The Growth and Modernization of the PLAN since 2003

The Phenomenal Growth of the Chinese Navy since 2003

Here is a pictorial report/story documenting the growth and modernization of the Chinese Navy (PLAN) since 2003. it does not delve into the equally phenomenal growth of their Naval Air Forces during the same time period. That will be for another work:


2003 2 x Type 052B DDG Outfitting at Jiangnan. No more were built



2005 2 x Type 052C DDG Outfitting at Jiangnan, ultimately six wwere built



2006 2 x Type 051C DDG Outfitting at Dalian, No more were built.



2009 3 x Type 054A FFG building in Huangpu. 25 have been lainched so far



2013 2 x Type 054A FFG Outiftting in Hudong. 25 have been launched so far

Continued...The Growth and Modernization of the PLAN

2014 2 x Type 052D DDG Building and Outfitting at Jiangnan. 12 have been launched so far.


2015 4 x Type 052D DDG Outfitting at Jiangnan. 12 have been launched so far.


2016 2 x Type 052D Outfitting at Dalian. 12 have been launched so far.


During the same time period, the PLAN completed the purchase and integration of four Sovremenny DDGs from Russia, completed the two Type 054 FFGs, and started building the 1,800 ton Type 056 light frigate in 2012 in four different shipyards and have now produced 34 of them.

So, since 2003, 13 years ago, the Chinese Navy has grown its modern combtants by:

26 x Guided missile destoyers, averaging two per year through that whole period.
26 x Guided missile frigates, averaaging two per year during that whole period.
34 x Light frigates, averaging 8.5 of those over the last four year.

86 major combatants

This is very phenominal groth but also does not account for the:

01 x (soon to be 2) Aircraft Carriers
04 x (soon to be 6) Type 071 LPDs


08 x Type 072 LSTs


04 x Zubr Very Large LCACs


14 x Yuan class AIP SSKs
06 x Type 093 SSNs
04 x Type 094 SSBNs

41, soon to be 44 major vessels.

In the last 13 years, the Chinese Navy (PLAN) has really completed re-made itself from a coastal naval force of very many older, some would say antiquated vessels, to having added about 130 major, new, modern, and capable naval vessels.

You can see many hi-resolution pictures of each of these classes of vessels, along with picturess of counterpart vessels of the US, JApanee, Auistralian, UK< and other navies at Jeff Head's Flickr Naval Photo Albums:

I really like the juxtaposition, or contrast, between these two picture, ten years apart:

2006 - Two Type 051C DDGs at Dalian


2016 - Two Type 052D DDGs at Dalian in the same place.


Comparing those two classes and all the progress made...just phenominal.

The most important development, which you cannot show, is that of the naval personnel, afloat and ashore, to serve all this new equipment.
Another visible development is that of the naval bases.

delft said:

The most important development, which you cannot show, is that of the naval personnel, afloat and ashore, to serve all this new equipment.
Another visible development is that of the naval bases.

Click to expand...

The mockups at Wuhan, the Naval Training facility near Qingdao on the Bohai Sea, the CV-16 home port at Shandng, the second carrier base in Sanya, on Hainan Island...and so many more. Yes, they are building all of the infrastructure necessary as well.

Jeff Head said:

The Phenomenal Growth of the Chinese Navy since 2003

Here is a pictorial report/story documenting the growth and modernization of the Chinese Navy (PLAN) since 2003. it does not delve into the equally phenomenal growth of their Naval Air Forces during the same time period. That will be for another work:

View attachment 31380
The PLAN carrier strike group, augmented by amphibious elements
​

2003 2 x Type 052B DDG Outfitting at JIangnan. No more were built

View attachment 31382​

2005 2 x Type 052C DDG Outfitting at Jaingnan, ultimately six wwere built

View attachment 31383​

2006 2 x Type 051C DDG Outfitting at Dalian, No more were built.

View attachment 31381​

2009 3 x Type 054A FFG building in Huangpu. 25 have been lainched so far

View attachment 31384​

2013 2 x Type 054A FFG Outiftting in Hudong. 25 have been launched so far

View attachment 31385​

Click to expand...

Those 052Bs and 052Cs were built in not Dalian.

backwindow said:

Those 052Bs and 052Cs were built in

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not Dalian.

Click to expand...

You are correct and my bad...fixed!

Thanks.

So they experiment with 2 X Type 051C and 2 X Type 052C then decided to go with Type 052C

That was a good choice

Surprising the Type 052C came before Type 051C almost seems like a waste why they even bothered with Type 051C

But those were experimenting days

asif iqbal said:

So they experiment with 2 X Type 051C and 2 X Type 052C then decided to go with Type 052C

That was a good choice

Surprising the Type 052C came before Type 051C almost seems like a waste why they even bothered with Type 051C

But those were experimenting days

Click to expand...

They had to build the Type 051Cs because the subsystems and missiles were already purchased from Russia. If they didn't build the ships, those subsystems like radar, VLS, and missiles would have just sat there wasting away.

jobjed said:

They had to build the Type 051Cs because the subsystems and missiles were already purchased from Russia. If they didn't build the ships, those subsystems like radar, VLS, and missiles would have just sat there wasting away.

Click to expand...

YEs...and ot provided them with an alternate path if their own indigenous design doid not work out.

But is did work out...nicely...and they ended up woth Type 052Cs and now have already launched 11 of the improved Type 052D.

They made a good choice and are now pumping them out.