055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread
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If i had posted it ...
Well, you or me, never mind. IMHO, a perfectly normal question. If I was in place of Chinese, Type 055 would have 128 VLS launchers... A bit more expencive yes, but IMHO, important.
manqiangrexue
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Probably because VLS count is a very superficial parity, one that people with a very shallow understanding of naval warfare would look to as the marker of capability. The designers of the type 055 had her specific mission profile and combat plans drawn and from that, they decided to create 112 VLS based on their calculations. They determined 128 to be unnecessary, and it means nothing compared to the 96 of the Burke or the 128 of the Tico. Whether the 055 is below, on par, or superior to her foreign rivals will depend on many more things than just VLS count.
In short, no one wanted to spend the extra money for another row of VLS to please spectators when the PLAN decided they didn't want/need it.
I think they have their own reason to put 112 VLS in their Type 055 Destroyer, even if we see the pictures, there is still room if they want to put 128 or more VLS in their Type 055 DDG.
But we need to note, that Chinese Universal VLS System on-board Type 055 DDG (and also Type 052D DDG) is Significantly Bigger than MK41 VLS onboard Tico or KDX-III.
With Chinese Universal VLS System have diameter 850mm, while MK-41 have diameter "only" 550mm.
So, you cannot see this case from "number" perspective only.
It's not as simple as that
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63 cm for MK-57, 55 cm MK-41 interior not easy to know but US missiles are more compact
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number of missiles is important to sustain a long engagement before the ship itself is killed or the mission accomplished.
But, it is even more important to have more fire control channels (number of targets can be detected, locked on and fired upon simultaneously). This capability is within the radars and fire control system. It is more important than pure number of missile that the ship can carry. After all, if a ship is only able to fire 10 missiles in a salvo, carrying bigger number just make the ship a lorry.
I think in this regard, 055 is more capable than the two you mentioned.
Of course, one can still argue for a higher number, but there is always a limit one has to stop. One should also consider that 055 is not very much heavier than the other two, but 055 has many more radars (various band of AESA, heavier and bigger S-band search) which takes up lots of space and weights which demands more electricity generation meaning extra weight and space for generators. so the carrying space is limited and 112 perhaps is the right number that a ship of this size can carry but achieving a better combat capability.
Besides, it has been suggested that 055 may act as the flag ship of the fleet (with carrier or without), that demands extra room and communication equipment for that purpose, so lowering the missile number comparatively.
The key issue here is that, there is no super ship to outgun, outnumber, out-missile anybody else because modern wars are fought between systems, not between two single ships in a duel.
Of course, agreed, fire control is much more important than the maximal number or missiles, but sometimes quantity has quality of it's own, as Stalin said, and let's not forget propaganda value of being al pari with the USN on that regard.
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