Why? If Type 051 is indicative to how PLAN views life of ships then destroyers serve for 29 to 34 years. If we apply the same logic to modernized types in service then we get the following dates:
- 052/Harbin (1994) - 2023-28 (2-7 yrs left)
- 052/Qingdao (1996) - 2025-30 (4-9)
- 051B/Shenzhen (1999) - 2028-33 (7-12)
- 956E/Hangzhou (1999) - 2028-33 (7-12)
- 956E/Fuhzhou (2000) - 2029-34 (8-13)
- 052B/Guanghzou (2004) - 2033-38 (12-17)
- 052B/Wuhan (2004) - 2033-38 (12-17)
- 956EM/Taizhou (2005) - 2034-39 (13-18)
- 956EM/Ningbo (2006) - 2035-40 (14-19)
- 051C/Shenyang (2005) - 2034-39 (13-18)
- 051C/Shijiazhuang (2006) - 2035-40 (14-19)
Now let's look at the weapons:
- 1x 051B - 16x YJ-83, 16x HQ-7 >> 16x Y-12, 32x HQ-16
- 2x 956E - 8x Moskit, 48x Buk >> 8x Y-12, 32x HQ-16
- 2x 052B - 16x YJ-83, 48x Buk >> 16x YJ-83, 32x HQ-16
- 2x 956EM - 8x Moskit, 48x Buk >> 8x Y-12, 32x HQ-16
- 2x 051C - 8x YJ-83, 48x S-300F >> 16x YJ-83, 32x HQ-16
If the service life is 35 years then we have
9 large destroyers/frigates with modern medium-range SAM for the next 15 years on average. The ships have crews and are well understood by the navy. The time necessary for reintroduction after refit will be minimal.
In a time of uncertainty one modernized 052B at sea is worth two 052Ds under construction.
Russian sources state that refit Udaloys will be anti-surface and anti-submarine vessels. The photos of modernized "Marshal Shaposhnikov" show that Silex missiles are retained and Urans are fired from launchers amidships. All photos show two guns which means that USKS is probably installed in the place of the bow Shtil/Tor launcher. Other than the gun it is the only other place where a VLS could be installed. Unless I see a photo with a single gun it means that Udaloys lose their SAMs and will have to rely on other ships in the fleet for air defense. Such modernization might be controversial but it would be extremely cheap because the most expensive work is always new installations. New main weapons (Kalibr, Onix, Zirkon, Uran) require external targeting anyway and everything else fits into pre-existing structures.
Chinese modernizations replace all electronics so upgrading SAMs is not a significant cost. The result is also a fully functional ship that is a better version of its old self. Russian modernization attempts to maximize value at minimal investment and the result is a specialized version that complements a surface task force but is incapable of acting individually.
As for Tarantuls - the ones in Baltic and Black Sea Fleets are being replaced in the next two years by new Karakurts and Buyans. The only ones left are eleven ships in the Pacific Fleet and those - along with three Nanuchkas - are very likely replaced by twelve 20381/20385 corvettes and four Karakurts majority of which will enter service by 2024. Tarantuls are useless obsolete ships and Urans are worse than Moskits for the kind of hit'n'run tactic which is the only thing Tarantuls are good at. They're awful for anything else. Could it be that one modernized ship has been taken by someone in the media for all of the ships being modernized?
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Shouldn't this entire last page be moved to one of the threads about Chinese older destroyers? What does it have to do with 054A?
Just to be clear what the upgrades are.
Rastrub/Silex replaced by Uran/Switchblade. Rastrub is a dual use ASROC that hits both ships and submarine with a maximum range of 90km. Urans is a Harpoon like subsonic sea skimmer with a range of nearly or up to 300km.
First AK-100 replaced by AK-190 gun.
Second AK-100 replaced by UKSK VLS. Mainly to be used for Kalibr missiles. Kalibr family includes land attack cruise missiles, antiship missiles, and ASROCs.
Kinzhals are the ship's SAMs. They are fired through circular VLS(?) near the bow of the ship. These are not replaced. This weapon system remains very effective as a close range SAM, bieng the sea version of the Tor-M1 and a cousin to the HQ-17. It should be made clear that the Udaloys never had Shtils at all from the very beginning and always relied on the Kinzhals, which are only SHORADs. Their air defense is not any better than the original Shenzhen. These ships always relied on other ships, like the Sovremenny or the Slavas, for air defense.
Podkat FCR changed to a new phase array. MR360 Podkat is a set of search and tracking radars, the tracking radars are of the reflective phase array type. These have been changed to a new phase array, although its not clear whether its a PESA or AESA. These radars service the Kinzhals, which is a CLOS command guided SAM. Even if the Kinzhals are retained, the new fire control radar would benefit their performance.
Other changes to the ship, although they also appear in non refitted Udaloys, is replacement of the MR184 Kite Screech radar to the MR123 Bass Tilt (more of a side grade), and replacment of the Strut Tie or Strut Pair looking search radars (two parabolics attached back to back) to FREGAT MAE-4000, which is a C-band frequency scan planar array. This is an upgrade considering the Strut Tie is a 2D radar only, with the Fregat being a 3D radar. This supplements the main Fregat MAE-5 or Top Plate which remains as the ship's main search radar.
So from the looks of it there are extensive electronics and sensor upgrades. Documentaries on the ship shows flat panels used on the bridge and on the tactical center.
The ship has changed its role, from a purely ASW one, to a cruise missile and ASuW platform. Nothing has changed with its air defense other than a new version of Kinzhal. These ships rely on other ships, now the Project 20381 class corvettes, for fleet air defense.
Tarantuls are still in service with the Pacific Fleet, and one of them, expecting more, replaced their trademark four Moskit missiles to 16 Urans.
Going to the PLAN upgrades, I might think the 052B might be 32 but possibly 48 HQ-16s, depending on the work on the front VLS. The YJ-83s might be replaced by YJ-12s. I might also expect the 052B to get VDS for ASW.
The two 956EM refits might be a bit trickier, if they would retain their Kashtans and Pozitiv ME radar instead of replacing it with Chinese equivalents like Type 1130 and Type 364 radar or its replacement.
As for the 051C, I can see these ships either scrapped or have an elecronics refresh on the RIF-M, keeping the system, but getting new missiles and updated back end electronics. The other Russian radars replaced by Chinese ones and the EW system upgraded.
As with all refits, they all get upgraded to the current standard of PLAN EW. This generally means the modular Type 726 EW suite including the ESM, ECM, and DLS.
All upgraded and to be upgraded destroyers will all get the ESM mast from the 052D.
So while the upgraded destroyers might be around a 054A level of air defense, they are around the 052D level of electronic warfare. This is significant when it comes to their defenses and situational awareness. The ESMs are important because that relates how they can passively sense other ships and planes even well beyond the horizon.
I also find that ships add new SATCOMs over time but they don't need to be on an MLU to do this. They are refitted with these ASAP so that even non MLU ships still get them. For them not to waste any time means these are very important in a way not disclosed in public.
Sorry for being off topic. I agree there should be a dedicated threat on PLAN MLUs and refits.
