PLAN Sovremenny DDG 136, 137, 138 & 139 Thread
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PLA Navy's 2nd Sovremenny-class destroyer returns after upgrades
By Published: Mar 17, 2022 01:38 AM
Sovremenny-class guided missile destroyer Hangzhou (Hull 136) and Ningbo (Hull 139) attached to the PLA Eastern Theater Command Navy conduct exercises in early 2021. Photo: Screenshot from navy.81.cn
The Fuzhou, the second Sovremenny-class destroyer and one of the last imported vessels of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, has recently returned to active service and joined exercises after undergoing a refit and modernization, with experts saying on Wednesday that the warship is now even more powerful and adapted to the PLA Navy's combat system.
Distinguishable by its hull number 137, the Fuzhou featured in a series of drills recently organized by the PLA Eastern Theater Command, eastday.com, a Shanghai-based online news outlet, reported on Tuesday, citing a recent press release by the PLA Eastern Theater Command and a recent report by China Central Television.
This indicates that the Fuzhou has wrapped up its mid-term upgrade and refit and has returned to active service, eastday.com reported.
Just like that finished its refitting in late 2019 and was seen taking part in exercises in March 2021, the Fuzhou now has a 32-unit vertical launch missile system for the HHQ-16 air defense missiles that replaced the two original sets of Shtil air defense missile systems, and eight YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles that replaced the original eight P-270 anti-ship missiles, the report said.
The modification of the vessel means all of its missiles are now domestically developed, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The HHQ-16 is a type of mid-to-close-range air defense missile that can establish a dense anti-aircraft and anti-missile umbrella, and the YJ-12 can provide stronger long-range anti-ship firepower, Wei said, noting that with the modernization, the Sovremenny-class destroyer has become comprehensively stronger in both defensive and offensive capabilities.
In addition to the new weapons, the Fuzhou also upgraded its electronic systems, eastday.com said.
This could be seen in the destroyer's radar, electronic warfare, communications and command, and control systems, Wei said, noting that this will allow the warship to better coordinate with other advanced PLA vessels.
China acquired two Sovremenny-class destroyers of the 956E variation, the Hangzhou in 1999 and the Fuzhou in 2000, and other two Sovremenny-class destroyers of the improved 956EM variation, the Taizhou in 2005 and the Ningbo in 2006, eastday.com reported.
All the 956E ships have been upgraded and the two 956EM are also expected to be modified and refitted, the report said.
Yes, four target illuminators instead of six.
Two of the original illuminators have been replaced by Type 726-3 ECM.
What you encircled are Type 349 close in fire control radars, running X and Ku bands. They are fire control for the AK-630s.
Type 349 radars replace the MR-123 Bass Tilt radars in the same location. The MR-123 serves as fire control for the AK-630 CIWS which there are four of them.
MR-123 Bagira-M or Bass Tilt radars physically resemble the MR-90 Orekhs or Front Domes that serve as the missile target illuminators due to having similar shaped domes. From afar it's easy to confuse the two.
You're actually looking at the wrong locations where the replaced fifth and sixth MR-90s are, though you are correct that they were replaced. The replaced MR-90s are in fact, at the upper right of the borders of your circles, as the ECM units are square shaped.
Type 349 radars resemble the Selex, now Leonardo, NA-25 radars of the same function. You can find Type 349 radars on ships that use the H/PJ-12 CIWS, which looks like an AK-630 with a stealth turret. Examples are Type 901 AOE and Type 071 LPD. These radars are also used as landing radars on the Liaoning and Shandong.
MwRYum
Major
There were more modern digital panels so to be somehow on par with the current generation of ships sure, don't know what that accomplish in removing the ceiling tiles...improved fire safety? Or that has something to do with the ship's originally designed to operate at colder waters but now not required?
Not required and an anachronism, according to a retired Russian Navy officer. Worth noting USN ships all have very stripped ceilings with no panels. I reckon its just generally smarter, makes faults easier to spot, helps maintenance etc. It even makes the spaces feel "larger" which is IMO a psychological bonus.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
I guess a better question is what was the point in the ceiling tiles to begin with?
Removing them makes the underlying cables easier to access and maintain, and also remove possible fire hazards (the panels should be fireproof, but unless they are removed and cleaned regularly, dust can build up behind them, which will be a very real fire risk).
But is a pretty minor and superficial change to be worth too much deep thought.