055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread

[Iron Man]

Also important on the 052D which fields the Type 346A, is the presence of four rectangular "bars" above the main Type 346A arrays, and it's been mentioned before that they may be IFF arrays, but with the information about the Type 346 being a dual band radar, I now wonder if the rectangular bars above the main square Type 346A arrays may be the C band array components of the Type 346 -- they look about the right size for something about 0.4m x 4m in dimensions -- and that the main square array that we've been calling the Type 346A is dedicated to the entire S band array only.

The bars are definitely IFF arrays, since there is literally nothing else on the 052D that could be IFF if not those. This is the same situation on the Liaoning, which has similar IFF bar arrays, and also has nothing else that could be IFF if not those.

Now, I personally think the suspected hull module may have 3.5 decks below the crease; but obviously the blurriness and the angle of the photo makes clear distinction difficult.
Optimally we should have a fully clear photo from the immediate rear of the ship at a good distance to distinguish some of the details. But as it is, I think the hull is still definitely a viable (if not currently the most likely) contender to be 055.
View attachment 31144

I think this is more accurate, as each level marked in yellow (47 pixels height) is based off of all 3 distinguishable decks:


Your 3.5 decks will give the ship's bottom hull an essentially hemispherical shape, which I have never seen before in any modern warship. Even my 3 decks would give this ship a nearly hemispherical shaped bottom hull.

You also should remember that the 055 could easily have 4 decks below the crease. Even if it were only 3.5, that last half deck needs to have enough beam to accommodate 2 gas turbines side by side (even though they are staggered fore and aft, not literally side by side). You can easily tell by this photo that the hull below the crease immediately starts curving inward toward the centerline quite steeply, just as if the true bottom were only 2 to 2.5 decks below the crease, which is what it would look like with a normal-looking bottom hull.

 

[Iron Man]

Uhh, I meant to say 4 gas turbines side by side, and also the propeller shafts and housing in between them.

 

[Blitzo]

The bars are definitely IFF arrays, since there is literally nothing else on the 052D that could be IFF if not those. This is the same situation on the Liaoning, which has similar IFF bar arrays, and also has nothing else that could be IFF if not those.

Ah yes, I forgot that Liaoning had those same bars. IFF they are then, most likely.

I think this is more accurate, as each level marked in yellow (47 pixels height) is based off of all 3 distinguishable decks:
View attachment 31169

Your 3.5 decks will give the ship's bottom hull an essentially hemispherical shape, which I have never seen before in any modern warship. Even my 3 decks would give this ship a nearly hemispherical shaped bottom hull.

Who knows, it might be due to the angle of the shot combined with the deliberate blurriness of the photo.

For me, the watching of this suspected hull's identity has reached a stage where I'm looking for anything that can categorically and clearly rule out the possibility of this being 055 -- something which is photo perfect clear, or something which is so structurally impossible for it to be 055 (like if we suddenly see a bridge structure on the aft where we don't expect it, which would indicate it may be a commercial cargo ship or something).

You also should remember that the 055 could easily have 4 decks below the crease. Even if it were only 3.5, that last half deck needs to have enough beam to accommodate 2 gas turbines side by side (even though they are staggered fore and aft, not literally side by side). You can easily tell by this photo that the hull below the crease immediately starts curving inward toward the centerline quite steeply, just as if the true bottom were only 2 to 2.5 decks below the crease, which is what it would look like with a normal-looking bottom hull.

The 055 could very well have four full decks below the crease, but what we're looking at would be more on the aft part of the hull, where the keel may already be starting to taper upwards slightly. I would be interested to see the keel at the more bow-amidships part of the ship.

But overall, at this point I think the suspected hull is very much viable to possibly be 055, and we do not have any clear indicators to suggest it categorically cannot be 055.

 

[Blitzo]

On a side note, apparently one of the renders of DD-21 (back when it was still active) looks awfully close to how certain projections of 055 may end up looking...

 

[Iron Man]

For me, the watching of this suspected hull's identity has reached a stage where I'm looking for anything that can categorically and clearly rule out the possibility of this being 055 -- something which is photo perfect clear, or something which is so structurally impossible for it to be 055 (like if we suddenly see a bridge structure on the aft where we don't expect it, which would indicate it may be a commercial cargo ship or something).

This mystery module does not easily fit into my vision of what the 055 should look like in the end. But if it were the 055, the section below is IMO what is most likely being built (outlined in orange and red, with the orange being the visible cross-section in the photo):

This requires some assumptions, however:
1) The amidships weather deck is at 02-level instead of 01-level.
2) The hangar does not extend all the way to the forward edge of the helicopter deckhouse.
3) The cross section is at a part of the ship where the hull bottom is starting to slope up towards the stern.

Of these, I personally believe only 2) may actually be true.

 

[Iron Man]

Oops, got the 02-deck level wrong:

 

[Blitzo]

This mystery module does not easily fit into my vision of what the 055 should look like in the end. But if it were the 055, the section below is IMO what is most likely being built (outlined in orange and red, with the orange being the visible cross-section in the photo):
View attachment 31183

Yes, that is more or less where I believe the hull completion is at, in those photos.

