The south sea fleet

After reading some stuff up on the South Sea fleet of PLAN, it's quite apparent that this fleet is the focal point of most of China's development. We know that the south sea fleet have the following:
all of the 052B/Cs
both 054
the only 051B
The necessary ka-28 on board those ships and ka-31 once the Russians hand them over.

A new nuclear submarine base built just for the 2 093s and 094 entering the service.
It has 2 teams of conventional submarines:
One team is headed by the Song subs and Kilos
second team is headed by the Song Subs and 035Gs

Pretty much all of China's amphibious force (the land ships) and most likely ka-29s in a few years.
4 of the 7 major replenishment ships. They go from 881 to 887. South Sea fleet has 883, 884, 885, 887. By the way, 885 is also Nancang, the largest replenishment ship in PLAN.
It is also apparently the first fleet to get the type 22 FAC. although due to its current location and role, it might not get as many as North/East Sea fleet.

It seems to me that this is not just the strongest of the 3 fleet, but the only fleet that seems to be geared toward power projection. In fact, if an aircraft carrier is to join the PLAN anytime soon, this seems to be the only fleet capable of supporting it. It sorts of make sense, since North and East Sea fleet have the Japanese to deal with, so there really isn't much space for them to operate. Whereas south sea fleet can wonder off all the way to Malaysia.

It's interesting that PLAN is going for really concentrating its new toys in one place. Compared to PLAAF, which spreads the wealth of its new planes amongst the different divisions. Even the 44th division was the first one to get J-10s. So, what do you guys think?

Is it better to build up one of your fleet really fast or evenly upgrade all of the fleets?

On a side note, there are some wild speculations of a having a 022/helo carrier. Any comments?

It doesn't surprise me at all that the PLAN is focusing the major developments to this fleet. China seeks to project power into this area of high influence. You have the Spratley Islands, Straits of Malacca, and major deep water operations near Hainan Island. I would agree that China would definitely put it's future carrier interests into the South Sea Fleet. China using a carrier in this region would be able to support a major air sortie capability over all these major areas of the South China Sea.

tphuang said:

After reading some stuff up on the South Sea fleet of PLAN, it's quite apparent that this fleet is the focal point of most of China's development. We know that the south sea fleet have the following:
all of the 052B/Cs
both 054
the only 051B
The necessary ka-28 on board those ships and ka-31 once the Russians hand them over.

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When the 051C enters service, will it be in the S. Sea Fleet too?

tphuang said:

A new nuclear submarine base built just for the 2 093s and 094 entering the service.
It has 2 teams of conventional submarines:
One team is headed by the Song subs and Kilos
second team is headed by the Song Subs and 035Gs

Click to expand...

Yeah that is really significant. The most expensive assets of the PLAN should be its Shang/Jin nuclear submarine programs.

tphuang said:

It seems to me that this is not just the strongest of the 3 fleet, but the only fleet that seems to be geared toward power projection. In fact, if an aircraft carrier is to join the PLAN anytime soon, this seems to be the only fleet capable of supporting it. It sorts of make sense, since North and East Sea fleet have the Japanese to deal with, so there really isn't much space for them to operate. Whereas south sea fleet can wonder off all the way to Malaysia.

Click to expand...

That makes sense. It also implies that China does not expect a major conflict with Taiwan or Japan in the foreseeable future. Unless, the S. Sea Fleet can quickly be deployed to assist the E. Sea Fleet in a Taiwan scenario or the N. Sea Fleet in a Diaoyutai Islands scenario.

tphuang said:

It's interesting that PLAN is going for really concentrating its new toys in one place. Compared to PLAAF, which spreads the wealth of its new planes amongst the different divisions. Even the 44th division was the first one to get J-10s. So, what do you guys think?

Click to expand...

Could be politics. Could be that PLAN sees advanced submarines as its most important assets and the South China Sea is the best place for them.

tphuang said:

On a side note, there are some wild speculations of a having a 022/helo carrier. Any comments?

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A helo carrier with WZ-10's would wield massive firepower and scare a lot of neighboring countries. What do you mean by 022? Nothing related to the FAC, right?

Roger604 said:

When the 051C enters service, will it be in the S. Sea Fleet too?

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It's scheduled to join North Sea fleet. Otherwise, North Sea fleet will be too weak.

A helo carrier with WZ-10's would wield massive firepower and scare a lot of neighboring countries. What do you mean by 022? Nothing related to the FAC, right?

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i don't really think WZ-10 is a naval helicopter. Maybe a combination of Z-8/9 and ka-28/31s? As for carrying 022, this is a really crazy idea but carrying type 22s in a carrier somehow. And then during battle, let them out and afterward, put them back on the carrier. lol, I know this sounds foolish.

someone's being watching too much anime.

BTW, I would like to remind you that the 2 sovs are in the NSF.

Hmmm. I thought the Sovremenny's were part of the East Sea Fleet. Though you may be talking about the newer Sovs (EM)? Or maybe they got moved to the North Fleet? Could you kindly elaborate?

To my obinion centralising the blue water fleet is the first step towards modern or least "blue" way of thinking in naval matters. Coastal defence doctrines calls for dedicated split up of the fleet into different operational theathers, usually dictated by geography, but blue water fleet is to operate beyond that. Therefore in country like china whit not such limitations like Soviet Union had (all fleets were uninterchancaple between others) there is absolutely no point of having several disperse frictions of blue water fleet....not when there is about 6 ships in the inventory that are usefull outside the shorebase aircover. Perhaps in the distant future, but until that the main idea behind this is the old strategical nessecity, consentration. Choose the most important theather and concentrate your forces into there, if there isent sufficent numbers to operate effectively in all theathers.

eecsmaster said:

someone's being watching too much anime.

BTW, I would like to remind you that the 2 sovs are in the NSF.

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the 4 sovs are all in the East Sea Fleet with the rest of the Russians imports. North Sea 100-129, East Sea 130-159, South Sea 160+

As for carrying 022, this is a really crazy idea but carrying type 22s in a carrier somehow. And then during battle, let them out and afterward, put them back on the carrier. lol, I know this sounds foolish.

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I think they are too big and have a pretty good range for these ops. But what about these?


I think China is doing it to also not provoke some sort of response from Taiwan and Japan. Projecting power into the Pacific would protect the cargo that gets unloaded here, but it risks confrontations with Japan and taiwan, since Japan owns the entire island chain, and etc.

The other fleets are capable of defence already, so this would be the only one with offensive power. (Kind of like the order of battle right before World War 2.....)

Both that smaller boat and the Type 22 are not OPVs, nor patrolcombadants of any sort. Type 22 range is still unknown, but I doupt it would be anyway spectacular. FACs, exspecially this Type 22 has quite spesific role to play and if looking it's equipment fittings, there really isen't much of multirole possibility.

I've been wondering where are the chinese corvettes? China has a wide range of FACs but it's patrol forces are limited to the Hainan and it's derivates and next step is the Jianghu class Frigate/SRK. Where are the just around 1000 tons ASW corvettes and OPVs? or 500-700 ton missile corvettes?