055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread

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by78

by78

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@Iron Man, check out the full-resolution photos, and as far as I can see, the side panels are indeed radomes. Perhaps you can spot the intakes elsewhere in the photos.
 
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Totoro

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But what sort of role could such positioned arrays have? They are fixed, covering only the sides. Is the ship really expected to make a turn to utilize them?

Plus, are they two separate radars? With one being a bit smaller than the main ship array? And the other being longer? Or do they somehow make up a single distributed array? But if so, why would one be almost twice as long as the other one?

Alternatively, if they are el. Emission receivers only, does their location make sense not covering the front? Are other receiver sensors around the world this large? Array Size usually equates to sensitivity and resolution, but elint platforms are usuaLly sporting smaller arrays...
 
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Tam

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Totoro said:
But what sort of role could such positioned arrays have? They are fixed, covering only the sides. Is the ship really expected to make a turn to utilize them?
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Most likely defensive ECM directed at attacking missiles. That's what I would think of would be the best place to put in the ship, given that it doesn't have branches on the mast to put them, which is usually where ECM is put. ECM needs to be side directed since this is where anti ship missiles would be coming from.

Plus, are they two separate radars? With one being a bit smaller than the main ship array? And the other being longer? Or do they somehow make up a single distributed array? But if so, why would one be almost twice as long as the other one?

Alternatively, if they are el. Emission receivers only, does their location make sense not covering the front? Are other receiver sensors around the world this large? Array Size usually equates to sensitivity and resolution, but elint platforms are usuaLly sporting smaller arrays...
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Radar receivers need to be all directional, and would look like cylinders. The best place to put them here would be on the kebab stick that are shooting up over the superstructure mast. Typically RWRs are placed on the side branches on the mast along with the ECM but the Type 055 has eliminated these branches.
 
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Totoro

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Ecm against missiles' seeker doesn't make sense to me, considering the size of the arrays and likely wavelengths involved.

However, stand off ecm platform that is geared against larger aerial radars, possibly up to UHF, as used by the E2, meant to temporsrily blind the tracking abilities of the enemy, does sound plausible, if not likely.

So part of the fleet would stay mostly static, in the background and keep the arrays of one 055 turned to the enemy. During that time, other part of the fleet may try to come closer to the end enemy, hoping it is somewhat protected by the powerful stand off jamming.

Certainly no plane could hope to create enough power to jam in similar fashion, nor stay present long enough.

One of many Questions to that idea would be: why can't the radar arrays be used for jamming as well? Could such separate arrays be justified just for that part of the spectrum up to UHF?

Though, if anyone would be prepared to use 055 as stand off jammer, then perhaps even a radar role isn't out of the question. Used defensively, near Chinese coast, espcially if part of more numerous force, such 055 could very well afford not to turn around to scan but mostly just sail up and down the coast, 100 or 200 km away from coast, looking for stealthy targets and giving the coastline another buffer of protection or extra warning time...

Ultimately, all these are just fan theories that may well be pure fiction. I fear it may be years before we learn of real purpose of those panels ...
 
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Tam

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Totoro said:
Ecm against missiles' seeker doesn't make sense to me, considering the size of the arrays and likely wavelengths involved.
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If referring to the possible array under the bridge wing, that position would make perfect sense as a defensive ECM against incoming missiles. But you are also correct that the arrays are way too big to be ECM just against missile seekers, which operate on X-band and would not require such a large array.

However, stand off ecm platform that is geared against larger aerial radars, possibly up to UHF, as used by the E2, meant to temporsrily blind the tracking abilities of the enemy, does sound plausible, if not likely.

So part of the fleet would stay mostly static, in the background and keep the arrays of one 055 turned to the enemy. During that time, other part of the fleet may try to come closer to the end enemy, hoping it is somewhat protected by the powerful stand off jamming.
Click to expand...

Could be one array there, or multiple arrays there that allow for simultaneous receive and transmit for different bands, that can be directed at multiple air targets at the same time. But this is hypothetical. We don't know. We only have fan theory now.


Certainly no plane could hope to create enough power to jam in similar fashion, nor stay present long enough.

One of many Questions to that idea would be: why can't the radar arrays be used for jamming as well? Could such separate arrays be justified just for that part of the spectrum up to UHF?
Click to expand...

You can, particularly if the radar is an AESA, and you have the software for it. There are limitations. You can only attempt to jam or spoof against the target that has the same band. The Type 346A radars would be working at S band, and you cannot use that against a missile seeker running at X band. You can only use that against other S-band sources, like search aircraft or ships using their search radar. Against a missile, you would have to rely on the smaller X band AESA radars on the ship, which I suspect are the ones on top of the mast but you can be using these for something else, namely tracking that missile and other threats, or these radars can be used as fire control for other systems. Using your radars for ECM means your radars are not doing something else, something that they were meant for, which is one way of seeing it.

Though, if anyone would be prepared to use 055 as stand off jammer, then perhaps even a radar role isn't out of the question. Used defensively, near Chinese coast, espcially if part of more numerous force, such 055 could very well afford not to turn around to scan but mostly just sail up and down the coast, 100 or 200 km away from coast, looking for stealthy targets and giving the coastline another buffer of protection or extra warning time...

Ultimately, all these are just fan theories that may well be pure fiction. I fear it may be years before we learn of real purpose of those panels ...
Click to expand...

Its an interesting theory.
 
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Blitzo

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by78 said:
More close-ups. Full-resolution versions with unprecedented details are linked.

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43816241581_cfffa2971d_k.jpg
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I just noticed that we can see the gas turbine smokestack/funnels letting out hot exhausts in that pic, not sure if anyone else has already pointed it out.

looks like they're testing the powerplant
 
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