055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread

[AssassinsMace]

Guys I'll explain why the above photos are excessively flooded with watermarks.

There's great amount of rivalry and hatred between CDF and HSH forum. And it started off because some members in CDF re-posted HSH's photos but removed the watermark. Later on even the super moderators start to step in and accuse the other party, and it got so bad between them such that nowadays even mentioning the other forum's name will get your account banned or deleted.

It reminds me how you find Chinese paintings covered in the seals of the owners. For Chinese art that in itself adds value because you see who was in possession. For the internet it's become worthless except if you want to get the news first you go to that site.

 

[15 year old]

I think China really wants a type 055 class ship but its current existing engine problems prevent it from doing so. Lots of Chinese military experts are speculating that the PLAN wanted the type 055 after the 052C but had to settle for the 052D because of technology issues.

 

[Blitzo]

I think China really wants a type 055 class ship but its current existing engine problems prevent it from doing so. Lots of Chinese military experts are speculating that the PLAN wanted the type 055 after the 052C but had to settle for the 052D because of technology issues.

I doubt it.

052C hulls 3-6, 052D and 055 are all powered by QC-280, if engines were the bottle neck we wouldn't have seen 052Ds at all.

I suspect they went for 052D due to a combination of waiting for new technologies for 055, as well as using a gradual evolutionary approach to have subsystems like the VLS, main gun, radar, and yes, engines, on a smaller existing hull first instead of rushing to flood a new hull with all new tech.
Also, there is the time factor, where PLAN knew they wanted to retire some older 051s during this decade and needed a destroyer to replace them — but 055 was too many years away so they needed a "gap filler" (of course, 052D is one of the world's most competent DDGs but still). 055 was not only far too large to replace 051s, but I doubt they were able to afford skipping 052D and buying all 055s instead.


So overall, while I sure the PLAN looked at having 055 after 052C, I think the cost, fleet retirement and time factors, as well as technological maturity of differing subsystems made. 052D a much more sensible choice and in fact the only choice.

 

[15 year old]

ugh the 055 isn't even out yet so how do u know it is powered by QC-280?

 

[Blitzo]

ugh the 055 isn't even out yet so how do u know it is powered by QC-280?

Because that is what everyone says, and it is (sourced from) the same people who said 052C and 052D are also powered by QC-280.

What else can power 055, or rather, what else do they need to power 055? QC-280 has enough output for a ship of the size we are talking about. More importantly, we've heard of no other gas turbine in development that will be able to fill the need 055 would have.

And just because a ship is "out" doesn't mean we are immediately able to ID the type of propulsion it uses. It isn't like "oh, 052D hull 1 was finally launched, and we can see that it is obviously using QC-280," nope we garner that information before 052D is launched from other sources. Most of the time we get a good idea about the kind of propulsion, weapons and sensor fit on a ship well before we see its physical form. Indeed only looking at a ship without knowing anything else is arguably the most useless way of trying to ID the kind of propulsion it has, so whether 055 is "out" or not doesn't have any bearing on our knowledge of its propulsion.

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Conversely, what kind of chinese military experts are you talking about who say "current existing engine problems" prevented the PLAN from moving to 055?

 

[AssassinsMace]

Ever hear that a "China expert" is an oxymoron? I'd say the so-called experts have been wrong about China 90% of the time. When there were only 2 52Cs, I remember similar things being said.

 

[15 year old]

Because that is what everyone says, and it is (sourced from) the same people who said 052C and 052D are also powered by QC-280.

What else can power 055, or rather, what else do they need to power 055? QC-280 has enough output for a ship of the size we are talking about. More importantly, we've heard of no other gas turbine in development that will be able to fill the need 055 would have.

And just because a ship is "out" doesn't mean we are immediately able to ID the type of propulsion it uses. It isn't like "oh, 052D hull 1 was finally launched, and we can see that it is obviously using QC-280," nope we garner that information before 052D is launched from other sources. Most of the time we get a good idea about the kind of propulsion, weapons and sensor fit on a ship well before we see its physical form. Indeed only looking at a ship without knowing anything else is arguably the most useless way of trying to ID the kind of propulsion it has, so whether 055 is "out" or not doesn't have any bearing on our knowledge of its propulsion.

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Conversely, what kind of chinese military experts are you talking about who say "current existing engine problems" prevented the PLAN from moving to 055?

I saw it on a Chinese forum.

 

[Blitzo]

I saw it on a Chinese forum.

Well, that narrows it down.

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Although I think I know what you might be talking about, it might be one of pop3's recent posts, which implied 055 may displace less than we thought, possibly leading to a cascade of people reflecting on propulsion issues even if it doesn't quite make sense.

 

[xiabonan]

Well, that narrows it down.

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Although I think I know what you might be talking about, it might be one of pop3's recent posts, which implied 055 may displace less than we thought, possibly leading to a cascade of people reflecting on propulsion issues even if it doesn't quite make sense.

POP3's original words are "……the current size is already a result of several successive trimming down……"

This made people think that it's less than 12000, maybe at 9000, but according to other guys (super moderators, heavy weights who know POP3 personally), what he meant was that 12,000 tonnes displacement is already a result of successive trimming downs....original design was somewhere around 20,000 tonnes.

Also, propulsion shouldn't be much of an issue for the navy--at least much less an issue as compared with Air Force. QC280 is pretty matured by now and shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Blitzo]

My train of thought exactly regarding the engines — QC-280should be a mature and known quantity, and they've produced them en masse successively for 052C and 052D so it shouldn't be an issue for 055

Could you link to a part where moderators thought pop3 meant size trimming down was from 20,000tons?
The idea of PLAN considering a 20,000ton monster is eyebrow raising, but if it really was "trimmed down" from that much then the 12,000 ton mark - hell the 13,500 ton mark even - would be easily plausible.