lcloo
Captain
Indeed, Xichang is a province. It should be reserved for large ships like aircraft carrier or type 075 LHA. Naming a frigate with Xichang or names of any province is simply not happening.
054/A FFG Thread II
- Thread starter tphuang
- Start date
Xichang (西昌) is a small city located at the southern region of Sichuan. Xichang itself is not a province.
I believe what you are referring to is Xizang (西藏), which is the name of Tibet in Chinese.
These two places have different names (albeit sharing the first word) with different pronunciations.
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lcloo
Captain
Oops! My bad. You are right.
In conjunction with my initial post in the CG Thread:
I do feel the need to mention it here - Don't be surprised if there are more new 054AG FFGs meant for the PLAN (rumored number is 10x) coming out of Hudong-Zhonghua (and maybe Huangpu-Wenchong too) instead of/than the newer 054B FFGs in the coming few years, starting 2024.
The 1st new 054AG might well be the smaller hull that we just saw at Hudong-Zhonghua's new drydock last week.
I do feel the need to mention it here - Don't be surprised if there are more new 054AG FFGs meant for the PLAN (rumored number is 10x) coming out of Hudong-Zhonghua (and maybe Huangpu-Wenchong too) instead of/than the newer 054B FFGs in the coming few years, starting 2024.
The 1st new 054AG might well be the smaller hull that we just saw at Hudong-Zhonghua's new drydock last week.
antiterror13
Brigadier
Why would PLAN want more 054AG when 054B is already in production? What is the logic?
Several reasons that I came across:
#1 - Due to the present geopolitical development and the heightening risks of war in the WestPac, the PLAN very much needs the required quantity to hold the front for the time being - The sooner, the better. In this context, the 054A/AGs are cheaper and easier to build quickly in larger quantities than the newer 054Bs.
#2 - Significant portions of warfighting in a WestPac war for the foreseeable future are expected to be done within and around the 1IC, of which the 054A/AGs are certainly more suited to operate in.
#3 - The 054B, while retaining (much of) the mature weapon systems from the 054A, is still quite new when it comes to the radars, sensors and the propulsion systems onboard. Some amount of time will be needed to configure, calibrate and rectify any faults that may come with the newer and unproven systems onboard the present 054B twins before the PLAN is satisfied with the 054B for said class to enter mass production.
#4 - With nearly two decades worth of experience in building 054A/AGs, it would be easier for Hudong-Zhonghua and Huangpu-Wenchong to keep building the 054A/AGs while waiting for the processes in #2 to be completed. In the meantime, those two shipyards can also begin the gradual, full transition of their shipbuilding workforces from 054A/AG-construction to 054B-construction.
#5 - More 054A/AGs meant that more PLAN cadets can be trained and brought up to speed onboard the 054A/AGs before being assigned to the newer 054Bs in the coming years once the two shipyards started churning them out.
However, it should be noted that this is not to say that only 2x 054Bs will be built for the first batch, let alone the notion whereby only 2x 054Bs will ever be built.
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Lethe
Captain
If there were to be another ten 054As for PLAN, that would put the production run in line with Oliver Hazard Perry-class numbers for USN, albeit delivered over a longer timescale. Just saying...
I don't think 054A makes sense anymore. A year ago I might have agreed, but now 054B is proven to be quick to make, fast to enter service. It would be trivial to scale up from here.
054A might be suitable for coast guard duty since it is a matured platform with tools already exists.
054A might be suitable for coast guard duty since it is a matured platform with tools already exists.
MwRYum
Major
054A makes sense in context to the time PLAN wasn't "ocean-going ready" in terms of hardware and size. 054A was their best available option at the time.
We certainly don't know what's 054B is besides a longer hull, different (but unknown) power system, different sensor suites, and going back to 100mm gun that was abandoned due to reliability issue...