They will likely replace yj-83 with YJ-15. That missile is small enough to fit into the existing launchers
Type 022 Missile Boat
- Thread starter DPRKPTboat
- Start date
It's likely still much heavier, and it'll need a booster.
For this use you might want to rebuild the back of those boats completely, so that it's a hanger and launch pad for helicopter UCAV which should be pretty good at hunting USV.
They should unironically give it a navalized version of the FK-3000 setup. Have that gun/missile/radar setup to replace the rear dual YJ-83s, and replace the front AK-630 with a 30mm autocannon.
And voila, you have a low draft, close in naval SHORAD. It would be a very niche capability of course, but potentially useful for... a certain mission profile.
And voila, you have a low draft, close in naval SHORAD. It would be a very niche capability of course, but potentially useful for... a certain mission profile.
Assuming it's even true they're being MLU'd, I think it's very likely the missiles are being replaced with HCMs. Otherwise I can't possibly see how it makes sense to even keep 60 of these craft in service let alone spend money upgrading them. Even then it's kind of questionable, is the endurance on these high enough to operate at a long enough range to meaningfully complement other naval/air forces?
One thing seems wierd to me, MLU is done during the middle of service life. Type 022 started going into service in 2004. That means that have already been in service for 21 years. If 21 years is considered the mid-point of their service life then that means they are expected to serve another 21 years, 42 years in total. That seems a bit too long for a small boat.
Are they starting the MLU too late, and thus only keep these boats around for a much shorter time despite the upgrades? or are they really going to keep these boats for another 20 years.
lcloo
Major
The 12 men crewed Type 22 has out-lived its original design missions of (surprise) striking enemy at short range in coastal areas of China, using its stealth and remote coastal islands to hide from enemy's radar detection. These boats were degsined in early 2000s when PLAN lack modern destroyers and frigates, it was the era of type 051 destroyers and type 053 frigates, and a few "experimental/ evaluation" type 054, 051B, 052, 052B, 052C and the imported Sovremenny. Type 051C entered sevice 2 years later than type 022.
Now that China has effective means to keep hostile ships from first island chain, type 22's original mission roles is hugely diminished. To keep using these boats they have to be given a different roles, most likely defensive rather than offensive, like sea based SHORAD as suggested by Blitzo.
It can also be reconfigured for coastal ASW, seaport and naval base perimeter armed patrol, or even convert to be a large USV
If PLAN will to continue using type 22 as missile strike force, most likely deployment region would be in SCS, Penghu islands and the few Taiwan controlled coastal islands near Mainland China's shores. So there is some hope that they might still retian their original designed roles with better missiles.
Now that China has effective means to keep hostile ships from first island chain, type 22's original mission roles is hugely diminished. To keep using these boats they have to be given a different roles, most likely defensive rather than offensive, like sea based SHORAD as suggested by Blitzo.
It can also be reconfigured for coastal ASW, seaport and naval base perimeter armed patrol, or even convert to be a large USV
If PLAN will to continue using type 22 as missile strike force, most likely deployment region would be in SCS, Penghu islands and the few Taiwan controlled coastal islands near Mainland China's shores. So there is some hope that they might still retian their original designed roles with better missiles.
You know what, this mod with a few HJ-10 racks it might actually be a decent anti smuggling/ coastal piracy boat.
It's decently fast and seaworthy for it's size, with the new loadout it can work great against smugglers/ pirates that fight back (AA for drones & ATGM against fleeing boats).
Converting them to large, optionally manned USV might also be on the cards. It just depends on how complicated is the conversion process to see if it's worth it.
I doubt there are that many coastal pirates near Chinese waters with the ability or bravery to contest a regular small sized cutter with an autocannon and a couple RHIBs.
ATGMs are way overkill, and how many pirates would have drones that require a ship to be armed with proper AA?
After all one of the key requirements of an anti-smuggling/constabulary duty ship is endurance (even if it is for short durations), and a Type 22 with its emphasis on speed and relatively low VBSS capability is ill suited to that (no RHIBs for one).
Ultimately if the Type 22s are to be retained and upgraded, giving them simply an updated anti-surface loadout seems the most likely (albeit most boring), and if they want to be fancy about it then a more distant second would be giving them an air defense suite as a naval SHORAD platform for key parts of a Taiwan contingency before organic ground based SHORAD make its presence felt.