052C/052D Class Destroyers

I think the tweet refers to the ship I put into the red ellipse above, but LOL just tell me if I misunderstood:







Dans la base navale de Zhoushan, près de Shanghai, qui appartient à la flotte de l'Est de la marine chinoise, un petit nouveau est là...

Translated from French by

In the naval base of Zhoushan, near Shanghai, which belongs to the East of the Chinese Navy fleet, a new kid is here...

Type 052D should have been design to carry 2 x ASW

asif iqbal said:

Type 052D should have been design to carry 2 x ASW

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I don't see a problem with only one helicopter on a vessel that is primarily tasked with AAW. If 054B has two helos that should be fine. I will be somewhat disappointed if it doesn't have two (although that would reinforce my belief that a clean-sheet frigate program is also underway).

In any case I think the more pressing task is just to establish a clear path to a larger, new-generation ASW helicopter in the first place, whether based on Z-15 or Z-20. Of course this is already likely well underway, we just haven't seen any evidence of it yet.

Without number Ürümqi 118 to Dinghai-Yadangshan which host 6 DDG Flotilla but she is for NSF so there for sea trials arriving from the shipyard.

Lethe said:

I don't see a problem with only one helicopter on a vessel that is primarily tasked with AAW. If 054B has two helos that should be fine. I will be somewhat disappointed if it doesn't have two (although that would reinforce my belief that a clean-sheet frigate program is also underway).

In any case I think the more pressing task is just to establish a clear path to a larger, new-generation ASW helicopter in the first place, whether based on Z-15 or Z-20. Of course this is already likely well underway, we just haven't seen any evidence of it yet.

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Agreed.

Look at the how the Chinese fleet will likely be used.

In a high-intensity conflict, this will be in the Western Pacific where land-based ASW aircraft are better than helicopters.

In a low-intensity conflict, it doesn't make any difference whether a Chinese destroyer or Chinese frigate carries 1 or 2 helicopters.

[QUOTE="AndrewS, post: 476212, member: 12012"In a high-intensity conflict, this will be in the Western Pacific where land-based ASW aircraft are better than helicopters.[/quote]

I would regard ASW helicopters and aircraft as complementary capabilities, not in competition with one another. Any hypothetical "high-intensity" conflict is going to involve neutralising some of the most advanced conventional and nuclear submarines ever built, a task that will undoubtedly require a full range of capabilities, from ASW aircraft to helicopters to corvettes, frigates, and one's own submarines, to SURTASS-type vessels and SOSUS-type sonar networks, indeed all forms of intelligence gathering.

Lethe said:

[QUOTE="AndrewS, post: 476212, member: 12012"In a high-intensity conflict, this will be in the Western Pacific where land-based ASW aircraft are better than helicopters.

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I would regard ASW helicopters and aircraft as complementary capabilities, not in competition with one another. Any hypothetical "high-intensity" conflict is going to involve neutralising some of the most advanced conventional and nuclear submarines ever built, a task that will undoubtedly require a full range of capabilities, from ASW aircraft to helicopters to corvettes, frigates, and one's own submarines, to SURTASS-type vessels and SOSUS-type sonar networks, indeed all forms of intelligence gathering.[/QUOTE]

Agreed.

But from a cost versus capability point of view, fixed wing MPA beat helicopters in the western pacific. So why should Chinese frigates and destroyers have more than 1 helicopter?

Latest from the Dalian shipyard. I see four, maybe five 052D units being fitted out. Is this right, or am I seeing too many?

The 1st and 2nd image depict the same unit. The 3rd image depicts another one. I see three 052Ds in the 4th image. Of course, there could well be overlap.

P.S. In the last photo, you can see carrier Shandong in the background.

EDIT: Ah, never mind. There are only three. My confusion was caused by the 4th photograph: I thought the two units are parallel to each other when in fact they are perpendicular.

by78 said:

Latest from the Dalian shipyard. I see four, maybe five 052D units being fitted out.

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Only three are at Dalian. The mast in the far background of the last image is from 001A, not a 052D.

AndrewS said:

But from a cost versus capability point of view, fixed wing MPA beat helicopters in the western pacific. So why should Chinese frigates and destroyers have more than 1 helicopter?

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Who says a high intensity conflict will always be within range of land-based fixed-wing ASW? Nobody. Which means that Chinese frigates and destroyers would benefit from having more than 1 helicopter.