Geographer
Junior Member
That's good for reducing radar signatures. Do any Chinese ships have torpedo integrated into the hull like that?
056 class FFL/corvette
- Thread starter dingyibvs
- Start date
- Status
sealordlawrence
Junior Member
»Ø¸´: Re: Type 056 OPV/Corvette
The most useful weapon against missile boats is a missile armed helicopter, and this 056 design does not have a helicopter hangar which will severely reduce its utility against small craft as well as submarines.
All this ship is is an OPV with some light warship trappings and it is difficult to see what purpose it is intended to undertake that the multiple other maritime agencies do not already.
The most useful weapon against missile boats is a missile armed helicopter, and this 056 design does not have a helicopter hangar which will severely reduce its utility against small craft as well as submarines.
All this ship is is an OPV with some light warship trappings and it is difficult to see what purpose it is intended to undertake that the multiple other maritime agencies do not already.
China's helicopter production capabilities in all sizes and total numbers are going to skyrocket in the years to come and building for current capabilities only is poor planning. The 052C's, 052B's, and 054/A's are all built to house the Ka-series helos, but the PLAN doesn't have enough of those currently. Does that mean there is no reason to built hangars on all those 054A's that fit this type of helo? Besides, Z-9's aren't exactly going to be hard to come by these days and they can easily be built in sufficient numbers to equip these ships. UNLESS of course this vessel is not meant to do ASW, in which case the lack of shipboard helo maintenance facilities and/or actual embarked helos is a total non-issue, which is what I believe is the case.
That is not fact, just speculation on your part.
An ASW ship in this day and age without an ASW helicopter is a like a soldier without a rifle. I don't think anyone believes the manner in which type 037's operate is a viable option for modern ASW ops where subs are frequently faster than surface ships and can dive deeper and faster than any useless depth charge, which nowadays is basically a point blank defense/scare weapon to force the sub to turn and dive and possibly break the line to the torpedo it's controlling, or possibly as a hard-kill defense against incoming torpedoes. Modern offensive ASW involves weapons like ASROC/VLA and anti-sub torpedoes and mines dropped from helos and fixed wing aircraft.
That's positively bad for reducing RCS, as it is a large vertical object that cannot be hidden or sloped. Look into how the 054A, 052B and 052C classes mount their torpedo tubes...
joshuatree
Captain
Re: »Ø¸´: Re: Type 056 OPV/Corvette
Folks, is it not possible for a UAV with missiles to fulfill this role? While 056 does not appear to be designed with hangar, how much space is needed to serve as a "hangar" to a UAV?
Folks, is it not possible for a UAV with missiles to fulfill this role? While 056 does not appear to be designed with hangar, how much space is needed to serve as a "hangar" to a UAV?
sealordlawrence
Junior Member
Re: »Ø¸´: Re: Type 056 OPV/Corvette
It depends how big ones UAV is, but it still needs a hangar and a UAV's effectiveness is often related in some part to its size. For most maritime applications I suspect that a crew would still be desired.
It depends how big ones UAV is, but it still needs a hangar and a UAV's effectiveness is often related in some part to its size. For most maritime applications I suspect that a crew would still be desired.
Geographer
Junior Member
You got me thinking, how do they mount their tubes? I checked my extensive collection of photographs on all those classes, all from SDF originally, and could not see any obvious torpedo tubes? Can you identify the torpedo tubes on this picture of the 052C?
MwRYum
Major
Something like what the 054 has, the smaller rectangular hatch below the bigger hatch is for a 3-tube torpedo launcher, starboard and port sides have one each.
Re: »Ø¸´: Re: Type 056 OPV/Corvette
btw, can we not judge the ship exclusively on some CG from a magazine? Believe it or not, these are not official pictures. They are just what the military magazines think the ships will look like. We see pictures like this all the time for speculated classes. Let's wait and see what the first launched ship is. Remember that we are talking about China here. Ships don't take that long to get built.
I'd like to see 056 follow the path of K130 and eventually be able to hold mini uav helicopters in the hangar.
In order to take over their role, you can see 056 being used to patrol south china sea, east china sea and also take the roles of 037.
This may surprise you, but PLAN does believe in using submarine chasers in green water ASW operations. They are going to have plenty of submarines and aircraft near by that can fire at enemy submarines when located.
btw, can we not judge the ship exclusively on some CG from a magazine? Believe it or not, these are not official pictures. They are just what the military magazines think the ships will look like. We see pictures like this all the time for speculated classes. Let's wait and see what the first launched ship is. Remember that we are talking about China here. Ships don't take that long to get built.
You really do overestimate Z-9C production. They have been producing for so many years and still only have 3 regiments. If the production for 056 goes up to 30 to 50 like some sources are saying, then they are really not going to have enough Z-9Cs.
I'd like to see 056 follow the path of K130 and eventually be able to hold mini uav helicopters in the hangar.
hmm, I personally think 056 will be replacing 037/Jianghu's role in PLAN. It follows that PLAN have 022s replacing 021/024s, 054 replacing jiangweis and 052Cs replacing 051s. In each cases, the replacement ship becomes larger and more capable.
In order to take over their role, you can see 056 being used to patrol south china sea, east china sea and also take the roles of 037.
This may surprise you, but PLAN does believe in using submarine chasers in green water ASW operations. They are going to have plenty of submarines and aircraft near by that can fire at enemy submarines when located.
yes, it'd be better if they can send something like 054A carrying Z-9Cs out there to do the same job. But they need a cheaper option that has the range of patrolling all of south china sea and east china sea. These ships can should be able to do that (currently, it's been done by Jianghu). And honestly, again the navies in ASEAN countries, something even lightly equipped like 056 is more than enough. What do you really need against Philippines, Cambodia and Indonesia?
MwRYum
Major
Re: »Ø¸´: Re: Type 056 OPV/Corvette
Indeed, in ASEAN those that pose the most significant naval strength would be Thailand and Singapore, and then followed Vietnam and Malaysia; those last 2 have immediate rivalry against China due to the South China Sea dispute, while the first 2 hardly can be dragged into the fray unless things blotted out to the point that US get its hands dirty.
Indeed, in ASEAN those that pose the most significant naval strength would be Thailand and Singapore, and then followed Vietnam and Malaysia; those last 2 have immediate rivalry against China due to the South China Sea dispute, while the first 2 hardly can be dragged into the fray unless things blotted out to the point that US get its hands dirty.
- Status