054B/new generation frigate
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
None thus far.
lcloo
Major
Technically it is possible but then the cost of the more heavier armed ship with midship VLS would be more expensive, and traditional navy procurement of having more cheaper frigates is breached. Compare with army armoured vehicle procurement, Frigates are like IFV, they may act alone or provide protection for the heavier main battle tanks (using MBT as analogy to destroyers, type 052D/type 055).
Destroyers are mainly for offensive while frigates are for defensive, disregard of the size of the frigates. Some frigates have displacement larger than destroyers but their weapon configuration can still be at the level of tradtional size frigates, simply due to the role/mission requirement, but sized up for endurance, range, crew comfort and having room for future upgrades.
There are exceptions in some frigates armed as heavily as a destroyers in navies with limited budget. These navies cannot afford to buy the expensive destroyers, and they are using their frigates as the top tier surface combat ship thus they armed the ships as heavily as possible. This is not how frigates are used in large navies with different tiers that include destroyers and large cruiser size destroyers.
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Well said, and doubly so considering we have a very recent high-profile case study of what happens when you let a modest frigate design get hijacked by demands for more and more changes. But idiots would rather jump straight to Constellation instead of accepting a conservative, iterative, successor which will be followed in due course by its own successor.
Maybe the 054B’s CODAD could still be underpowered and not quite enough for ASW. The ship’s armament is also a bit disappointing. It is a brand new class of ship with higher displacement and electronics still having exactly the same old armament as the class it intends to replace.
It could simply be because the upper decks has not been assembled, where the bow actually flattens out.
The Type-054B is only underpowered if it has to keep up with aircraft carriers or destroyers operating at high speed.
For every other mission, it has enough speed.
And remember that ship-based sonars don't work if the ship is operating at excessive-speeds.
Yes, the mission (and respective weapons layout) determines the displacement, not the other way around.
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For the Chinese Navy, which can build the entire spectrum of surface warships for different roles, I think it's better to split it into the following missions:
1. Destroyers (Type-052D Cost ~$600 Mn?)
Long-range air defence with large, expensive AESA radars and 64+ VLS cells.
Very-high speed (30+ knots), able to keep up with aircraft carriers
Have a full ASW suite include bow sonar, TAS, VDS and 1 helicopter
Primary wartime mission is long-range air defence. Secondary wartime mission is antiship or ASW
For high-threat environments.
2. Frigates (Type-054B Cost ~$300 Mn?)
Medium-range air defence with a small rotating AESA radar and 32 VLS cells
High speed (26 knots) which is enough to keep up with everything else
Have a full ASW suite include bow sonar, TAS, VDS and 1-2 helicopters
Primary wartime mission is ASW and medium-range air defence for convoy escort.
If in a high-threat environment, operates under air cover or with accompanying destroyers
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During peacetime, the Frigates see more distant deployments.
That frees up Destroyers to remain at high-readiness and ready to surge deploy in an emergency.