054/A FFG Thread II

It's hard to believe what went wrong in US Navy procurement. Labor cost along can't explain the vast cost differences (054A is around $200 mil, the smaller LCS is above $400). Maybe they were victims of formalism to serve politicians, maybe because the oppositions were too weak. In any case the past success were built on a pragmatic approach. Given the fact US is almost always involved in at least one war, there are plenty of opportunities to get whatever process fixed.

Have some confidence in the US. One thing you have to understand is the media in the US is always critical of the government. So overall there is sense of negativity existed if you only read the media.

Cronyism and pork barrel politics are an entrenched part of the US system. The problem is that its net effect has been off balance in recent decades, it has been hijacked to serve big money and corporate interests too much, instead of or at the expense of the public or the common good.
 
It's hard to believe what went wrong in US Navy procurement. Labor cost along can't explain the vast cost differences (054A is around $200 mil, the smaller LCS is above $400). Maybe they were victims of formalism to serve politicians, maybe because the oppositions were too weak. In any case the past success were built on a pragmatic approach. Given the fact US is almost always involved in at least one war, there are plenty of opportunities to get whatever process fixed.

Have some confidence in the US. One thing you have to understand is the media in the US is always critical of the government. So overall there is sense of negativity existed if you only read the media.
not sure if it's directed towards me, but I'll pick it up anyway:

in this forum I've been hearing opinions suggesting Journalists; GAO; DOT&E; Obama; "people with agenda" were to be blamed for the USN projects, while in fact USN Admirals are responsible for the USN projects!

I joined the SDF four and a half years ago, and even back then projects like LCS and Zumwalt were dubious (OK I'm saying this in hindsight, and for example I wouldn't have thought it possible not to use
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etc.); now years have passed and things got worse

(there's a link Today at 11:04 AM about pretty much nonexistent LCS mission modules after ten or so hulls were commissioned! oh and the Zumwalts
Jan 7, 2018
...

I mean they'd need LRASMs in Mk57 VLS for this role ... or not??

"Rear Admiral Ronald Boxall, the U.S. Navy’s director of surface warfare,
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that Zumwalt’s mission requirement for providing fire support ashore was written in 1995, but that the current strategic environment demanded a reevaluation of the ship’s role and a reorientation toward surface strike instead of land attack."
US Navy’s Most Advanced Destroyers to Get New Primary Anti-Ship Mission
December 14, 2017
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the Admirals came up with a new mission, but what are they going to shoot:
am wondering what's the status of Mk57 VLS, as I now briefly used google to find nothing recent except bashing, and the NavalTechnology article about some BAE contract is dated 22 August 2012 (twenty-twelve) so it's not even worth linking now

what did I miss?
huh?)

LOL perhaps I post "negativity", but I don't blame journalists for what's going on in the USN (the same for the RN, where I'm even more critical)

I veered off topic of
PLAN Type 054 FFG Thread II
so I stop
 

Tam

Brigadier
Registered Member
I don’t see any resemblance the type 54A has to the La Fayette, the 054 heavily influenced by the French frigate pioneering stealth design, yes but no connection to it.

The resemblance is only from a broad sense.

XeBzWsN.jpg


35NeHVa.jpg


But I don't think its about the appearance, but the very concept of a light but multi role, independent, ocean going warship that is more than just an ASW specialized vessel. The La Fayette class is probably the originator of the trend of modern stealthy Euro-frigate of today.

The sudden presence of this ship in Taiwan with the ROCN, and its consequent deep impression to the PLAN, likely inspired the Type 054.

Project 17 Shivalik reminds me more of the Type 054A, but is full of design whys --- no VLS for medium ranged SAMs, two S-band radars, VLS only for short ranged SAMs, etc,. Admiral Grigorovich is another that I see might have some vague similarity.

Admiral Grigorovich.

8utaX7H.jpg



Project 17 Shivalik

vyDmERX.jpg
 

kurutoga

Junior Member
Registered Member
The resemblance is only from a broad sense.
But I don't think its about the appearance, but the very concept of a light but multi role, independent, ocean going warship that is more than just an ASW specialized vessel. The La Fayette class is probably the originator of the trend of modern stealthy Euro-frigate of today.
The sudden presence of this ship in Taiwan with the ROCN, and its consequent deep impression to the PLAN, likely inspired the Type 054.

054 was using French radars, French propulsion, French software. There has to be formal tech transfer deal involved. 054A uses more domestic systems. And I agree, it is not far fetched to think Russia offered help, too.

The ROCN's introduction of La Fayette class was a major scandal, with a total of 500 million USD paid as bribes. If you trust Taiwan and France sources, among the 500 million bribe about 40% was to pay off PRC government officials. Not only that, there were more than a dozen mysterious death (suicides, or being suicided) from Taiwan and France. At one point the French foreign minister was saying in public that the bribe was paid to the Taiwan president. It is a too big to fail type of situation so in the end the prosecutors gave up. Taiwan government sued the France shipyard to get back the part of the bribe money.

One direct result was that PRC had some under-the-table deals with France. Some people say those deals directly lead to 054. And Taiwan/France relation soured - since then the only country willing to sell large weapon systems to Taiwan is US.

Someone should make a movie or at least a multi season TV show about it eventually.
 
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Iron Man

Major
Registered Member
Project 17 Shivalik reminds me more of the Type 054A, but is full of design whys --- no VLS for medium ranged SAMs, two S-band radars, VLS only for short ranged SAMs, etc,. Admiral Grigorovich is another that I see might have some vague similarity.

Project 17 Shivalik

vyDmERX.jpg
I agree that the Shivalik is a rather ill-conceived design in its current state. The choice of 2 S-band VSRs is truly baffling along with the choice of the Shtil single-arm launcher given its relatively recent design. OTOH there is plenty of room at the bow area for modifying the Shtil to a VL system during its mid-life refit (much like the 051B and Sovs are being modified), and one of the radars could be replaced for a lower frequency, like a SMART-L or something similar. This ship class has a lot of potential but its execution is rather poor.
 

antiterror13

Brigadier
054 was using French radars, French propulsion, French software. There has to be formal tech transfer deal involved. 054A uses more domestic systems. And I agree, it is not far fetched to think Russia offered help, too.

The ROCN's introduction of La Fayette class was a major scandal, with a total of 500 million USD paid as bribes. If you trust Taiwan and France sources, among the 500 million bribe about 40% was to pay off PRC government officials. Not only that, there were more than a dozen mysterious death (suicides, or being suicided) from Taiwan and France. At one point the French foreign minister was saying in public that the bribe was paid to the Taiwan president. It is a too big to fail type of situation so in the end the prosecutors gave up. Taiwan government sued the France shipyard to get back the part of the bribe money.

One direct result was that PRC had some under-the-table deals with France. Some people say those deals directly lead to 054. And Taiwan/France relation soured - since then the only country willing to sell large weapon systems to Taiwan is US.

Someone should make a movie or at least a multi season TV show about it eventually.

what foreign systems used on Type 054A ?
 
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