Very disappointing if PLA is still ordering 054B, the worst PLA ship design in recent memory. I was hoping they would move toward a bigger frigate or a frigate with much better air defense armament and hypersonic missiles for strike capability.
054B/new generation frigate
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
I would take 054B any day over a Legend class based FFG and twice on Sunday. And trebly over LCS.
Yes, it's not everything us spotter/fanbois wanted but it's a big improvement over 054A and will keep numbers up until a more advanced FFG design is ready.
there is no reason to compare any PLAN ship to USN ship. The criteria needs to be how well it serves PLAN goals.
30 would be a disaster.
it's not that they are taking a conservative approach, but rather they are mass producing a design that isn't really appropriate for the future warfare. It represents an even small leap forward than 039B to 039C.
there has been all this talk online recently about unable to purchase more Z-20F because it cost too much money. Well, why don't you just build fewer 054B and put that money into Z-20F? What does buying something like 054B stop you from doing?
You're asking for a Destroyer with those requirements.
Type-054B is supposed to have a very good radar that is significantly superior to 054A. So, my guess is that it should be able to support a much superior Air Defense missile. Something akin to HQ-9C which is significantly smaller and thinner than HQ-9B. This will be a good capability upgrade for Type 054B or its successor.
Another important armament to upgrade will be the slant launcher for YJ-83. Replacing YJ-83 with a small but capable hypersonic missile will be significant upgrade. Yj-19 should be small enough to be able to be carried by the frigate.
This is still a much lower level capability than UVLS capable destroyers of the PLA. Which can carry bigger sized missiles such as YJ-17 and YJ-20 along with much bigger Air/Missile defense missiles. PLA is integrating HQ-19 for naval missile defense into its destroyers for example.
PLA frigates should be the more numerous second line defender for PLA carrier strike groups and amphib strike groups. They can also act as convoy escorts.
With these armament upgrades, PLA frigates should much more capable without falling into destroyer level capability.
Why though? It's an FFG not a DDG. As I said before in a previous comment, if you really want to upgrade the 054A/B armaments so badly, then:
1) navalize HQ-16F or develop a new clean sheet MR/LRSAM
2) develop and integrate quad-packed missiles
3) replace the YJ-83s for a canisterized version of YJ-15s
I don't think those are too difficult tasks. If you really want too, you could even develop a smaller subsonic LACM to be launched from their VLS. I did check this. With the H/AJK-16s VLS diameter and depth, you could put a 5.2-5.3m subsonic LACM that can have anywhere from 800-1200km+ range, which would be more than enough for a small LACM for an FFG in order to do other smaller missions where a DDG isn't needed, but again, land-attack isn't a major mission for the PLAN. Just listing out my ideas.
Why are people complaining about the choice of AShM on the 54B again? In the cluttered littorals, at short range, under space constraints, the YJ-83 is likely the most reliable choice. It has a imaging infrared seeker and is reliable at navigating cluttered battlespaces. I would not trust a "small hypersonic missile" to be able to perform the same roles at all. If opposing warships can hide in the shadows of islands and civilian maritime traffic, then a subsonic missile is the best option.