PLAN Current Vessel Inventory Thread

[franco-russe]

Yes, I think that is their main role. It is perhaps significant that East Sea Fleet is the only one that has no modernised LUDA's (which can fulfill a wider range of missions). It is also ESF that has the famous JIANGHU I 516 with all the rocket launchers - probably the one you are thinking of. Very useful against beach defences, I guess.

 

[no_name]

What kind of ship is this?

 

[tphuang]

they are testing out trimaran design for the navy I guess? We will see soon enough what it's used for.

 

[CottageLV]

The PLA used to always give me the impression of slow to adapt and conservative in technological innovations. The breakthroughs over the last several years really changed my view. The type 022 catamaran design and the relatively avant-garde design of J-20 are very untypical of the PLA.

 

[CottageLV]

Do you guys think its more formidable in the eyes of foreign navies to retire an older vessel for every new vessel fielded, or to retire older vessels even before fielding new vessels, in order to make the PLAN look more clean cut?

 

[no_name]

If you are talking about the public I think their attention would be focused on the new ships anyway.

As for Navy hard to say. Depends. Some older ships may be incompatible with the changing role of the navy that the new ship plays.

Think maybe that PLAN can move some of the older gun/missile boats to inland rivers during wartime.

 

[delft]

they are testing out trimaran design for the navy I guess? We will see soon enough what it's used for.

This trimaran kind is a tricat. I wrote about it last year: http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/world-armed-forces/shipshape-5497.html. This is probably an experimental ship to win experience with this type. The ship is pretty small and has an after deck large enough to operate with large helicopters. It is not optimized for minimal radar return so will be for use by one of the services for surveillance in the territorial waters. I would guess it has several high speed diesels producing electricity for three screws as well as all other services.

 

[asif iqbal]

how is the replenishment fleet looking? I know of only 2 Qiandaohu class which are fairly modern, with the ever expanding surface fleet i guess PLAN will need some serious re-supply ships at sea and many of them

is there any under construction?

 

[franco-russe]

It is rumoured that Guangzhou is starting construction on Type 903 (FUCHI class) replenishment ships.

The yard should soon have spare capacity, having just launched the third Type 926 (DALAO class) submarine salvage ship. Both no. 2 and 3 look ready for commissioning early 2012.

I would rather expect a larger ship than the FUCHI class, so perhaps it is a 903A they will be building.

 

[hmmwv]

I've heard the one at GSI is just a 903, no major design changes. But who knows, I'd hope for a bigger one optimized for carrier UNREP too.