055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread

[by78]

Amid all the excitement over 075's maiden trials, a 055 has quietly slipped out of nearby Jiangnan shipyard to embark on trial runs of her own.

Here's a high-resolution image of this hull heading for her trials.

 

[feilinreg]

If I can get confirmed, not speculated or estimated, pennant numbers, we would have a clearer picture.

If all eight Type 055 goes into Qingdao (Pennant 101 to 108), then SSF and ESF may get a squadron of eight each.

If four goes into Qingdao (101 to 103), another four to Hainan (176 to 179 or 180 to 183), another four may go into ESF. But these won't be the final numbers because they can still add to each of the four that goes to each Fleet.

The problem is that you have only two shipyards certified to produce 055. If you are going to produce 8 to 16 055s, its going to bite into 052DL/052E production. In order to get more warship into the water, smaller shipyards that are certified for frigate production will have to get into the act by building next generation frigates.

Zhao Yanquan, former captain of 052D 174 Hefei, now become the captain of new 055 Dalian. I am not sure about the number of 055 Dalian, but it must be assigned to SSF.



As for new shipyards to produce destroyer, there are two possible candidates, both come from south China, one is Huangpu (built 054As), another is Guangchuan, which built 901 and 903 replenishment ship.
And I want to emphasize, Dalian and Jiangnan shipyards are not larger than other China's shipyards, they just have priority to bulid thesse warships.

 

[Tam]

Zhao Yanquan, former captain of 052D 174 Hefei, now become the captain of new 055 Dalian. I am not sure about the number of 055 Dalian, but it must be assigned to SSF.
View attachment 62444


As for new shipyards to produce destroyer, there are two possible candidates, both come from south China, one is Huangpu (built 054As), another is Guangchuan, which built 901 and 903 replenishment ship.
And I want to emphasize, Dalian and Jiangnan shipyards are not larger than other China's shipyards, they just have priority to bulid thesse warships.

Huangpu is questionable. The 054A are built in an indoor shed and that's not going to fit a 055. The ship has to be moved with a mobile dock to the water and that's not going to fit a 055 either. Its far more certain they would be employed to build new batch of 054A+ (AG?) and 054B.




Guangchan maybe but you may have to make a sizable investment in the tooling and not just training the personnel. The 055 requires a special press to roll steel sheets for the special geometry of the hull. The machine was specifically built for making the 055 but can be adapted to building other ships. We don't know if Guangchan has this machine along with others. It isn't just the dock, but you need the factories to build the modules. Then finally you need the technicians that can fit the equipment. If you want other shipyards to build 055, the day to start training these personnel and incorporating all these machines should have been yesterday. Otherwise you are going to need some lead time in preparing the machines and tools, and training the personnel. After that, you have to produce one or two ships, and subject that to quality inspection, which can be used to adjust the building process. The fact that Guangchan has built the 901 ship gives some confidence of the quality the shipyard can produce but it would be better a step ahead if they have previously built a destroyer.

 

[feilinreg]

Huangpu is questionable. The 054A are built in an indoor shed and that's not going to fit a 055. The ship has to be moved with a mobile dock to the water and that's not going to fit a 055 either. Its far more certain they would be employed to build new batch of 054A+ (AG?) and 054B.

View attachment 62449


Guangchan maybe but you may have to make a sizable investment in the tooling and not just training the personnel. The 055 requires a special press to roll steel sheets for the special geometry of the hull. The machine was specifically built for making the 055 but can be adapted to building other ships. We don't know if Guangchan has this machine along with others. It isn't just the dock, but you need the factories to build the modules. Then finally you need the technicians that can fit the equipment. If you want other shipyards to build 055, the day to start training these personnel and incorporating all these machines should have been yesterday. Otherwise you are going to need some lead time in preparing the machines and tools, and training the personnel. After that, you have to produce one or two ships, and subject that to quality inspection, which can be used to adjust the building process. The fact that Guangchan has built the 901 ship gives some confidence of the quality the shipyard can produce but it would be better a step ahead if they have previously built a destroyer.

There are some rumors that Guangchuan alsmost get the licence to build 052Ds years ago, but failed because they have a serious accident before they are certificated. If it's true, they should get it in these years. And for Huangpu, they have some new facilities near the Guangchuan, it is easy to find on the google map. I can take it for your later. But anyway, they must be able to build destroyers there.

