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Totoro

Major
VIP Professional
There's been a clear trend of fewer ships being launched in most recent years though.
Back in 2019, as far as I can tell, these ships/nuke subs were launched:
2 055
8 052D
17 056A
1 071
1 075
1 094

Then in 2020 these were launched:
2 055
1 052D
1 075

And now in 2021 these have been launched:
4 054A
1 075
There doesn't seem to be any more building that could be launched before the end of 2021.


So the total tonnage has been dropping quite a bit.
Those smaller shipyards, as we saw, focused on export vessels.
Shanghai shipyard seems to have focused their workforce on the carrier being built.
But that doesn't explain the Dalian shipyard, which seems to have not received any orders
from the Chinese government to build new ships in recent years.

And we also didn't see many ships starting to get built either, so aside for the 003 carrier and some 054A frigates, and possibly the first nuke submarine of new class, the year 2022 isn't shaping up to be productive in the number of launched ships either.

Do correct my numbers if possible.
 

Michaelsinodef

Senior Member
Registered Member
There's been a clear trend of fewer ships being launched in most recent years though.
Back in 2019, as far as I can tell, these ships/nuke subs were launched:
2 055
8 052D
17 056A
1 071
1 075
1 094

Then in 2020 these were launched:
2 055
1 052D
1 075

And now in 2021 these have been launched:
4 054A
1 075
There doesn't seem to be any more building that could be launched before the end of 2021.


So the total tonnage has been dropping quite a bit.
Those smaller shipyards, as we saw, focused on export vessels.
Shanghai shipyard seems to have focused their workforce on the carrier being built.
But that doesn't explain the Dalian shipyard, which seems to have not received any orders
from the Chinese government to build new ships in recent years.

And we also didn't see many ships starting to get built either, so aside for the 003 carrier and some 054A frigates, and possibly the first nuke submarine of new class, the year 2022 isn't shaping up to be productive in the number of launched ships either.

Do correct my numbers if possible.
I think we might see another 'peak' around 2023 and 2024 with a lot of the newly ordered 052s and 055s being completed there (I believe there was another quite big order of them for the 2021-2025 5 year plan).
 

AndrewS

Brigadier
Registered Member
My guess is the naval budget is focused on the carriers and nuclear submarines. The surface fleet combatants are likely being redesigned.

I think nuclear submarines in the middle of a huge expansion in terms of construction.
Carriers less so, because they need to build and then test out the EMALs first.

In the current 2021-2025 year plan, I reckon blue-water surface combatants is:

20 Type-054A
1+ Type-054B
20 Type-052D
8 Type-055
1 Carrier

That is only a little less than the previous 2016-2020 plan
 

Overbom

Brigadier
Registered Member
I think nuclear submarines in the middle of a huge expansion in terms of construction.
Carriers less so, because they need to build and then test out the EMALs first.

In the current 2021-2025 year plan, I reckon blue-water surface combatants is:

20 Type-054A
1+ Type-054B
20 Type-052D
8 Type-055
1 Carrier

That is only a little less than the previous 2016-2020 plan
How about type 075?

And what about type 076, do you think we will see it in this before or after 2025?
 

AndrewS

Brigadier
Registered Member
How about type 075?

And what about type 076, do you think we will see it in this before or after 2025?

Well, the rumours are another 5 Type-075.

But personally, I would get a Type-076 into the water asap because I think they are more useful.

If the Type-076 works, you get most of the capability of a Type-075 plus the option to use a Type-076 to support the fleet carriers with catapult launched drones

It's currently taking about 7 months to assemble a Type-075, plus you've got the module fabrication and then outfitting
 

Xizor

Captain
Registered Member
Well, the rumours are another 5 Type-075.

But personally, I would get a Type-076 into the water asap because I think they are more useful.

If the Type-076 works, you get most of the capability of a Type-075 plus the option to use a Type-076 to support the fleet carriers with catapult launched drones

It's currently taking about 7 months to assemble a Type-075, plus you've got the module fabrication and then outfitting
Has China demonstrated UAV operations from a ship, atleast atop a Carrier? I don't think 076 has completed its design and development. More importantly, I don't think we have information about Carrier capable UAV development.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
There's been a clear trend of fewer ships being launched in most recent years though.
Back in 2019, as far as I can tell, these ships/nuke subs were launched:
2 055
8 052D
17 056A
1 071
1 075
1 094

Then in 2020 these were launched:
2 055
1 052D
1 075

And now in 2021 these have been launched:
4 054A
1 075
There doesn't seem to be any more building that could be launched before the end of 2021.


So the total tonnage has been dropping quite a bit.
Those smaller shipyards, as we saw, focused on export vessels.
Shanghai shipyard seems to have focused their workforce on the carrier being built.
But that doesn't explain the Dalian shipyard, which seems to have not received any orders
from the Chinese government to build new ships in recent years.

And we also didn't see many ships starting to get built either, so aside for the 003 carrier and some 054A frigates, and possibly the first nuke submarine of new class, the year 2022 isn't shaping up to be productive in the number of launched ships either.

Do correct my numbers if possible.

Your numbers are correct as far as I can see (except for submarines, because we have no idea what submarines have been built), but new ships are ordered and built in batches, and the "lack" of 055s and 052Ds launched in the last year or so is a reflection of one set of orders being completed and another ramping up.


But you are also coming from this the wrong direction.
We have rumours from the last year or so that the 14th five year plan is one of the biggest if not the biggest cycles of new ship orders in PLAN history, with orders for both 055 and 052D.
I suspect it will not be long until we see the modules for those ships begin to appear.


In other words, I wouldn't call what you described a "trend" because in the context of naval procurement and long lead items like warships, the trend is better viewed in spans of a decade or two rather than 2-3 years.
 
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