054AP was installed with different 3D radar than Type 382 radar on the other 054As, maybe European designs, and an extra L-band long range radar like the Type 518 L-band radar on the newest batch of 052D.
054/A FFG Thread II
- Thread starter tphuang
- Start date
Not L-band but VHF.
Type 518 L-band radar is used only on the Type 052 before they were refitted. Its a very different animal. See large parabolic over the hanger.
Replaced in refit by Type 517M (517G?) which is the standard on the 052C/D. We can conclude the 518 is not a very successful design or PLAN does not like L-band radars---they have not deployed any since then. 517 also appeared in Luda, Jianghu and Jiangwei.
What you have on the 054A/P should be the 517E (for export). It has more Yagi elements (8) than the 517 (4) and 517M (6), but the shorter spacing between the elements means a slightly higher frequency. This was used on the F22P frigates. This radar seems to work well that the PN wants its it back.
When 053H3 or H2G frigates were retired from PLAN service and given to Bangladesh, the 517M arrays were removed and replaced with the 517E. This is indicative that the 517M is state secret and not allowed for export.
Newest 052D with the lengthened hanger have '520'. This is now 8 elements back to back, so double the update rate, and loop antenna replacing the Yagi elements
steve_rolfe
Junior Member
We know 4 new 054A's have, or are being built for Pakistan.........but have we seen evidence yet of the 32nd 054A in construction for the PLAN?
Soon we will see new vessel in the dock while #31 have been launched. Last time when the two shipyards were building type 054As, they both ran assemble lines where there more than one vessels were built at the same time and launched 3-4 vessels every year.
Yes, latest overhead shots of Hudong Zhonghua shows four Type 054A hulls in the same dock the third 075 used to be. Two of these have to be 054A/P, so the other two might be PLAN's.
steve_rolfe
Junior Member
Obviously with this new build of 054A's there should be some significant updates to the electronic suites.........but we don't know if the armament spec will be the same as previously, or whether something new will appear?
There is another ship behind 596.
I heard the new ships have new fixed flat panel missile guidance radars.
Armament spec is the same.
The biggest improvements have been in the electronic warfare, but this was already started in the last four Type 054A (#599, #600, #601 and #542). The top ESM, Type 751, appears to have a modification on top. The Type 751 ECM used in all previous Type 054A, is replaced by a model that resembles, although not quite, the Type 726-3 used in the 052C/D, Liaoning, Shandong and Hainan. It looks like a modification of the 726-3, so its probably a new member of the 726 modular EW family (726-6?). There are also new SATCOMs, and while older 054As are not spared from refits of new SATCOMs, this one features a new design. There is also a new array around the Type 364 radar, this resembles the arrays tested on #529 and #530 but is located below the Type 382 on these older frigates.
The Type 054A/P is based on this final batch configuration, but minus the new SATCOM which is likely a non exportable state secret. Instead it has a different new SATCOM, a new main search radar and a VHF radar added.
The new batch is highly based on the final batch configuration, but the windows have been changed, and new target illuminators replacing the Front Domes. The new illuminators I would expect to improve the HQ-16's range. The range of this missile system seems to have been limited by the illumination range of the emitters. No. 31 is launched without its EW equipment but barring new pleasant surprises, I believe it should match those of recent ships.
The Type 054 refit also features the revised EW units.
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If you are not going to bother with the change of the main radars, the real simple answer is that they are keeping the funnel white on the Pakistani versions.