056 class FFL/corvette

zoom said:

View attachment 6021 View attachment 6022 View attachment 6023Am i being silly in thinking ships like 056 could benefit from retractable tunnel style hangars? Obviously they're far from what a fixed hangar offers but maybe it is cheap way to protect the Helo from constantly being battered by salt air/water and could provide a dry environment for some light maintenance.

Click to expand...

Don't think they last well in high sea states. I don't think PLAN views 056 having a heli on board as a primary concern. If anything, they are looking at it from the other end, the helipad is a bonus to otherwise an OPV with no heli accessories whatsoever. They probably want the space where the hangar could be for other equipment or simply more stores for endurance.

I think it's quite clear 056s will not be operating with their own helicopters full time (I doubt they even have enough choppers to go around anyway).
I see 056's ASW potential to be through bow sonar and TAS basically like 053, 054 or 052C just without a helicopter and the sheer numbers we believe people believe this ship will be built in. Having more ships in near seas with modern sonar is not as good as having a chopper with each ship but it's the next best thing and is probably the more economical choice for the PLAN, especially if they can coordinate 056s with Y-8ASW on station.
056 could certainly have rotary winged UAVs in a miniature hangar as a few people have proposed like the K130, which could be used for observation of disputed islands in the SCS or even strike, if armed with a missile or two like HJ-10.

Bltizo said:

I think it's quite clear 056s will not be operating with their own helicopters full time (I doubt they even have enough choppers to go around anyway).
I see 056's ASW potential to be through bow sonar and TAS basically like 053, 054 or 052C just without a helicopter and the sheer numbers we believe people believe this ship will be built in. Having more ships in near seas with modern sonar is not as good as having a chopper with each ship but it's the next best thing and is probably the more economical choice for the PLAN, especially if they can coordinate 056s with Y-8ASW on station.
056 could certainly have rotary winged UAVs in a miniature hangar as a few people have proposed like the K130, which could be used for observation of disputed islands in the SCS or even strike, if armed with a missile or two like HJ-10.

Click to expand...

I agree, AFAIK PLAN never had enough choppers for all the surface combatants, so choppers are not assigned to a ship but rather assigned according to the requirement of each deployment. They probably won't have enough choppers in the next few years given the number of newer chopper carrying ships being commissioned. The 056 will operate within PLANAF MPA's patrol range anyway so the need of a ship assigned ASW chopper is not very high on its priority list. It'd be helpful to have a small UAV to conduct surveillance missions, and it's certainly within PLAN's capability to do so.

My first post here

I think the type 56 ship will be very useful. It seems well designed, robust and well balanced. Obviously the raised aft deck is to allow for a TAS underneath. If used in conjuction with other ships this would be a very useful asset. It would also work well as a cost effective patrol vessel, even for non intensive warfare, such as off Somalia to protect convoys. It would make a lot more sense to have smaller ships like this as opposed to highly sophisticated and expensive cruisers and or destroyers for relatively simple roles.

It would be useful in patrolling the EEZ, escorting convoys and one would think that it should have quite good export potential. Not having a hangar means that extra weight and space can be devoted to weapons and endurance. The 1450 tonnes looks about right, 1000t is way too low, and 2000t is too high. The helicopter pad is a useful extra feature, where helicopters can be refueled, rearmed, increasing their radius if they are in a bind. In years to come they might even operate a small UAV helicopter, the ships are likely to be around for 30 years or more from now, so it is a very useful feature to add. It would also be good for such soft power tasks as showing the flag. I agree its main task seems to be ASW but it is a bit small for that, however it is still a useful ship.

All in all it seems a very useful and cost effective vessel. I have to admit to being very impressed by Chinese warship designers. I am sure they dont have the absolute best radars and missiles, but their ships are well laid out and well designed. They seem to be concentrating on doing the little things right, and in time they no doubt will improve their very high tech capability.

The helicopter pad is a useful extra feature, where helicopters can be refueled, rearmed, increasing their radius if they are in a bind.

Click to expand...

This is what I was thinking, too. While the 056 might not carry its own helicopters, it can serve as a landing pad for land-based helicopters, greatly extending their range and endurance.

hmmwv said:

I agree, AFAIK PLAN never had enough choppers for all the surface combatants, so choppers are not assigned to a ship but rather assigned according to the requirement of each deployment. They probably won't have enough choppers in the next few years given the number of newer chopper carrying ships being commissioned. The 056 will operate within PLANAF MPA's patrol range anyway so the need of a ship assigned ASW chopper is not very high on its priority list. It'd be helpful to have a small UAV to conduct surveillance missions, and it's certainly within PLAN's capability to do so.

Click to expand...

Indeed -- but I also wonder if 056 will have the endurance to make trips to somalia like the royal thai navy's, chinese built OPVs. Obviously lacking a helicopter hangar it would be at a disadvantage in anti piracy ops, but it should be operating with another two ships (destroyer/frigate and AOR) which of which should have at least one helicopter each. If 056 operates with an 071 it will be even better.

Of course existing taskgroups are already doing a great job, keeping a PLAN presence in those wates for what, three years straight now? but you don't really need the 052C and 054A's overpowered air defence and anti ship capabilities for dealing with skiffs...

Of course the likes of the 054A and 052Cs are complete overkill compared to the level of the Somali pirates in a firefight, but then the PLAN's mission was never to erradicate the pirates.

Their mission is to protect shipping, but the primary reason for their deployment is to gain real-world operational experience to help better train the crews and to evaluate how well the PLAN's current and future mainstays fairs in blue water operations.

An 056 might be a better fit for the kind of opposition the PLAN is likely to face if it got into a firefight with pirates, but since it is not expected to operate as part of any possible future PLAN expeditionary task force, the training value of such a deployment would be minimal, and so it is very unlikely that 056s will be deployed regularly.

The PLAN may well send one over to see how it fairs, and may even station one in the Sychelles if the PLAN sets up a naval base there, but that is about it.

plawolf said:

Of course the likes of the 054A and 052Cs are complete overkill compared to the level of the Somali pirates in a firefight, but then the PLAN's mission was never to erradicate the pirates.

Their mission is to protect shipping, but the primary reason for their deployment is to gain real-world operational experience to help better train the crews and to evaluate how well the PLAN's current and future mainstays fairs in blue water operations.

An 056 might be a better fit for the kind of opposition the PLAN is likely to face if it got into a firefight with pirates, but since it is not expected to operate as part of any possible future PLAN expeditionary task force, the training value of such a deployment would be minimal, and so it is very unlikely that 056s will be deployed regularly.

The PLAN may well send one over to see how it fairs, and may even station one in the Sychelles if the PLAN sets up a naval base there, but that is about it.

Click to expand...

054A is not overkill compare to 056 OPV.. China do not possess overseas bases. Large ship is prefer for long distance voyage so that they can loiter longer , withstand sea state better, provide more space and comfort for the sea crews for their longtime deployment.

zoom said:

View attachment 6021 View attachment 6022 View attachment 6023Am i being silly in thinking ships like 056 could benefit from retractable tunnel style hangars? Obviously they're far from what a fixed hangar offers but maybe it is cheap way to protect the Helo from constantly being battered by salt air/water and could provide a dry environment for some light maintenance.

Click to expand...

After they have enough helicopters, they can always retrofit those features if they feel desired.

056 is never meant to be an OPV, rather it's a 037 replacement to operate in China's coastal waters. A large but lighted armed OPV is the best choice for anti piracy missions but that's not the point, this is the only opportunity for PLAN to train its crew, so sending major surface combatants is not a over kill, it's more of a necessity.