054B/new generation frigate
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
They can build these much cheaper and a lot more of them to saturate defenses all at once, and we can assume air defenses would have been initially struck and cut down by SEAD and ballistic missile strikes. More expensive stealthy and hypersonic missiles would be used to 'kick the door down and this will be followed by waves of cheaper missiles, uavs and even with aircraft using gravity munitions. These kinds of subsonic missiles are not the be all and end all, but part of a much larger set.
Even the US still plans to build new batches of Tomahawks. Few countries in the world have more air defenses and SAM batteries than the Ukraine and still the Russians continue to use subsonic missiles most effectively. Of course some missiles will get shot down and did get shot down in the Ukraine conflict, but such losses should be already accounted in the calculus of things.
It seems additional 054As have been cancelled and Navy plans to order 12 054Bs instead. 8 in Huangpu, 4 in Hudong.
I've actually been wondering why there would be 20 054A coming up, when 054B is just around the corner.
Would actually not be surprised if they did something like that (slashing 054As for more 054Bs).
Nice. That's what I was hoping for. How many 054a will be built in total?
It would be good if they stop producing 054As and start producing 054Bs. There are some real inherent issues with 054A that makes it unsuitable for China's future fleet. And I would hope most of those issues get corrected with 054B.
lcloo
Captain
I was wondering why they built only one type 054A in a dry dock that just a few months ago a type 054A and a type 054A/P plus a type 071E were there, very uncharacteristic of not fully utilising dock space.
Now this rumour that type 054B coming and cancelling of the rest of un-built type 054A does made sense that why only one type 054A (#37th) was built and launched from a big dry dock.
Now this rumour that type 054B coming and cancelling of the rest of un-built type 054A does made sense that why only one type 054A (#37th) was built and launched from a big dry dock.
The only advantage I see in making 054As is with the Pakistan procurement there was a scaling benefit/to keep the production line going. Maybe they can line up the end of 054A with 054B and make a lot of less armless transition.
Does anyone know how similar the two will be in terms of hull design? The superstructure I assume will change, especially if there are fixed arrays, but the hull could just see a plug to lengthen them to increase space/tonnage.
Wasn't the prediction it would be some ~5k tonnage?
Besides changes to the superstructure, I think it's fairly safe to assume the hull would at the very least end up being lengthened for more space. Now if the hull also gets widened or not, no idea.
This isn't a cancelation. This is called alteration of existing contract. Your contract is to build 20 frigates, initially inked as 054A but with the understanding that you want to make changes down the line. The shipbuilder wants a long term commitment from you so they can reserve the build slots which are set in years. But because of the rapid changes in technology you also want the flexibility and options to makes changes on the builds as you go along. You decided to build 054B on the rest after you already started with eight 054A. My guess is that the 054B still shares as many structural sections and components as possible with the 054A that you can decide to build and order them these parts first, then build the rest or the balance of the ship if it was decided it would be a 054A or 054B.