055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Actually, I think there is something odd about this. (PART 1)

Firstly, here is the photo of the dry dock in Dalian, taken from a plane in late October 2021.

Taken from: 052C/052D Class Destroyers
Notice that there are hull modules for an unknown type of ship seen beside the dry dock. The dry dock at this point is still filled with water.

Next, here's a very blurry satellite photo of the same dry dock, taken in mid December 2021.

Taken from: 052C/052D Class Destroyers
Despite the low resolution making it hard to see, but I do believe we can tell that there is two hulls laid in the dry dock. Trying to identify the ship type is still difficult.

Then, there's this picture which is clearer than the above one, taken in late December 2021.

Source: 052C/052D Class Destroyers
Although there is no definitive conclusion on what ship type are being built based on the two hulls alone, there is already speculation that this ship hull looks too wide to be a 052D. Therefore it is likely that these two hulls would be for the 055s.

Although, this next photo taken from presumably an apartment facing the dry dock, taken also likely in late December 2021 or early January 2022.

Source: 052C/052D Class Destroyers
Looking from closer to the ground rather than high up, it has somewhat becoming more clear that instead of belonging to 055s, those two hulls are actually 052Ds.
Comparison wise:


Following up, here's the satellite photo of the dry dock in Dalian taken this early Jaunary from NavalNews.

Source:

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Note that the NavalNews source article is published on January 12, 2022.
In the article written by Sutton, however, he remarked that the two hulls inside those drydocks are 055s, instead of 052Ds.

(Due to the maximum number of photos that can be posted per post is 6, I will continue this in PART 2)

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Actually, I think there is something odd about this. (PART 2)

As per the screenshot of Sutton's article:

And I quote from the note underneath that satellite photo:

Two warships have recently started to be assembled in the large dry dock in Dalian. Analysis suggests that these are more likely Type-055 Renhai Class Cruisers rather than the smaller Type-052D Luyang-III Class destroyer.

Incidentally, when I browsed Baidu to search for "Has the 2nd batch of 055 started construction", many of the result shown indicates that the second batch of 055 are already under construction.

However, there are 2 things I have noticed:
1. Many of the news titles of news article regarding the commencement of contruction of Type 055 include "according to foreign media". Similar for the contents inside.
2. Many of the news article that are reporting about the commencement of contruction of Type 055 are published on the same day, or a few days after, or even later, the day when NavalNews published that article on the commencement of contruction of Type 055 in Dalian, i.e. January 12, 2022.
3. There is also an analysis video made by Fu Qianshao, a former PLA officer, located on the 2nd row at the right column, discussing about the commencement of contruction of Type 055 in Dalian, that is also published sometime after the NavalNews article.

I believe the findings above meant:
1. Firstly, Sutton got the information that those two hulls seen by satellite imagery taken in early January 2022 belongs to the 055s instead of the 052Ds.
2. Next, Sutton published that article on January 12, 2022 with that satellite photo included, and stating that those hulls are 055s.
3. After which, I believe that the Chinese news media has refered to Sutton's article, word-by-word in their news reporting, and thus claiming that Dalian is building 055s.

It wasn't until mid-February 2022 that this guy has taken a photo of that drydock from the side:

Source: 052C/052D Class Destroyers

Plus this photo taken in late-March 2022:

Source: 052C/052D Class Destroyers

And then this ground-level photo taken in mid-April 2022:

Source: 052C/052D Class Destroyers

(Due to the maximum number of photos that can be posted per post is 6, I will continue this in PART 3)

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Actually, I think there is something odd about this. (PART 3, LAST PART)

And finally, these series of photos taken from a plane in mid-May 2022:



Source: 052C/052D Class Destroyers
Which finally made things clear and obvious that these hulls in this Dalian drydock (5 of them) are actually 052Ds, NOT 055s.

Furthermore, based on the news article that I have quoted in my post #9692 within this thread, source:

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, there is this one paragraph which makes me ponder:

Translated as following:

But with the 2022 Navy Day passed, there has not been even one news that any shipyard is ready or has started construction of the second batch of 055.

There has been only the news where the Guangzhou Huangpu Wenchong shipyard, which built the 054A guided missile frigate, is suspected to begin construction of the 054B guided missile frigate, has actually come out.

Therefore, the online news of which that the 2nd batch of 055 will not be built does have its backings.

So, I do believe that we may have fooled ourselves for almost 5 fr1cking months.

