Ask anything Thread

[lcloo]

Why is China building so many ships like frigates then? Shouldn’t China shift the ship building to building masses on masses of Jets and anything anti-aircraft/air superiority? The US and their allies still have more planes than China does and the B-21 seems especially scary. Plus with developments in anti ship missiles like LRASMs isn’t that making ships even less relevant?

A simple answer to your question is 1 + 1 is >2. A combination of one ship and one aircraft can be more effective than 2 aircraft combination or 2 ships combination.

The actual combination is more than just ships and aircraft, there are satellites, submarines, drones, intel agencies etc. each of these platforms have their advantages that others lacked. Combine them into an integrated system, they could be far more powerful than other wise.

Why are armies around the world still buy IFV, tanks, trucks etc since a 4 man infantry team equiped with man-portable ATGM can destroy all of them? Think beyond 1 + 1 = 2.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Why is China building so many ships like frigates then? Shouldn’t China shift the ship building to building masses on masses of Jets and anything anti-aircraft/air superiority? The US and their allies still have more planes than China does and the B-21 seems especially scary.

Since @Nevermore and @lcloo have already explained above, I'll just add a bit more.

#1 - Warships are fundamental towards establishing continuous presence and effective control of the regions of seas and oceans where they are located and sailing at. How else are you going to conduct those without warships? Submarines, warplanes and missiles certainly aren't the correct answers.

#2 - Warships can sail anywhere around the world which aren't territorial waters of other countries, meaning that they can be deployed anywhere and are free of the limitations imposed on shore-based aircrafts, especially when considering how China doesn't have any airbases outside of her borders.

#3 - Last-but-not-least - There is one type of warship which is called aircraft carriers. They are essentially mobile airfields on the sea, and they serve to extend the reach of airpower outwards from home shores by enabling warplanes to be based and operate from them for conducting various types of missions. And by-nature, aircraft carriers themselves are vulnerable. Without other types of warships (namely frigates and destroyers), what else is going to escort and protect the carriers?

Plus with developments in anti ship missiles like LRASMs isn’t that making ships even less relevant?

In the military domain, things don't get succeeded/replaced because they can be countered/overwhelmed. Things get succeeded/replaced because something much better has the ability to completely take over the roles and responsibilities.

Also, LRASM isn't a wunderwaffe. Sure, they are potent AShMs - But China certainly isn't sitting on her buttcheeks either. Otherwise, what are all those networked and integrated ship-based SAMs and CIWS, fighter-based AAMs, aerial-based and ship-based radars and sensors deployed by the PLA for?

 

[AndrewS]

Why is China building so many ships like frigates then? Shouldn’t China shift the ship building to building masses on masses of Jets and anything anti-aircraft/air superiority? The US and their allies still have more planes than China does and the B-21 seems especially scary. Plus with developments in anti ship missiles like LRASMs isn’t that making ships even less relevant?

China builds about 4 Frigates per year. Call it a total cost of $1 Bn per year.
In comparison, J-20 production is at 100? per year, at $80 Mn+ each. That is $8 Bn+ per year.
So spending on J-20 production is 8x higher that for Frigates

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Furthermore 5th Gen stealth fighters are supposed to ramp to 150+ per year

 

[FriedRiceNSpice]

Are the latest batch 054A frigates still using mechanically scanned radars? Have any of the radar systems been replaced with AESAs?

 

[Wrought]

Are the latest batch 054A frigates still using mechanically scanned radars? Have any of the radar systems been replaced with AESAs?

Still the old radars.

Type 054AG like preceding Type 054-evolutions continues to carry a Type 382 3D dual band air search radar or a variant of the type on the main mast, and a Type 366 X-band radar on the bridge. This setup contrasts with

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as its primary sensor on the mast above the bridge.

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[FriedRiceNSpice]

Still the old radars.

Why?

 

[Wrought]

Why?

Could be any number of reasons. New radars not available at time of order, old stocks needing to be used up, cost of integration not worth it, etc. Type 054A is being superseded as we speak, so it doesn't seem like a big deal regardless.

 

[FriedRiceNSpice]

Could be any number of reasons. New radars not available at time of order, old stocks needing to be used up, cost of integration not worth it, etc.

Yet Pakistani variants were equipped with AESA radars?

 

[Wrought]

Yet Pakistani variants were equipped with AESA radars?

You get what you pay for. Pakistan obviously isn't working with the same hull count, so it's perfectly normal for them to cram in more capability per hull even if it's more expensive.

 

[FriedRiceNSpice]

You get what you pay for. Pakistan obviously isn't working with the same hull count, so it's perfectly normal for them to cram in more capability per hull even if it's more expensive.

I'd imagine due to mass proliferation of AESA for both military and civilian applications as well as massive electronics industry, an AESA radar for the 054A should not be substantially more expensive than a M-Scan radar. I just don't see the point in launching hulls in 2025 awaiting fitting out with obsolete radar tech.