054B/new generation frigate

grulle

Junior Member
Registered Member
I don't know if this ship will ends up with midship VLS or not but there's exhaust opening for slant launcher on the side so it's definitely going to have slant launchers.
View attachment 119039
that opening only takes up a small part of the midsection. this 054B midsection is really long, usually they only leave enough space for the slant launchers and that's it. if that's for the slant launchers, what's the purpose of the rest of the midsection then?

I can't tell if that black section in the middle is raised or is it part of the siding of the ship on the other side.

what do you guys think?
 

grulle

Junior Member
Registered Member
do you guys know if China leaves the inside of the siding of the ship unpainted at launch? if they paint it at launch then that black section in the middle of the ship is definitely not the siding. it could be a raised protrusion, maybe ANOTHER 32 VLS LOLOLOL.
 

Maikeru

Captain
Registered Member
do you guys know if China leaves the inside of the siding of the ship unpainted at launch? if they paint it at launch then that black section in the middle of the ship is definitely not the siding. it could be a raised protrusion, maybe ANOTHER 32 VLS LOLOLOL.
That's my thinking, the raised, unpainted bit amidships is pretty much the same size as the (raised, unpainted) VLS forward.
 

james smith esq

Senior Member
Registered Member
I'm thinking that slightly raised structure amidships looks a lot like the forward VLS. Very similar length.
To me, the two features look more dissimilar than similar. Why, if they’re the same, would one appear more “finished” than the other. Presumably, if they were the same, they’d be at the same stage of completion/finishing.
 

Kich

Junior Member
Registered Member
A little disappointed, the vls of 054B and 054A is the same type
View attachment 118951

If they made this ship way too different from the 054A like hanger for 2 helis, 48 cells, IEP, etc, then it would be given a new series....057. All those features requires a complete redesign.

Like I wrote before in a previous comment, they built this ship just to stretch it out for the Z-20 and then put on a better radar suite on it; essentially borrowing from the current tech. And they wanted more room for the crew as well on the long voyages where it also need to keep up with others.
The integrated masts and that double-sided radar is throwing many off, leaving expectation that this ship should be a next gen FFG apart from the 054A when in reality that's not what PLAN was going for. They are pretty satisfied with 054A and wanted something marginally better.

Regardless the naming convention of PLAN is very confusing. The 052series confused me and now the 054series. I don't know what determines a new series.
 
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