055 Large Destroyer Thread II
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
These are indeed impressive ships but they are also platforms of a bygone era. Two or three suicide USVs can sink any of these ships. China needs to spend less on these big ticket manned platforms and start to spend more on AI driven unmanned systems.Three 055s maneuvering together.
Just because Ukraine did a few successful attacks against obsolete Russian ships that failed to defend themselves does not mean large ships are are a thing of the past. The threat of small suicide boats have been around for a long time, only they were operated by someone yelling Allahu Akbar..
A modern warship should have no problem handling a few of them, first with proper radars they will be detected at long range, even longer if you got AWACS. The new SAAB GlobalEye claims they can track Jet-skies at "more then 200km".
Once detected you have plenty of options to fight them starting with Helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts at longer ranges.
Once closer you got the main gun, especially if you got programable airburst ammunition.
Or Missiles
And Last CIWS or smaller deck mounted guns
Another option if you do not want to fight them is to just step on the gas, small boats are very sensitive to waves and can only achieve their top speed in calm seas. Unless the sea looks like a mirror odds are they will not keep up with a 30+ knots Destroyer.
Comparing those to attacks on mostly derelict anchored russian ships is a bit far fetched... harbor and low speed choke points are the zones of danger where USV can be efficient if you have no good air/radar coverage for these targets. Torpedo mines like Mark 60 CAPTOR would be way more dangerous than USV against large destroyer.
Russia is incompetent in all categories. Don't compare their failures to other Navies around the world.
I disagree.
In 2022 in the beginning of the Ukraine War, I agree drones have made some impressive kills. However this was only possible because Russia was unprepared for this "new" way of fighting. Fast forward 2 years Later now this is "old" news. The Russians have adapted by making dedicated anti-drone weapon systems.
The problem with drones is they are very easy to defeat so long as you have dedicated anti-drone weapon systems.......which is something Everybody is going to bring with them the next time a major war breaks out. So no I don't see drones replacing old - school heavy machines like artillery and destroyers.
The Western Red Sea ops should illustrate that competently operated and adequately equipped combatants remain perfectly capable of defending themselves. Even with armament that is not bespoke "counter drone" spec (although better adaption of related ammo and sensors certainly helps).
Drones are not the game changers, Missiles are the true game changers. Guess who carries missiles? Destroyers. So, actually Destroyers and even bigger destroyers like Cruisers are making a comeback. Cause they have the radar, air/missile defense and anti-ship missile capability. Carriers are actually getting obsolete cause they are too big, too expensive and easy target for anti-ship missiles.
Moreover, thanks to drones, you don't need manned planes to do certain tasks that only a plane from a carrier can do. Like over-the-horizon radar and ISR. So, in the future drone will takeover these tasks and you may have only a smaller drone carrier. Guess who is ahead in terms of drone carriers? China.
I actually expect China to make even bigger ship than the 055 in the next generation. A battlecruiser so to speak. It will have even more powerful radar, bigger and more numerous missiles. Drones will provide the targeting while this new ship can be the missile launcher.
Moreover, thanks to drones, you don't need manned planes to do certain tasks that only a plane from a carrier can do. Like over-the-horizon radar and ISR. So, in the future drone will takeover these tasks and you may have only a smaller drone carrier. Guess who is ahead in terms of drone carriers? China.
I actually expect China to make even bigger ship than the 055 in the next generation. A battlecruiser so to speak. It will have even more powerful radar, bigger and more numerous missiles. Drones will provide the targeting while this new ship can be the missile launcher.