FFG 054/054A Thread
- Thread starter DPRKPTboat
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nothing special, just the successor to 054A (I presume there will be one at some point).
alright, I'm not sure if this is new or not, since it looks like every other 054A picture, anyhow, here it goes, with a type 22 beside it.
latest photo of the first 054A from HP shipyard. Looks just like before to be honest, I wonder when we will get to see several picture of the VLS.
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No, becouse there isen't any operational ASW missile system available for chinese surface combatants. The only possiple choise would be the Klub-N system with it's assosiated ASw missiles, but it's not going to be fitted to these ships. There was a photoshoped picture of the model of the ship which showed a "seccond" VLS which was claimed to hold some sort of ASw weapon system, but it was nothing more than a fraud, attempt to BS us...
But it's true, the ASW is the biggest default in PLAN and they should really start showing some concern towards it. But as the slow but firm growth to become a bluewater navy has already started, I think in the future we will see some progress made in this field also. A not just a decade ago, the airdefence of PLAN was in similar state and look what happened! It's just that you didn't build the Rome in one night
No, becouse there isen't any operational ASW missile system available for chinese surface combatants. The only possiple choise would be the Klub-N system with it's assosiated ASw missiles, but it's not going to be fitted to these ships. There was a photoshoped picture of the model of the ship which showed a "seccond" VLS which was claimed to hold some sort of ASw weapon system, but it was nothing more than a fraud, attempt to BS us...
But it's true, the ASW is the biggest default in PLAN and they should really start showing some concern towards it. But as the slow but firm growth to become a bluewater navy has already started, I think in the future we will see some progress made in this field also. A not just a decade ago, the airdefence of PLAN was in similar state and look what happened! It's just that you didn't build the Rome in one night
I think PLAN just don't see it wise to invest in anti-sub capabilities as nowdays conventional sub and SSN are hard to deter even by the most advance sonar. When electric sub operating in silent mode by travelling in slow speed making it even more difficult as demonstrated by NATO war exercise and recent Song stalking US CVN.
PLAN with plenty of sub will compensate lack of anti-sub capabilties by having sub escorting the fleet as having the both attack option and defense option. Yes,it is not the most effective. But i believe this is the present doctrine of PLAN with regards to build up. The most economical way to upgrade yr ASW is to build more sub as PLAN do not want to divert additional resources from sub build up..
PLAN with 10 MING 035G, 14 SONG, 2 Yuan 12 KILO and at least a dozen Romeo not including 4 Han and at least 2 093 will give taiwan and USN a headache...
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Thats no exuse, and the reports of SSKs effiency is even bigger reason to start paying attention to it. ASW is not some minor role which you can utterly ignore, it's the key element of naval warware since the introducting of submarines. ASW operations are complicated and requires alot from all aspects of your fleet and the overall ASW cabapility pretty much sums up your navy's change to survive in modern naval warfare. The fact that modern subs are becomming more silent and capaple is not the reason to stop investing on ASW, doing so would be ridicilous. It's like trowing your hands up and say "I surrender". Should chinese airdefence just rest and quit for the day when their current systems are unable to properly detect new shtealth planes?
Concerating the ASW abilities to just subs is not the solution, it's as effective if your only way to destroy a enemy tank is using ATGMs. If the subs are your only ASW assets, it narrows your fleets overall efficiency to very minium. Using only subs means your ASW ability is limited to the coastal work and to small escort. It's like having only point-defence airdefence systems, but no multi-layer long range fleet defence.
To become a bluewater navy is sum of many things and if one element is lacking, the whole ability is lost or in this case not gained. If china wishes ever to grew from small naval player to the big boys league, it should start paying attention to it's defaults, which I'm sure it is doing. The fact that the overall ASw cabability of PLAN is still weak is that the whole prosess is still at it's starting point. China needs to developt new and more powerfull sonarsystems which is not an easy task when starting to build it from the scrats. It needs to incorporate these new sonars to operational use, and that requires completely new doctrines and operational methods. Training to do that takes time and at the moment these projects are not even ready.
With sonars you can only listen and detect the enemy subs, then you need to destroy them. China needs to field workable modern ASW weapon system (missile system would be good) which needs to be adjusted to the new future sonar systems, but also with the main ASW helicopter in use...
There is still long way to china to walk (or swim
) before it's fleet modernisation is complete.The 054/054A are more GP (General Purpose) Frigates than ASW platforms. The PLAN is quite lacking in the ASW department. They need everything from better sonars, towed array sonars, towed acoustic decoy, ASW Missile (ASROC), etc.
Many of these systems can be imported from the Russians. While not as advanced as the western counterparts, it'd at least give the PLAN something to work with and improve upon.
Many of these systems can be imported from the Russians. While not as advanced as the western counterparts, it'd at least give the PLAN something to work with and improve upon.
China's ASW platforms are very green-water. They believe in using submarines against submarines (which honestly is the best ASW tool) and also sub-chasers against submarines. They do have a little of each thing you mentionned, but they need continual improvements there. Of course, that also includes Torpedoes.
Chinese ASW strategy seams to be green-water oriented... While I agree that sub against sub is probably best strategy PLAN lacks capability to successfully deploy subs beyond coastal reach.SSKs are joust not suited for blue water operations and SSNs PLAN has aren't numerous nor sophisticated enough to take that task...
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