055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread

[Tam]

Currently, the PLAN has 6 destroyer squadrons, from north to south,
12X is assigned to 10th squadron,
13X to 3rd squadron,
15X to 6th,
16X to 2nd,
17X to 9th.
But this rule only works for destroyer, for large destroyer, all these squadron will share same pennant numbers, 10X, 18X, and 19X.
For next batch of large destroyer, 055s, I assume they will start from 180.
Here 1st destroyer squadron is different because I guess it won’t get any new destroyers but large destroyers in short time. So the 11X is occupied by 1st and 10th now, but will be empty after all these destroyers retired.
With current speed, the number of destroyer will over 100 soon, then they will have new number, maybe 2XX

I was thinking about this, and this system is one of legacy that stems back when the PLAN consists of Luda class destroyers, with originally three fleets and three destroyer groups --- 1st in the North, 2nd in the South and 3rd in the East.

The regional digit in the pennant system is not followed by any other pennant classification, except with frigates at the start, where they start with three numberings --- 52X, 54X and 57X. But the number of frigates grew, which is 053 + 054 + 056, they outgrew this system and now the pennant numbering is all over the place with no sign of regionality.

For example, the 9th Destroyer Division has these numbers for their 054A: 572, 573, 574, and 575. But their last is 500.

Nearby the 2nd Destroyer Division has these 054A numbers: 568, 569, 570, 571, but their newest frigate is 536.

3rd Destroyer Division has these 054A numbers: 529, 530, 531, 532. The last and latest 054A to join them is however, 601.

So at first, there is an order with the frigate pennants, then at some point, they decided that this order was abandoned or deemed impractical to be sustained.

The 10th Destroyer Division for example, has these frigate pennants: 576, 579, 539, 598, and 542. You won't know it but 542 is the last and latest of the 30 054A that has been built so far.

For now, I think 12X, 13X, 15X, 16X and 17X have reserved pennants for future and potential 052X, but new types of destroyers after 052X (052D/E), like 055 and successive 055X will have pennants that are all over the place like the frigates as the PLAN decides to dust this region pennant system as they did with the frigates. They will likely use up the pennants up to 114, with 112 and 113 retired in the near future, and possibly 115 and 116 if these are retired. The whole range of 14X, 18X and 19X are also open, along with the 20X range. As you go farther and farther into the future, even as the 052X themselves are retired, successive destroyer types past the 055 will start reusing these numbers but will no longer follow any semblance of regionality.

 

[Kich]

I was thinking about this, and this system is one of legacy that stems back when the PLAN consists of Luda class destroyers, with originally three fleets and three destroyer groups --- 1st in the North, 2nd in the South and 3rd in the East.

The regional digit in the pennant system is not followed by any other pennant classification, except with frigates at the start, where they start with three numberings --- 52X, 54X and 57X. But the number of frigates grew, which is 053 + 054 + 056, they outgrew this system and now the pennant numbering is all over the place with no sign of regionality.

The 9th Destroyer Division has these numbers for their 054A: 572, 573, 574, and 575. But their last is 500.

Nearby the 2nd Destroyer Division has these 054A numbers: 568, 569, 570, 571, but their newest frigate is 536.

3rd Destroyer Division has these 054A numbers: 529, 530, 531, 532. The last and latest 054A to join them is however, 601.

A good example of frigate pennants going nuts is the 9th Destroyer Division. Their 054A is numbered 572, 573, 574 and 575. So far so good. But the last is 500.

So at first, there is an order with the frigate pennants, then at some point, they decided that this order was abandoned or deemed impractical to be sustained.

The 10th Destroyer Division for example, has these frigate pennants: 576, 579, 539, 598, and 542. You won't know it but 542 is the last and latest of the 30 054A that has been built so far.

For now, I think 12X, 13X, 15X, 16X and 17X have reserved pennants for future and potential 052X, but new types of destroyers after 052X (052D/E), like 055 and successive 055X will have pennants that are all over the place like the frigates as the PLAN decides to dust this region pennant system as they did with the frigates. They will likely use up the pennants up to 114, with 112 and 113 retired in the near future, and possibly 115 and 116 if these are retired. The whole range of 14X, 18X and 19X are also open, along with the 20X range. As you go farther and farther into the future, even as the 052X themselves are retired, successive destroyer types past the 055 will start reusing these numbers but will no longer follow any semblance of regionality.

Is it possible they might re-paint/re-number some of their ships in the future to create some sort of order in their pennants systems?

 

[Tam]

Any information about the commissioning of the second Type 055?

My understanding is that 102 Lhasa and 105 Dalian has been commissioned. 102 Lhasa may have been the second one but we have not seen a photo of her.

 

[Tam]

Is it possible they might re-paint/re-number some of their ships in the future to create some sort of order in their pennants systems?

No. I have never seen a pennant change in any PLAN surface ship. They carry the same pennant to the end of their days or transfer to another service. If an old ship still carries that number, new ships will use a different number until that old ship is retired and only then the pennant number is allowed to be reused again. Only pennant changes is when the ships are given to another country or switched to the Chinese coast guard.

 

[Kich]

No. I have never seen a pennant change in any PLAN surface ship. They carry the same pennant to the end of their days or transfer to another service. If an old ship still carries that number, new ships will use a different number until that old ship is retired and only then the pennant number is allowed to be reused again. Only pennant changes is when the ships are given to another country or switched to the Chinese coast guard.

If that's the case, then as you say, PLAN may be abandoning their pennants systems for regional fleets, first with their frigates and next the destroyers. A shame cause it made tracking their ships easier.

US Navy doesn't have anything like that to my knowledge.

 

[Tam]

If that's the case, then as you say, PLAN may be abandoning their pennants systems for regional fleets, first with their frigates and next the destroyers. A shame cause it made tracking their ships easier.

US Navy doesn't have anything like that to my knowledge.

I don't think it is with the PLAN's favor to make their ships easier to track. Hence its phased abandonment.

 

[Richard Santos]

Three older images to mark the one-year anniversary of 101 entering service.

The disturbance in the water near the ship’s bow suggest some kind of bow thruster Is in operation. there are no apparent thruster apertures on the ship’s side in dry dock photos, is it possible she has some kind of under keel thruster, perhaps some kind of retractable azipod or cycloidal propeller?

 

[para80]

The disturbance in the water near the ship’s bow suggest some kind of bow thruster Is in operation.

I think you are reading a little too much into that disturbance, which could have been created just as easily by the ship from which the picture was taken or flow interaction between the hulls.

 

[j17wang]

deleted post

 

[Blitzo]

Recent posts moved to the below thread, for better access and relocation of this information.

Chinese Marine Propulsion

The GE LM2500 weighs 5.25 tons. If an industrial gas turbine weighs 15 tons, I think the difference of 10 tons is probably not an issue for a navy ship as small as a frigate. It is not 100 tons.

www.sinodefenceforum.com

Continue the good discussion there.