As for technique problems, I don't think it is differcult for these shipyard. Firstly, they all are huge shipyards with advanced technologies, it is just piece of cake for them to make the destroyer hulls. Secondly, even they meet some minor problems in specific area, they can easily get support from Dalian and Jiangnan, as they all are state-run companies. So my conclusion is, it just depends on the will of PLAN. If they want 2 shipyards to build destroyers, they will have two; if they want four, then they will have four.

 

[feilinreg]

Huangpu is questionable. The 054A are built in an indoor shed and that's not going to fit a 055. The ship has to be moved with a mobile dock to the water and that's not going to fit a 055 either. Its far more certain they would be employed to build new batch of 054A+ (AG?) and 054B.

View attachment 62449


Guangchan maybe but you may have to make a sizable investment in the tooling and not just training the personnel. The 055 requires a special press to roll steel sheets for the special geometry of the hull. The machine was specifically built for making the 055 but can be adapted to building other ships. We don't know if Guangchan has this machine along with others. It isn't just the dock, but you need the factories to build the modules. Then finally you need the technicians that can fit the equipment. If you want other shipyards to build 055, the day to start training these personnel and incorporating all these machines should have been yesterday. Otherwise you are going to need some lead time in preparing the machines and tools, and training the personnel. After that, you have to produce one or two ships, and subject that to quality inspection, which can be used to adjust the building process. The fact that Guangchan has built the 901 ship gives some confidence of the quality the shipyard can produce but it would be better a step ahead if they have previously built a destroyer.

Circled in second image is the new facility of Huangpu for frigate, and possible for destroyers.

 

[localizer]

I was at Huangpu in Jan but they had guards and wouldn't let me take peek

 

[lcloo]

Huangpu is questionable. The 054A are built in an indoor shed and that's not going to fit a 055. The ship has to be moved with a mobile dock to the water and that's not going to fit a 055 either. Its far more certain they would be employed to build new batch of 054A+ (AG?) and 054B.

Huangpu shipyard has relocated a large part of its facilities to Lonxue island (the Dragon's cave) just next to Guangchuan shipyard. It has the capability to build large ships just as Guangchuan do on this island.

While at the Huangpu's old shipyard at Wenchong where type 054As were built in years past, new batch of 054A+? are slotted to be build in near future as per news from CJDBY, may be even future 054B/057 too.

 

[Red Moon]

Meaming US is not a natural hegemon? While China is one?

A good summation of his (off-topic) opinion.

 

[Tam]

Circled in second image is the new facility of Huangpu for frigate, and possible for destroyers.

The second one is clearly building bulk freighters. There are many many shipyards that are building commercial ships, these can more than fit destroyers, sometimes two in a dock. But you also need to train up the skill sets. For example, not every shipyard in China can build an LNG carrier, its a highly demanding skill set reserved to to the elite of shipyards.

Docks for any commercial ship is big enough, since commercial ships are bigger, a lot bigger than warships. Even a Type 901 would be dwarfed by relatively common containerships, tankers and bulk freighters, some of whom are 400 meters long. That shipyard Huangpu uses for commercial building can even be used to potentially build a carrier. It would be good to see what other types of ships they are making that can be used to access the technical level. For example, there is a CSSC shipyard that has done FPSO. Like LNG carriers, FPSO can e regarded as a crowning achievement in shipbuilding.

Dock that HDZ uses in Shanghai for example, is big enough to fit two 071 and a 054A at the same time, and right now, it can be used to the Thai 071, the Pakiston 054A/P and the third 075 at the same time. If they are not producing these ships, its possible they can build at least two, maybe four 055 there. HDZ also has a new shipyard in Changxin to build containerships and LNG ships. That's more than enough to build 055s and even carriers if you want to.

But the bottleneck will come from the skillsets used to make high quality ships. How many can you train? How many do you have? How good are they? You also need the technicians to fit the ships. You are going to need more. Army of skilled shipbuilders, engineers and technicians, all that you need, start training and getting valuable experience. That is your most valuable resource.

There are also other bottlenecks ranging from the production of radars, and especially of the gas turbines. How many gas turbines can be produced in a year? How are you going to allocate these?

 

[feilinreg]

The second one is clearly building bulk freighters.

You are wrong here, look at these pictures, it indoor ship cradle, which have capacity to produce large ships. I think it is prepared for 054Bs, but also possible for 052 series.




As for the technique problems, I agree with you, but all in all, it is just money problem. If navy get more funding to produce these ships, they must be able to do it.
Jiangnan shipyard takes several year to upgrade to produce carriers, Guangchuan and Huangpu will take less time to prepare for destroyers. I even think they already finished this work, they just need a certificate to start.