052C/052D Class Destroyers

jkliz said:

So we now have apparently close to 5 Type 052Ds in sea trial while only 1 is active.

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... but who's counting, right?

You're gonna have to accept that commissioning rate will be slower than launch/fitting out/sea trial rate, at least for the first couple of years. Not only is this a new class of warship but it's also much more complex than the preceding destroyers that they will be looking to replace.

jkliz said:

So we now have apparently close to 5 Type 052Ds in sea trial while only 1 is active.

Click to expand...

But I wouldn't exclude the possibility that D2 will be commissioned by the end of this year, while the other 3-4 might be all commissioned in 2016.

jkliz said:

So we now have apparently close to 5 Type 052Ds in sea trial while only 1 is active.

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Six vessels have been launched in total.

One is commissioned, four are in various stages of sea trials, and the sixth is fitting out:

Here they are:

172 Kunming Launched: 8/28/12 Commission: 3/21/2014 South Sea Fleet - Active
173 Changsha Launched 12/28/12 Commission: Plan Mid-2015 South Sea Fleet Trials
174 Hefei Launched: 7/1/2013 Commission: Plan Late 2015 South Sea Fleet Trials
175 Yinchuan Launched: 3/30/2104 Commission Plan Mid 2016 South Sea Fleet Trials
117 Not Named Launched: 8/26/14 Commission: Plan Late 2016 North Sea Fleet Sea Trials
118 Not Named Launched: 12/20/14 Commission: Plan Mid 2017 North Sea Fleet Fitting

I expect we will see 173, Changsha commission within the next month or two.

So this might sound naive but why don't they just fast track the commissions? I mean, its peacetime and China isn't facing any significant military challenges yet so whats the harm in having one or two Type 052Ds commissioned early?

They did that with the first...and for a specific set of reasons.

One was to get it out there in order to figure out what the issues are.

The other may have been political.

The point is, when you have the first vessel out there telling you that there are a number of issues, it is best all around (logistically, training wise, and operationally) to address those issues before you commission the others.

That is what I believe the PLAN is doing and they are smart to do so.

Otherwise, to do as you propose, would be to let themselves in for a lot of problems that will have to be addressed in any case...but now you are doing it while you are active and your sailors are leaning the wrong things, you are risking breakdowns and other malfunctions, in order to put up with errors that need to be corrected.

Frankly, I'm surprised the 52D is about the same size as the 52C, since one of the feedback from Gulf of Aden is lack of free space to make maintenance easier. Would lengthening the 52D a few more meters make much difference?

jkliz said:

So this might sound naive but why don't they just fast track the commissions? I mean, its peacetime and China isn't facing any significant military challenges yet so whats the harm in having one or two Type 052Ds commissioned early?

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A better question is why you'd think it's necessary for China to commission new ships at a pace too quick that may be premature. Such a type of commissioning rate would only really make sense during war time or near war when everything starts turning to custard.

Like you said, China isn't at war at the moment so why would they try to do things in a proper and orderly way?

Blackstone said:

Frankly, I'm surprised the 52D is about the same size as the 52C, since one of the feedback from Gulf of Aden is lack of free space to make maintenance easier. Would lengthening the 52D a few more meters make much difference?

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I think I recall that as well. It might have been in one of Andrew Erickson's reports, but I can't remember if it referred to 054A or 052C.
Either way, better design of internal geometry, new subsystems replacing older ones, could facilitate greater internal volume within a similarly sized hull.

Anyway, I found this pic somewhere, I don't think it's been posted before.
It probably isn't the most accurate, but it's a nice CGI regardless

Jeff Head said:

I expect we will see 173, Changsha commission within the next month or two.

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Between 1991 and 2011, the USN commissioned 3 Arleigh Burke per year. I am wondering when the Chinese could reach this production rate with regards to 052D. In fact, if the Chinese were to "catch up" with the U.S. and Japan, the current rate of DDG commissioning is simply far from enough.

What's the total 052D China plan to built? My feeling at least 12, 4 for each North, South & East sea fleet as appropriate for a regional power