Corvette/Light frigate thread (056A, sub-4000t FFLs)

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
New thread started for all PLAN corvettes and light frigates, including 056, new designs, and surface combatants under 4000t displacement

Old thread here:

 

ACuriousPLAFan

Brigadier
Registered Member
In conjunction with the recent discovery of a potential new corvette/light frigate for the PLAN:

F_jj2ciW4AAWVG8.jpg

Here's a rough CG illustration on the new corvette/light frigate seen at Southern Liaoning Shipyard, based on what can be observed thus far. Made by @大包CG on Weibo.

A 056A FFL is included alongside for comparison. Although, I don't think he got the size and scaling of the new corvette/light frigate accurately, judging by the satellite photographs that @tshugart3 on Twitter has observed several months ago.

Moreover, due to the lack of concrete details from official/verifiable sources at present, kindly treat the CG illustrations for notional reference purposes only.

008k1Segly1hk4ur8e1kij32bc104gyx.jpg
008k1Segly1hk4ur8f7n9j32bc1047fz.jpg
 
Last edited:

lcloo

Captain
Cropped and enlarged picture of the new corvette. Looks like the raised fore deck behind the main gun has VLS. Also note that the deck's height is quite high compare to type 054A next to it, even after taking into account the high water-line of the new corvette.

F_jj2ciW4AAWVG8.jpg
 

ACuriousPLAFan

Brigadier
Registered Member
Here's the original 056 next to 054A for comparison.
View attachment 121831View attachment 121832

We're not certain if it's even continuation of the same class or a totally new class of ship. Seems it would be unbalanced if they kept the beam of the ship same as type 056. Also could it be an export order?

The new corvette/light frigate does have a wider beam than the 056A (at ~11.1 meters).

F3fntVuWEAEnL5e.jpeg
 

Totoro

Major
VIP Professional
If those 97 by 14 meter estimates are correct, we can sort of deduce its tonnage. Gowind 2500, for example, displaces 2600 t and is 102 m long and has a 16 m beam. But then Meko 100 corvettes are smaller, at 98 m long and 15 m across, and they displace between 2500 and 3000 t, depending on actual models, sensors and weaponry. So, right how, 2500 tons, give or take, seems plausible for this new ship.

It is strange indeed that a ship of this size does not have clear exhaust stack. Intakes could, I guess be simply hidden behind the sensor mast. I can't recall a design this big using waterline exhaust, though. Swedish Visby has it, is also very stealthy but that's a sub 700 t ship.

Plus, I would wager this ship's main role will be ASW warfare. As an OPV it doesn't make any sense. Why invest so much in stealth and why have a VLS if it's just an OPV? For air defense it's clearly too small and also trying to squeeze out a general purpose vessel, antiship missiles included, from such a hull is not productive. I seriously doubt this ship will feature antiship missiles.

But on the other hand, the vls may well be packed with rocket launched stand off torpedos. It may even have a few cells dedicated for anti air missiles, if the sensors allow it. Likely something new and compact then, more compact than HQ16.

If ASW role is prominent, then underwater or even near waterline exhaust is a liability, as it'd make the ship louder.
But if it doesn't have a hangar then we'd be seeing a more normal looking exhaust stack. The fact there is none, makes me believe there is a hangar in there, indispensable for ASW mission.

I guess that, in theory, exhaust could somehow be integrated into the mast, so we simply can't see it from this angle. Kind of like on Gowind 1000. But that design at least forked out the exhaust to left and right of the command bridge. I see many issues with exhaust smoke in practice if the exhaust is really just flush with the mast, at the back of it.

Then again, it's possible this is not a new class at all, but a sole test and demonstrator ship. To test a myriad of possible things. In which case most bets are off, design wise.
 

sheogorath

Major
Registered Member
The rised deck for the VLS could suggest it could take strike lenght versions of it. It is quite deep compared to the 054 next to it
 
  • Like
Reactions: pkj
Top