Of course, in the most recent photo posted I think in #1956, we see an additional module assembled which appears to be part of the helideck/hangar structure module, but is partially obscured by the white building in front to make out very clear details.

This requires some assumptions, however:
1) The amidships weather deck is at 02-level instead of 01-level.
2) The hangar does not extend all the way to the forward edge of the helicopter deckhouse.
3) The cross section is at a part of the ship where the hull bottom is starting to slope up towards the stern.

Of these, I personally believe only 2) may actually be true.

1: I would argue this is very viable, and I've already expressed my theory that the amidships weather deck is higher than the platform deck of the mock up, quite a few times, along with the idea that the the white structures on the mock up are not representative of the real ship. I'm not sure why you believe such a possibility is unlikely?
2: that is very viable. A folded Super Frelon (14.9m length) is far shorter than the helicopter hangar structure (~23.5m length when measured using roof), and even if we assume additioanl longitudinal clearance of 1m or so, that still leaves a lot of length in the hangar that would not be obvious in that particular module.
3: is there a reason why this assumption would be unlikely? Also, we need to keep in mind that the keel of the ship might not actually be the shape as depicted in these blurred and off angle photos, and that it may actually be more conventional than it appears.

Ultimately, judging whether this hull is 055 will always require assumptions for a number of characteristics for the ship.

Of course, there are some certain red line assumptions and theories that, if crossed, would rule out the possibility of the hull being 055... but at this stage, based on what we see, there is nothing that makes me rule out the hull being 055.
If anything, some of the characteristics of the hull jive with my own speculation and theory about what certain parts of the 055 will look like (such as the height of the amidships weather deck).

 

[navyreco]

So apparently, some Chinese are making fun of my latest piece on 055

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What does this mean exactly ?

“能够与预警机 机载预警和控制系统（AWACS）和卫星的传感器实现数据融合，实现了一大飞跃”，
这还“飞跃”？飞跃塔吗个头啊，
这些技术，土鳖10年前就普遍装备了。

That PLAN vessels had datalink capabilities (with AWACS and Satellite) for the past 10 years already ?
And then they seem to laugh at the CGI everybody has been using for the past year or so...

 

[siegecrossbow]

So apparently, some Chinese are making fun of my latest piece on 055

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

What does this mean exactly ?

“能够与预警机 机载预警和控制系统（AWACS）和卫星的传感器实现数据融合，实现了一大飞跃”，
这还“飞跃”？飞跃塔吗个头啊，
这些技术，土鳖10年前就普遍装备了。

That PLAN vessels had datalink capabilities (with AWACS and Satellite) for the past 10 years already ?
And then they seem to laugh at the CGI everybody has been using for the past year or so...

They are saying that China had the technology for datalink ten years ago. Also keep in mind that Chinese forums are typically hostile to foreign publications. Please don't take offense.

 

[Iron Man]

1: I would argue this is very viable, and I've already expressed my theory that the amidships weather deck is higher than the platform deck of the mock up, quite a few times, along with the idea that the the white structures on the mock up are not representative of the real ship. I'm not sure why you believe such a possibility is unlikely?

Because it's not what the Wuhan mockup looks like; if a 02-level weather deck is what they wanted, that's what they would have built in the first place. And because you're basing your theory entirely on the color of white paint, which as I have pointed out before is both uneven (the helicopter deckhouse's white is significantly higher than the rest of the ship) and also includes the CIWS platform, which I have no idea how or even why that would be modified/eliminated according to your theory.

2: that is very viable. A folded Super Frelon (14.9m length) is far shorter than the helicopter hangar structure (~23.5m length when measured using roof), and even if we assume additioanl longitudinal clearance of 1m or so, that still leaves a lot of length in the hangar that would not be obvious in that particular module.

As I said, 2) is the only qualification which is reasonable to me.

3: is there a reason why this assumption would be unlikely? Also, we need to keep in mind that the keel of the ship might not actually be the shape as depicted in these blurred and off angle photos, and that it may actually be more conventional than it appears.

Because even with that orange/red box I had to do violence to the shape and it's STILL at closer to 4 decks below the crease than 3.5. The actual ship has to be quite different from that CG in order for 3) to be true, i.e. has to start sloping up towards the stern much earlier than the CG indicates, or even that I indicated, or else you end up with a weird-looking hemispherical hull bottom which doesn't happen on modern warships. That CG obviously is hypothetical but is the closest one I have come across so far to what is probably the real shape of the 055.

Of course, there are some certain red line assumptions and theories that, if crossed, would rule out the possibility of the hull being 055... but at this stage, based on what we see, there is nothing that makes me rule out the hull being 055.
If anything, some of the characteristics of the hull jive with my own speculation and theory about what certain parts of the 055 will look like (such as the height of the amidships weather deck).

There is nothing that definitively rules out this module as being the 055, but there is also nothing that definitively rules it in either. I'm fine with waiting for additional clarification but I'm far less sold on this module than other people are.