Makes sense. Useful for export customers.
052C/052D Class Destroyers
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Lyman2003 is saying they have export orders for the newly displayed 052de
With 130 mm main gun
Export version of type 364
New x band aesa radar
Uhf radar antenna
Ht1e uvls
Hq9b
Yj21e
And this is for middle eastern
Algeria or uae or Saudi?
With 130 mm main gun
Export version of type 364
New x band aesa radar
Uhf radar antenna
Ht1e uvls
Hq9b
Yj21e
And this is for middle eastern
Algeria or uae or Saudi?
WOW.
That's about as significant and impressive as US managing to sell a Burke Flight III to Saudi Arabia (or wealthy customer who buys the best and/or most expensive stuff that's available for sale).
UAE, Saudi Arabia are both believable. Algeria slightly less so. Type 052DE would be an expensive piece of hardware to purchase. Even the entire Indian navy has only 3 boats in total that are barely comparable to a Type 052DE (Kolkata has less power, fewer VLS, smaller VLS, fewer weapon systems, lesser CIWS, smaller displacement, smaller radar, weaker radar, lesser communication and electronics equipment). The Indian navy is much more well funded than Algerian navy. Also what would Algeria have a need for such a relatively high tier destroyer? Especially with YJ-21E. Even the export model of YJ-21 would be a serious piece of equipment. It is used by PLAN itself as essentially a ship based long range MRBM/ short range IRBM, probably designed as an anti-ship weapon rather than land attack (obviously can be used for land attack).
What on earth would any of those potential nations require for this destroyer and load out? I can imagine Pakistan wanting to buy one due to actual usefulness and "needs" but the cost would be exorbitant for Pakistan.
Type 364 getting into anyone's hands is an opsec concern. Having one less Type 052 in PLAN is less than ideal. The pocket change this makes China is not worth the opsec risk and having one less Type 052D in service.
If the argument is about establishing political closeness with certain nations and the obvious reputation boost that comes with exporting a major surface combatant with some modern weapon systems, then okay, that makes some sense. It makes little military sense for purchasing nation though. These destroyers are designed to operate as a network. Even Type 052D is a networking and CEC beast. Buying only one is like buying a Ferrari but putting horse carriage tires on it.
This might be the same configuration as the new Type 052d being built in Dalian. Perhaps they'll have the same radar configuration as Type 055 with four panels of S and X band radar each.
I doubt that its the Gulf states.
It could be Algeria. Had read that they were looking to buy a modern destroyer
Algeria is doubling its military budget for 2023
What makes you think they are 052D’s and not 052DE’s?
Apologies, just a small correction.
Lyman2003 said the export version of the Type 346 radar (Star of the Sea), not the Type 364.
People can get confused with the two since they have the same digits only reversed. Another thing is that both 346 and 364 are valid radars and are also used on the same ship.
Type 346 is the AESA arrays and remember that the 4 is in the middle.
Type 364 is the radar dome on top of the mast of the ship. The 6 is in the middle. The radar is an old school mechanical one that rotates rapidly at the rate of 60 rpm. The purpose of this radar is to scan for low flying threats like sea skimming antiship missiles, alert the ship and will direct the CIWS. The height accorded to the Type 364 means it has a greater look down radar horizon than the Type 346, and could warn the ship earlier by spotting the low flying antiship missile trying to sneak in. The Type 364 is also found on the Type 054A, 071, 001, 002, 003, 901, refits of the 051B, the 051C, the refits of the 956EM and the 052B.
There is also an export version of the 364 which should be expected as part of any export 054A and 052D. It debuted on the Algerian C28. However if the ship has a new X band AESA set high in a mast, this AESA replaces the Type 364.
No one is saying that, just that the possibilpity exists, it’s more likely they are just the new batch of 052Ds.
I think only Saudi is a possibility for 052 export, they are the only ones that can afford it. Pakistan doesn’t need it as their frigates are configured of the AAW role already.
Algeria would be fantastic, maybe in a few years, but Saudi could be desperate. The US are already threatening to remove Patriot, so having 4 or 5 of these alleged 052DE’s would be a neat solution if the US abandons them.
How much do members think a 052DE would cost a buyer?