056 class FFL/corvette

PanAsian said:

Hmmm, now that we mention how the PLAN could have made the 056 slightly longer and have more missiles or storage space... I'm sure they thought of that but most likely due to cost the 056 is what it is. Given this I am leaning once more towards the high end of my estimate of how many 056s (all variants) will be built - closer to 60 rather than 40. It'll probably be half/half sub hunters and 'multi-role' version.

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Curious, what armament suite would you define as sub hunter and what as multi-role? If it's simply one would carry anti-sub missiles vs one carrying anti-ship missiles, this is where I wish they figure out how to carry both so there's no need for a split fleet. I thought one of the touting points for the new 056s was that it would replace the obsolete single mission 037 variants and eliminate the need for variants? I rather they not reintroduce that problem.

Totoro said:

What one could try to do with the current design, in way of adding missiles, is add C705 launchers (or something in its class). It's a new missile, should be pretty capable, its range and warhead is pretty much fit for littoral low intensity warfare. (its something LCS should have, really, instead of its planned griffin micromissiles)

Best of all, its footprint on the deck would not be huge. Two twin launchers could fit in a single line, perpendicular to the ship, meaning they would be set along the width of the deck in a pyramid arrangement, as seen on some other ships. exhausts would face the deck edges and front of the canisters would face each other but there would be enough room between them for them to shoot over each other.

Due to the relative small dimensions of c705 i do believe such platform could fit either between the command bridge and the gun, in the front of the ship (with little to no redesign needed), or, with some redesign and rearangement of various subsystems around that part of the ship - just behind the smokestack, in the back.

Then, of course, reserve the current c803 launcher space exclusively for rocket assisted torpedos.

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That's a plausible route though I think it would have a shorter range vs the YJ-83s as the tradeoff. Instead of between the bridge and main gun, I think they could redo the second antenna mast to accommodate the two satcom domes, making room for the C705s back there. Some sort of angled deflector on the outboard sides of the C705 launchers to help maintain the stealthy silouette.

If rocket assisted torpedos go to where the YJ-83s are, question I have is, are the triple torpedo launchers redundant at that point? If so, maybe remove them, redo that whole garage area so the "control room" to guide an incoming helo can either be positioned to the port or starboard. The remaining side can be rebuilt to be really a garage that could perhaps house a UAV. That would make the 056 a very well rounded platform.

In recent decades the cost of new warships and warplanes has increased drastically. It has become difficult for many navies to replace their fleet with new ships on 1:1 ratio. The 056 is a general purpose corvette that has been built to Chinese Navy’s specifications to be on budget and within scope. This is the kind of ship that will help the Chinese Navy replace older ships on 1:1 ratio (or better).

To draw an analogy, say if duck hunters contracted a firearms company to make shotguns so they can hunt ducks. The 056 is like a standard double barrel shotgun. It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done and the gun is delivered in 3 months for $500. When you pull the trigger, you’re confident that the gun will shoot at whatever duck you’re aiming for.

Another firearms company might advertise some new revolutionary design with rotating barrels/magazines and a duck call built into the stock (“just blow into the stock here and the gun will quack and attract ducks”), but the new design has all sorts of problems and takes 10 years to fix. When it’s finally on the market, the performance is less than advertised and the shotgun cost $5,000.

The 056 is not an ASW or AAW frigate. It has some ASW and AAW capabilities, but that is not the primary role of this corvette. If the Chinese Navy behaved like the second firearm company, the corvette would have been delivered 10 years behind schedule, with massive cost overruns for marginal gains. In hindsight, everyone will say “ugh, if we wanted an ASW frigate, we should have just ordered an ASW frigate instead of trying making this corvette do everything”.

IMO if the Chinese Navy (or another major Navy) wanted an ASW frigate, they should look to ASW frigates (or at multi-mission frigates) that are bigger with hanger space for 2 ASW helicopters. The OH Perry frigates are not sleek or pretty, but it has survived hits from missiles and mines without sinking.

Considering so many outdated sub-chasers and missile boats to be phased out, even at a 2:1 replacement ratio still good.

near a SSF base



at Wuchang shipyard

HP is working on the redesign?

A.Man said:

HP is working on the redesign?

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if you are asking that question, why don't you point out where the redesign is?

Commission ceremony held in a naval port in Zhoushan

escobar said:

Commission ceremony held in a naval port in Zhoushan

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The desperate emptyness is a clear indication that that naval port is Dinghai-Yancang, home of 3 Destroyer Flotilla. I think you can just see SOVREMENNYY's in the background of pictures 1-3 and 8.

Rumour has it that the 056 squadron will actually be based at Putuo, also in the Zhoushan archipelago.

The other pictures of course have 582 heading out from Wusong.

franco-russe said:

The desperate emptyness is a clear indication that that naval port is Dinghai-Yancang, home of 3 Destroyer Flotilla. I think you can just see SOVREMENNYY's in the background of pictures 1-3 and 8.

Rumour has it that the 056 squadron will actually be based at Putuo, also in the Zhoushan archipelago.

The other pictures of course have 582 heading out from Wusong.

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Franco-Russe how many Type 056 do you think will join each respective fleet?