075 LHD thread
- Thread starter nosh
- Start date
Those sponsons look to be at most 3 decks deep, maybe less, which would be a deck too shallow to support a full-sized 9m UVLS module. This would eliminate LACMs as candidate ammunition (unless the PLAN designs/has designed a short LACM). The only other reasonable VLS candidate for an LHD would be ASW missiles, which is still a possibility (assuming these sponsons are in fact designed to hold VLS). I think air defense missiles are a more outlandish (though not totally implausible) alternative, given both CV-16 and CV-17 had full opportunity to mount such missiles in their dedicated sponsons designed exactly for such a purpose, but the PLAN decided to cap those spaces instead. I don't see how a 'lesser-valued' HVU like an LHD would all of a sudden get a suite of MRSAMs when aircraft carriers did not.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
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Assuming that it is a VLS in the first place (which at the moment I'm not totally convinced of), I think the most likely payload it would accommodate would be MR SAMs, followed by a distant second being VL ASW missiles. Carrying LACMs aboard an LHD would be rather unprecedented.
The fact that Liaoning and 002 didn't have VLS MR SAMs could merely represent the possibility that they had developed a new system and it was not ready for them when the ships were being overhauled and constructed (respectively).
However I'm not convinced those big sponsons are for VLS yet -- giving VLS to large flattop vessels like LHDs or carriers is not unprecedented, but it is somewhat rare. I would be surprised if 075 featured such a comparatively rare subsystem type, in particular because I would've expected the rumours would have made mention to it eventually.
I think a mix of MR SAM and VL ASW are primary candidates if these ships will serve with the 056 and 054 families as defensive and reinforcement pickets for the PRC's islands and neighboring seas within the 1st island chain. It seems the PLAN is satisfied with what appears to me to be a relatively light complement of CIWS on all its current generation ship designs so these other weapons would be most likely.
Are the twin decks on the control glassed window sections of the island done so the lower one is for training, the way the USN has a lower deck on the CVN island for a large studio video camera, for training purposes to document landings?
Nice photo Bltizo, its what I come to SinoDefenceForum for.
Nice photo Bltizo, its what I come to SinoDefenceForum for.