Re: Chinese sub thread
Interesting, I think one of the problems with PLAN shipbuilding is that there is not enough shipyards to handle all the military orders. If installing AIP on existing 039As take much less time than building a Yuan, then it might be worth it. As for ASW, things are probably even bleakier than a lot of people realize. Consider this, most of our recent DDGs and FFGs have helicopter hangers for ASW helicopters presumably, yet we have no ASW helicopters to put on them. So sad..... btw, I read somewhere that the skymaster radars we bought from UK can be used for ASW. Is that true? I didn't know a radar can be used as sonar. Either way, sonar is supposedly one of the major ticket items in the recent years for PLAN. Let's hope they actually develop something useful.bd popeye said:I think that would be very expensive. and would take years to finish. The best bet is to install AIP in all future PLAN SSK's.
You mentioned that the PRC does not have expertise in AIP. The PLAN also has very mediorce ASW. This is an area that the PLAN needs to improve.