Re: PLAN Pictures Thread 4
well modern MCM vessels are one of those that you cannot really judge without knowing what they have eaten. But by quick clance and pure visual speculation, the otherone seems to look more of traditional mechanical sweeper with assosiated gears. Basicly in those methods are nothing wrong and nothing really new and innovative methods in mechanical sweeping has come since the T-43 class (propaply why the boats looks so similar of them, the desing is good and proven so no need to re invent the aerosol-deodorant)
But the differences are those that we really cannot judge by mere outside look. Damage controll. Has its engine room and habitability taken account of the newer generation thecnology, such as remote controll and 'floating raft' principle...Also, wether the hull is old wood or Glass reinforced plastic as in all other modern MCMs.
Modern MCM boats tend to have following structural charrectaristics:
- ligthly build superstructers that doesent harm the ships when blowing up on
mine detonation
- Deeply consideration taken place for the acoustic singature of the ships
- remotely controlled machinery and other key elements so that the crew can be positioned into single secured enverioment
- good slow speed manouvrability
The other boat looks to lack heavy mechanichal gear wich indicates that they are minehunters and with remote controlled submersible devices to destroy the mines as well as support divers and have also hull kounted sonar for mine detection. But wheter they are good boats or not, it depends on their structual solutions and the capacity of the mentioned electronics.
But overall it was about time to PLAN catch up with the rest of the world that begun to devolp those mentioned ideas in the 60's. I believe that China however faces similar proplems in these fields than in other neglected areas (shipborne AAW). They can benefit from the others making all of the 'innovatives' but as these boats has just recently appeared, we can expect that PLAN lacks still great deal in operating them as part of functional fleet (and this applies also to all other new innovatives that have recently correct PLANs rather poor overal capacity).
But good thing is that they are finnaly begun to understand what modern fleet needs to function, but it will take time before they have desing methods and changed doctrines to gain the value of the new generation of toys...