To put it simply -
First we thought that those are 055s.
Then some random guy outside China tells Sutton that those are 2nd batch 055s.
And Sutton wrote an article that those are 2nd batch 055s.
Then local Chinese news media took Sutton's article and said that those are 2nd batch 055s.
And many of us believed that China is actually building 2nd batch 055s.
Until finally, those "055s" are actually 052Ds, not 2nd batch 055s.

This meant that the alleged hulls belonging to the 2nd batch of Type 055s may not actually exist, after all. Or even the 2nd batch 055 itself may not actually exist, at all.

Or maybe, they are still on the drawing board, but who knows.

Of course, there could really be somewhere which can proof that the first members of the 2nd batch 055s are indeed already in construction, and I am happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Biscuits]

I thought the 055 already was the CGX of china

It's an area defense DDG, same role as Arleigh Burke, likely a preemptive response to the flight 3.

 

[Michaelsinodef]

Actually, I think there is something odd about this. (PART 3, LAST PART)

And finally, these series of photos taken from a plane in mid-May 2022:
View attachment 91653
View attachment 91654
View attachment 91655
Source: 052C/052D Class Destroyers
Which finally made things clear and obvious that these hulls in this Dalian drydock (5 of them) are actually 052Ds, NOT 055s.

Furthermore, based on the news article that I have quoted in my post #9692, source:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

, there is this one paragraph:
View attachment 91656
Translated as following:




So, I do believe that we may have fooled ourselves for almost 5 fr1cking months.

The hulls that belong to the 2nd batch of Type 055s may not actually exist, after all. Or even the 2nd batch 055 itself.

Or maybe, they are still on the drawing board, but who knows.

Of course, there could really be somewhere which can proof that the first members of the 2nd batch 055s are indeed already in construction, and I am happy to be proven wrong.

Possible, or the next supposed batch of 055s might only have been in very, very early construction.

I also honestly think it's unlikely that the PLA isn't gonna make more of 055 class ships or size/capability as well, so it was only a matter of 'when' not if.

 

[Andy1974]

I really like the PLANS strategy of pausing 055 construction for several years, it gives them such flexibility and also gives time to really prove the build and operation of the platforms. They proved they can design and build a class of 8 destroyers in short order, that’s a proven ability now, which they should iterate on and build on. Let’s say they do that.

To iterate this new ability they have to wait until the technology level has advanced so that they are building a new class, rather than another slightly modified batch of the previous version. That means new hull, propulsion and build methods probably, because you have to keep all those young naval designers motivated.

This still leaves the PLAN with the ability to build as many of whatever type they want too, especially with export clients keeping the supply chain going. The PLAN already has destroyer designs that can win a war with the US so why not be bolder with each generation?

The alternative but supporting proposition of scaling up unmanned combat ships to destroyer level ability is even more exciting for me, because this really allows them to experiment and try the latest technology even if it’s not mature enough for a manned PLAN destroyer.

 

[Shadow_Whomel]

Stop building the second batch is not too surprising, if compared to the U.S. Navy Cold War establishment, each carrier battle group should be equipped with two cruisers, now eight 055 for four aircraft carrier battle group is still enough to share, of course, each battle group can only share one. For aircraft carrier construction time, the Chinese have enough time to update their design.

 

[ashnole]

To provide yourself with the best odds of defending an Aircraft Carrier in the age of precision-guided cruise missiles, you are going to need an Escort Group comprising a minimum of six (preferably eight) Area Defence Surface Combatants with a VLS capacity of atleast 96 cells.

Missile Salvos fired by the enemy are going to be huge in size as well as numerous in frequency and you are going to need a lot of defensive missiles to protect your Carrier against them.

 

[Kich]

Hmm, I think it's a mistake if the second batch of 055 are really paused.

An upgrade from 055 to 055A shouldn't be that much of a gap to pause more 055 constructions. 055 offers better offensive and defensive capabilities than 052D that I think should necessitates more numbers of 055 instead of building more 052D to fill that role.

PLAN can still build the second batch 055 while simultaneous working on 055A. There's no need for a pause especially with USN and South Korea about to ramp up production on large DDGs. This is a mistake if true, especially with the way geopolitics is going this decade.

But who knows. This is a still a rumor and PLAN surely knows what it is doing.

 

[banjex]

It would be awesome if they continued the second 055 batch and started the 055A batch simultaneously. A pipe dream, sure, but a man can dream, lol.