to pound out 056s before.
#3 and #4 of the A/P will be built in this drydock where the 075 was built.
If you start spotting a followup 054A hull on the dockyard across the river, that might likely be HD's first 054A of the new PLAN batch. This dock could be capable of building two 054A at the same time.
#3 and #4 of the A/P will be built in this drydock where the 075 was built.
If you start spotting a followup 054A hull on the dockyard across the river, that might likely be HD's first 054A of the new PLAN batch. This dock could be capable of building two 054A at the same time.
That's... what I said lol, just so there's no confusion.
054AP unit 1 was launched august 2020, unit 2 was launched January this year with the launch of 075 unit 3 (which is depicted in that photo in my previous post). And seen in that same pictures are modules for two further 054A pattern ships that are very likely to be 054AP units 3 and 4.
As it is a lot closer to Taiwan, it can used as a staging area for further moves?
I doubt benefit of staging an attack from a shorter distance would offset giving up surprise and momentum. Especially considering now PLA's capability would have no problem launch an assault from all the way across the strait they might as well take out limited number of HVT on the island with air strike and leave it be.