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[charles18]

Do we know if there has been any information on the Chinese naval research institutes developing large-diameter VLS cells (LVLS) for use on major PLAN surface combatants in the future?
...
So what do you guys think? Feel free to comment and/or rectify.

I'm not an engineer but here is what my "gut feeling" tells me. Aside from the dimensions of a ship, here are some other variables that need to be included if you want to add more missiles or bigger missiles / bigger VLS cells.

1) weight and balance - a ship's weight distribution must be split 50 / 50 in the front and back or else the ship will not be level. If you're going to carry larger missiles (presumably in the front), this weight must be balanced.

2) structural integrity - when a missile is fired it will produce stress and vibrations on the ship. Larger missile == more stress

3) survivability - if your ship takes a hit from an enemy missile, is this going to trigger the explosives and missiles on board? I hope not.....or else! If you're carrying larger / more missiles this issue needs to be addressed.

Here's my 2 cents:
I believe the PLA-navy will put larger missiles / larger VLS cells on some of their ships, the Type 055 will be a good candidate.

 

[Heliox]

I'm not an engineer but here is what my "gut feeling" tells me. Aside from the dimensions of a ship, here are some other variables that need to be included if you want to add more missiles or bigger missiles / bigger VLS cells.

1) weight and balance - a ship's weight distribution must be split 50 / 50 in the front and back or else the ship will not be level. If you're going to carry larger missiles (presumably in the front), this weight must be balanced.

2) structural integrity - when a missile is fired it will produce stress and vibrations on the ship. Larger missile == more stress

3) survivability - if your ship takes a hit from an enemy missile, is this going to trigger the explosives and missiles on board? I hope not.....or else! If you're carrying larger / more missiles this issue needs to be addressed.

Here's my 2 cents:
I believe the PLA-navy will put larger missiles / larger VLS cells on some of their ships, the Type 055 will be a good candidate.

Your gut feeling is .... wrong?

1) Weight and balance - the missile weight in a 32 cell VLS is at most 50 tons. If you expend the entire magazine, you are now suddenly lighter by 50 tons, in a typically 3,000-5,000 ton vessel. Of course the smaller the vessel, the larger the proportion but you're still looking at a very small fraction of total ship displacement. Something easily corrected by trimming the ballast tanks inherent in all ship designs.

2) Structural integrity - Largely a non-issue given most of it is vented (ie. deflected and not fully absorbed by the ship structure). Totally non-issue if cold-launch

3) Survivability - VLS actually increases survivability by compartmentalising each missile in separate containers that are typically armoured and with damage control systems built in (eg. sprinklers or flooding). This helps control sympathetic deflagration/detonation from adjacent missiles. Compare to older arm missile launchers where the magazine contained all missiles in one unified "container".

The 2c take ... large missiles are typically long(er). The installation constrained is limited by the ability to sink long VLS cells into a hull of sufficient size-draft, hence longer length VLS cells tend to be found in larger vessels. Bigger-wider cells for bigger-wider missiles (with length being equal) tends to affect your cell count but not your ability to actually install said VLS cell.

 

[charles18]

Do we know if there has been any information on the Chinese naval research institutes developing large-diameter VLS cells (LVLS) for use on major PLAN surface combatants in the future?
.....
So what do you guys think? Feel free to comment and/or rectify.

This is not a specific reply to the technical details you mentioned. This is an answer to a more generalized question, "Would larger anti-ship missiles on PLA-navy ships make sense, especially for the Type 055?" The short answer is Yes.

The long answer is we have to juggle a half a dozen variables:
1. cost
2. size
3. lethality
4. vulnerability
5. range
6. speed
The most important point to understand is, **You can't have your cake and eat it (too)** An advantage in one area is guaranteed to create a disadvantage in another. Anybody who cannot admit to this is most likely a Troll.
For example:
A faster moving missile is going to have to sacrifice some range because it must push against greater air resistance.
A larger warhead will make a missile more lethal, but it will also increase the size so that means less missiles can be carried per ship.
A missile with a bigger fuel tank and bigger warhead will give you better range, speed, and lethality, but at what cost?
The more money you spend on the navy the less you have for the army and air force. You get the idea.
Large missiles are equally vulnerable as small missiles. If the enemy shoots down your big missile, you just lost big money. You would of been better off shooting a smaller, less expensive missile.

Having said all that I believe the PLA-navy is going to fit larger VLS cells onto the Type 055, most likely in the front. What are the tech specs going to be?.....You know more than me. My gut feeling tells me this is part of the plan all along, they just never announced it. Why do I believe this? The Type 055 seems *suspiciously* a little bigger than necessary if it's sole purpose was to act as an air defense destroyer.

 

[THX 1138]

I'm looking for a list of

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and

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currently in service with the PLA.

Are the ones from Wikipedia considered reasonably accurate?

 

[Michaelsinodef]

Having said all that I believe the PLA-navy is going to fit larger VLS cells onto the Type 055, most likely in the front. What are the tech specs going to be?.....You know more than me. My gut feeling tells me this is part of the plan all along, they just never announced it. Why do I believe this? The Type 055 seems *suspiciously* a little bigger than necessary if it's sole purpose was to act as an air defense destroyer.

There is no need to speculate or believe by now.

It's basically already 'confirmed' (there's already 'official video confirmation') by now that there's bigger missiles, very likely hypersonic ones as well, that is being fitted within those bigger VLS cells.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

It's basically already 'confirmed' (there's already 'official video confirmation') by now that there's bigger missiles, very likely hypersonic ones as well, that is being fitted within those bigger VLS cells.

Do you have the link to the video? And do you mean YJ-21, or some even bigger missiles in the future?

 

[grulle]

what is the typical load in terms of fuel and weapons of the J15 operating from the Shandong? 50% fuel and 50% max weapons?

 

[THX 1138]

what is the typical load in terms of fuel and weapons of the J15 operating from the Shandong? 50% fuel and 50% max weapons?

I think it would depend on the J-15's launch position aboard the Shandong. The long runway basically allows the J-15 to take off at maximum weight. The two shorter runways put strict limitations on the takeoff weight.

You can read more about it in this old thread.

 

[Feima]

This is a photo request. By convention, western warships have their name plates mounted near the stern of the ship, on both sides of the hull. I assume PLAN warships are the same. I've never seen a picture of a PLAN ship with its name plate though. Anyone has a photo or three to share? Prefer Liaoning, Shandong, or one of the 055, but any PLAN ship will do. TIA!

 

[lcloo]

This is a photo request. By convention, western warships have their name plates mounted near the stern of the ship, on both sides of the hull. I assume PLAN warships are the same. I've never seen a picture of a PLAN ship with its name plate though. Anyone has a photo or three to share? Prefer Liaoning, Shandong, or one of the 055, but any PLAN ship will do. TIA!

PLA Navy do not use such Western way of having name plates mounted as you described.