Ideal Cruiser thread

[Scratch]

Another version: CGH / command ship
Hanger is back in the more forward position and lengthened. Also enlarged the superstructure. The VLS tubes are now fixed and there are again only two 4cell AShM launchers, wich were moved to the front as well.
There's now a lift in the hanger and a second hanger deck below the standart one. Now there's room for at least 4 helicopters.

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[Zhonggou]

How about this? I designed this, and I have highly detailed schematics elsewhere.

Specs:

Honghuangdi class CG
12,500 tons full
10,280 tons standard
4 x 150 mm auto (2 x 2)
4 x 57 mm auto (2 x2)
4 x 30 mm six-barrel CIWS (4 x 1)
1 x 48 cell VLS system SSM\SAM (1 x 1)
1 x 36 cell VLS system SSM\SAM (1 x 1)
6 x 21 in. torpedo tubes (2 x 3)
16 x HY-3 SSM (4 x 4)
4 x 203 mm MLRS rocket system (4 x 1)
2 x racks depth charges
Laminate armour protection suite
Sensors classified including Aegis planar arrays (4 x 1)
2 x helicopters
32 kts.
10,000 miles at 15 kts.
637 ft x 57 ft. x 18.5 ft.
People’s Republic of China

 

[Totoro]

And how about this? It's not perfectly to scale, on the pic it's a bit too long and a bit too narrow than it really should be. Real dimensions should be closer to 160m / 18m, with a not too big of a displacement, around 7-8000 tons.

Green are radar arrays, multifunctional - both for sea and air detection, for long range surveillance as well as tracking of multiple targets. So i guess they'd have to be aesa. I used two separate masts for radar system to make it as light as possible (per mast) so it could be raised as high as possible. Each mast covers approximately 180 degrees.

Blue are gun systems. rear one is new 57mm ciws, as i believe such calibers can, with proper munition, be superior in the ciws role. Front turret houses both a 57mm ciws and a general use 100mm gun. Of course, that turret would have to have some strong motors to make the whole thing turn around quickly.

Two red rectangles are multifunctional vls - capable of storing: antiship missiles, cruise missiles for land attack, long range anti aircraft missiles and closer range anti air/anti missile, um missiles. Easely 6x8 llarge cells per launcher, long enough for any sort of missile.

I kept the semiactive radar missiles, to be more in sync with current tech that PLAN uses, so the ship features 4 radar illuminators, just near each radar mast, though realistically, i don't see why they couldn't be done away with, with ship using active radar or IIR guidance for its missiles and their place could be taken by another 2 57mm ciws.

 

[planeman]

awesome contributions

 

[dannytoro]

....Nice designs everyone. Has anyone thought of what's missing? Naval Fire Support! But why waste alot of money floating a battleship. Just mount three 12 round 300mm Smerch rocket launchers on the back of your design, and watch your ship become toast of the Chinese Marines.....

 

[Pointblank]

....Nice designs everyone. Has anyone thought of what's missing? Naval Fire Support! But why waste alot of money floating a battleship. Just mount three 12 round 300mm Smerch rocket launchers on the back of your design, and watch your ship become toast of the Chinese Marines.....

Drop a pair of 155mm guns on the ship, plus land attack missiles, and you remove the need for a MLRS. The Chinese will have to develop a gun mount (a-la Germany's MONARC system) that will be compatible for ship mounting. Modifying the PLZ05 155mm turret with a flexible mount with a dampening system will be a good place to start, like the Germans have done with the PzH 2000 turret. Futhermore, the Chinese will have to further develop their laser-guided 155mm munitions and also their assisted rounds, like how the Germans are working on.

 

[dannytoro]

....Well, they already have the marvelous 130mm cannons, no need for 155's, besides, Smerch will give them fire support out to 70Km, with an array of payloads. That's a nice inexpensive solution. But they could also reveiw placing a battlefield missle onboard too, if they wish to replicate ACTAM's...

 

[Pointblank]

....Well, they already have the marvelous 130mm cannons, no need for 155's, besides, Smerch will give them fire support out to 70Km, with an array of payloads. That's a nice inexpensive solution. But they could also reveiw placing a battlefield missle onboard too, if they wish to replicate ACTAM's...

The 155mm's, with newly developed assisted munitions, can reach 80km, according to the Rheinmetall press release:

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The 155mm round also carry more explosive punch for anti-ship or as a land attack system. The Chinese have smart munitions for the 155mm system, particularly the laser-guided munitions. The West have both laser guided and GPS guided (XM982 Excalibur for example), and I bet my bottle of Coke in front of me that the Chinese are working on or currently have similar rounds. The West also has infra-red seeking 120mm rounds, such the Strix mortar round. This in all, means that a navalization of the PLZ05 turret will be more flexible in terms of supporting a landing, as such rounds can be directed on enemy strong points on the beach and eliminate or suppress them with only a few rounds. Also, the slightly longer reach of the 155mm system means the ship can either reach much further out into the beachhead, or be further away, out of danger.

This also means it is a cheaper system to operate in comparison to a MLRS. A 155mm round, even the guided rounds, is only a fraction of the cost a MLRS rocket costs, and can provide a more prolonged and sustained fire rate on the beach. A MLRS can provide immediate saturation fire, yes, but regular tube artillery can provide constant fire throughout an entire battle.

 

[dannytoro]

...The problem with excaliber is to date it has yet to exceed 37KM range. The glossy Raytheon literature claims to hope to see a 47Km range when pair with 52 caliber guns. Then too it is designed to carry bulky light submunitions. A Smerch will deliver a 518 pound penetrating unitary warhead to 70Km with no ambiguity. This is the type of performance to eliminate hardened targets fairly cheaply. There is also no technical set back to adding guidance units to Smerch. It could be done.

 

[Pointblank]

...The problem with excaliber is to date it has yet to exceed 37KM range. The glossy Raytheon literature claims to hope to see a 47Km range when pair with 52 caliber guns. Then too it is designed to carry bulky light submunitions. A Smerch will deliver a 518 pound penetrating unitary warhead to 70Km with no ambiguity. This is the type of performance to eliminate hardened targets fairly cheaply. There is also no technical set back to adding guidance units to Smerch. It could be done.

The 155mm family of munitions is more flexible, as there is also a regular HE round, a fragmentation round, cluster munitions (bomblets or mines) round, cargo carrying round, illumination rounds, and a smoke round.

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The Chinese already have guided munitions for the 155mm family, so no need to do additional development besides the adaption of the turret, and possibility, a change of the tube to a 52-calibre tube (easily done). It is also a locally designed weapon, meaning that the Chinese are more likely to buy into the system than the Smerch.

Being able to pump out sustained firepower is what regular tube artillery is all about. The 155mm gun will do this job well and at a good range, with assisted munitions reach at least 60km. Anything beyond the range is by then most likely either a strategic target, or during a landing, enough time had elapsed and the situation has changed that the army has been able to unload their artillery system as well. The USN is also working on a whole new 155mm gun system as well for their DD(X) called the Advanced Gun System (AGS), which provides many of the same features you mentioned and with newly developed munitions, has a tested range of over 100km.