052C/052D Class Destroyers

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
LOL what I've meant was 560 is more than 400 but never mind

Without expanding on what you mean, the single most logical assumption is that you are trying to imply some kind of correlation between the estimated total crew size of two 052Ds vs one 055 and compare their capabilities in that context as some sort of "crew/capability efficiency ratio" or something, perhaps on the basis of available VLS cells as the most obvious one.

What latenlazy is saying, and what I have been saying is that the "capability" side of the ratio is very much hard to measure for the two different scenarios and is far more difficult to judge than simply "number of VLS cells" or "displacement" or whatever.
 

Iron Man

Major
Registered Member
I believe that having more 052D out there has more to do with the components techs' availability and what gaps the PLAN badly needed to plug. When the 052C hull finally cleared for serial production, the component tech for modular VLS also ready, thus we saw the 052C production ended with just 4 more hulls (those alloted weapon suites has to go somewhere, not wasted), and then switch to the bonafide multi-role DDG that's the 052Ds. The numbers of 052C/Ds gives the PLAN surface combatants an updated SAM umbrella that it lacks for so long, and the 052D will provide the offensive firepower projection even in the future carrier battlegroup, as the battlegroup heavy hitter will be ship-launched LACMs, carrier-borne airgroup won't bear that burden until CATOBAR carrier-aircraft package is realised and in numbers. That said, the 64 VLS slots on the 052D would mean an effective offensive firepower could only be realised with more ships.

However, with 055 and its (estimated at this time) 128 VLS slots, respectable offensive+defensive firepower can be achieved. Given that the common acknowledgement that the year 2020 is the crunch time for China (ie. risk of Sino-US war is high), even if the 055 Block I managed to launch in this year, they won't be in significant numbers for the battle order by 2020, thus there will be more 052Ds but once the 055 Block I gets the green light, we should see the 052D production run peters out, if all goes well that means in the year 2018.

The doctrine of operating so many DDG classes in the fleet pretty much dies out when multi-role ships becomes the norm around the world, in the PLAN it has more to do with the inconvenient truth of various constraints that it has to first overcome. But eventually the PLAN will consolidate its DDG compliment with more and more 055s, while anything "pre-052D" will gradually be replaced, meanwhile 052Ds will operate with 055 in the hi-low combo out of necessity and reality (too new to get the axe, so to speak, not to mention carrying the similar suites as the 055, alas with less VLS slots comes less firepower), but not out of doctrinal reason.
This vision reflects perfectly the failure of the USN in laying out a sustainable long term plan for its ORBAT, and is exemplified by the USN's current struggle to find a suitable frigate class which the LCS in its current state is completely inadequate to fill. The USN was already top-heavy with its 9,000-10,000 ton cruisers and destroyers, and now people want to see the PLAN composed primarily of 10,000 to 12,000 ton behemoths, resulting in an even more extreme example of a top-heavy navy. There is a place for every class of ship in the PLAN from the 056/A to the 054A/B, to the 052C/D/E, all the way to the 055 and its future iterations. I also don't know why you think 64 cells is inadequate especially since most other navies have similar or less numbers of VL cells on similar-sized hulls, or why you think the 052D is somehow not "multirole". It has more than enough VL cells to perform AAW, ASW, and ASuW all at the same time. For example: 48x HHQ-9, 8x YJ-18, 8x CY-5 + ASW helo.

Kongo (9,500 tons): 96 VL cells
Arleigh Burke IIA (9,200 tons): 96 VL cells
Type 45 (8,500 tons): 48 VL cells
Type 052D (7,500 tons): 64 VL cells
Horizon (7,100 tons): 48 VL cells
Iver Huitfeldt (6,600 tons): 56 VL cells
Alvaro de Bazan (6,400 tons): 48 VL cells
FREMM (6,000 tons): 32 VL cells

Note that the Iver Huitfeldt's outsized VLS loadout is achieved using small 2x12 Mk56 launchers, and that the 052D's universal VL cells are significantly bigger than the Mk 41s and Sylvers that these ships use.
 
I know what you were going for, but my point was your extra personnel count isn't necessarily going to waste.
Without expanding on what you mean, the single most logical assumption is that you are trying to imply some kind of correlation between the estimated total crew size of two 052Ds vs one 055 and compare their capabilities in that context as some sort of "crew/capability efficiency ratio" or something, perhaps on the basis of available VLS cells as the most obvious one.

What latenlazy is saying, and what I have been saying is that the "capability" side of the ratio is very much hard to measure for the two different scenarios and is far more difficult to judge than simply "number of VLS cells" or "displacement" or whatever.

later I realized I had given the crew size argument Today at 9:05 AM on the assumption which I didn't state, and which was:

the objective would be to minimize the cost of both
  1. acquiring the warships, and
  2. operating the warships over their service life;
I also realized my argument and the above assumption had been based on what's seems to me is the current point of view of Western Navies (I admit I like to read stuff like Feb 2, 2017
this is interesting (for me :)
How the Navy’s Warship Shop Uses Data to Do More with Less

source:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
) so I was probably wrong (in fact I don't know practically anything about the personnel structure of the Chinese Navy like drafted; enlisted; commissioned numbers/proportions/wages ... and I of course don't know the cost of Type 055 :)
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Surface combattants are used in TG/TF - submarines are solitary - their force is the number cohesion unlike the second, severals more small are more difficult to destroy as one big more efficient also, remains difficult to build many.
With VLS problems for reloading at sea necessary have an important silos number idealy at less 32, considering Navies fired in general 2 SAMs vs a AShM as the Burke do close Yemen.

055 want about 800 millions to 1 billion maximum

Kongo (9,500 tons): 96 VL cells
Arleigh Burke IIA (9,200 tons): 96 VL cells
Type 45 (8,500 tons): 48 VL cells
Type 052D (7,500 tons): 64 VL cells
Horizon (7,100 tons): 48 VL cells
Iver Huitfeldt (6,600 tons): 56 VL cells
Alvaro de Bazan (6,400 tons): 48 VL cells
FREMM (6,000 tons): 32 VL cells

Note that the Iver Huitfeldt's outsized VLS loadout is achieved using small 2x12 Mk56 launchers, and that the 052D's universal VL cells are significantly bigger than the Mk 41s and Sylvers that these ships use.
Well but u compare combattants which not in the same category :p
 
Last edited:

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
The ninth ship Nanjing
C6eWmKOVMAAzT_H.jpg


C6eWmKVVYAAcipN.jpg


C6eWmy_U8AArJSw.jpg
 

jobjed

Captain
So apparently their are rumors of a Type 052E, can anyone confirm this?

(Maybe the E is "E" as in for "export"?

The proportions of the APARS to the superstructure seems a bit off. Also, the main gun is a 100mm. This seems to be a design derived from the 052C as opposed to the 052D, which would suggest that it's an older export-oriented design drawn up before the 052D was designed.
 

Iron Man

Major
Registered Member
Well but u compare combattants which not in the same category :p
I listed all the ships which were within about 2,000 tons of the 052D. They all are multirole, even the Type 45 which can carry 2 Lynx helos for ASW.

So apparently their are rumors of a Type 052E, can anyone confirm this?
C6e40O9U4AEK0xF.jpg

(Maybe the E is "E" as in for "export"?
IMO this is a poorly designed fanboi's fantasy. It's got way too many VL cells that are poorly proportioned in size. The chaff/flare launchers are restricted in their firing arcs to the rear, the AESA is way too small, and the placement of the aft life raft containers on the helipad is just totally ridiculous.
 
Top