PLA Navy news, pics and videos

AndrewS

Brigadier
Registered Member
But these platforms are procured on a basis of opportunity cost, with consideration of industry availability/advancement, and with consideration of the timing of strategic demands.
There is always room for improvement and better successor classes, but better is the enemy of good enough and that is especially the case if you factor in time and strategic planning.


However I do not see any of this having any specific bearing on the PLAN's "lull" in shipbuilding over the last year or two, as I think that lull can very reasonably be explained simply by the PLAN seeking to establish what the long term trajectory of the navy is meant to be from a strategic procurement point of view.

I'd also be very surprised if Chinese nuclear submarine construction didn't receive a huge funding boost from 2020 onwards, given the completion of the 2nd brand new Assembly Hall in 2020. That followed on from the 2016 completion of the 1st Assembly Hall.

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The pre-VPM Virginia SSN costs $2.8 Billion.
The Astute SSNs came in at approx $2 Billion.

So my guess is that the latest Chinese SSNs are in the range of $1-1.5 Billion each.

And I expect they are ramping to at a minimum of 3 SSNs per year.

So these 3 SSNs would cost as much as the 4 Type-054 and 4 Type-052D which we would typically expect to be produced per year.

But as I've said previously, I think they're going higher on SSN production.
After all, it's still easily affordable in terms of procurement and maintenance budgets.
 
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Andy1974

Senior Member
Registered Member
I'd also be very surprised if Chinese nuclear submarine construction didn't receive a huge funding boost from 2020 onwards, given the completion of the 2nd brand new Assembly Hall in 2020. That followed on from the 2016 completion of the 1st Assembly Hall.

---

The pre-VPM Virginia SSN costs $2.8 Billion.
The Astute SSNs came in at approx $2 Billion.

So my guess is that the latest Chinese SSNs are in the range of $1-1.5 Billion each.

And I expect they are ramping to at a minimum of 3 SSNs per year.

So these 3 SSNs would cost as much as the 4 Type-054 and 4 Type-052D which we would typically expect to be produced per year.

But as I've said previously, I think they're going higher on SSN production.
After all, it's still easily affordable in terms of procurement and maintenance budgets.
Also SSK’s, with Chinas battery, superconductor and super capacitor technology, it seems only logical they will use it for SSKs. If China can figure out a way to re-charge these subs at sea then it makes SSK long ranged and superior to SSNs for most missions.

Of course, China leads in recharging tech also.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
It appears to be just rumors, however credible they're. The attached pictures have nothing to do with the rumors, I suppose?

We've had those rumours before, but the Louis guy on twitter should be ignored because he attaches unrelated and misleading pictures, and often posts false pictures deliberately for clout.
 

Xizor

Captain
Registered Member
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This is the tweet he is referencing.

The comments under the tweet is typical fanfare. But the OP doesn't let in on much other than saying that it is the second tranche of 055.

Another person says that he heard that " the new batch of 052 series totals 25 (23) ships" for the five year plan.
 
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plawolf

Lieutenant General
I think people may be trying to read too much into the lull in warship construction and are missing the obvious - competition is exceptionally fierce in China, and in recent years, with commercial shipping orders already fallen off a cliff before the pandemic, naval orders are seen as a massive deal and vital revenue source.

As such, I would be amazed if all the shipyards were not all actively competing against each other to deliver their orders earlier than contractually required while also maintaining quality to put themselves in the best position possible to secure a bigger share of the next batch of naval orders.

That would explain a lot of the anomalies we have seen over the years, like finished ships spending unusually long periods tied up at the shipyards before delivery and commissioning, uneven allocation of warship orders between yards and this current lull in construction.

Once the next batch of orders are confirmed and if we see yet more and maybe even more pronounced uneven allocation of orders, then I think we can have a good guess at which shipyard won the race.
 
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