PLAN Sovremenny DDG 136, 137, 138 & 139 Thread
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A view of 052D DDG 131 Taiyuan, 054A FFG 601 Nantong, and Sovremenny DDG 139 (Type 956EM) Ningbo from another Sovremenny DDG 136 (Type 956E upgraded) Hangzhou as identified by its rear main gun turret:
Sovremenny DDG 136 Hangzhou firing its rear AK-130 gun:
Shells out of DDG 136's front AK-130 gun barrels:
DDG 136 Firing AK-630 CIWS:
DDG 136 firing chaff/flare rockets (one of the indigenous systems from the recent upgrade):
Type 956EM Sovremenny DDG 139 Ningbo firing its Kashtan CIWS:
Sovremenny DDG 136 Hangzhou firing its rear AK-130 gun:
Shells out of DDG 136's front AK-130 gun barrels:
DDG 136 Firing AK-630 CIWS:
DDG 136 firing chaff/flare rockets (one of the indigenous systems from the recent upgrade):
Type 956EM Sovremenny DDG 139 Ningbo firing its Kashtan CIWS:
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I got no idea what that radar on the back of the 956EM is. My closest suspect is the Pozitiv-ME like here below or an older variant of such. Its a 3D phase array with a range of up to 80km, works in the X-band range and tracks up to 40 targets according to the factory information.
It would have to be for the support of the two Kashtans, doing what the Type 364 does in conjunction with CIWS.
3D radar Pozitiv-ME1.2 is designed to search, detect, classify and track aerial and surface targets. The system can be installed on ships with low or medium displacement and be a part of a multifunctional radar system.
High antenna rotation speed, electronic elevation scanning and special monitoring, lock on and tracking modes and algorithms ensure short time of response, high capacity of the system and issuing of accurate designation data.
It would have to be for the support of the two Kashtans, doing what the Type 364 does in conjunction with CIWS.
3D radar Pozitiv-ME1.2 is designed to search, detect, classify and track aerial and surface targets. The system can be installed on ships with low or medium displacement and be a part of a multifunctional radar system.
High antenna rotation speed, electronic elevation scanning and special monitoring, lock on and tracking modes and algorithms ensure short time of response, high capacity of the system and issuing of accurate designation data.
One thing you will notice about 139 is that they are not waiting for an MLU to fit the ship with indigenous SATCOMs. By extension, we can expect 138 to also already have Chinese SATCOMs.
One bit of trivia is that the Sovremenny class, along with the Udaloy class, are among the last warships in the world to still have full size 533mm torpedo tubes. For the PLAN ships, I don't know if they are using the Russian UGT or SET-65 torpedoes or the YU-6 or YU-9 torpedo. These last photos gives a good view of them.
After the refits 136 and 137 got your typical 324mm light torpedo tubes, and with the shortened length the saved space was given to life rafts.
One bit of trivia is that the Sovremenny class, along with the Udaloy class, are among the last warships in the world to still have full size 533mm torpedo tubes. For the PLAN ships, I don't know if they are using the Russian UGT or SET-65 torpedoes or the YU-6 or YU-9 torpedo. These last photos gives a good view of them.
After the refits 136 and 137 got your typical 324mm light torpedo tubes, and with the shortened length the saved space was given to life rafts.
No, the succeeding Neustrashimyy, Admiral Grigorovich and Gepard class frigates all have full size 533mm torpedo tubes.
The reason why the Russians kept full sized tubes is these tubes are not primarily used for firing torpedoes. Instead they are used for firing long range stand off rocket propelled anti-submarine weapons like the RPK-2 Vyuga (SS-N-15). Unlike comparable weapons such as American VL-ASROC and Chinese CY-5 that fires vertical up from standard shipboard launch silos, the Russian weapon is fired horizontally over the side into the water like a conventional torpedo. Once it is in the water it orients itself into a nose up attitude, fire its rocket motor and take off onto its flight towards the target.
the reason why the Russians used this mode of operation is to enable the exact same weapon to be used by by submarines and surface ships. Submarines continue to use both full sized 533mm tubs and even larger 650mm tubes to allow long range high performance torpedo. So i5 behoves a submarine launched long range anti-submarine rocket to take full advantage of the full sized torpedo tube, In submarine operation it is also fired out of torpedo tube of a submerged submarine, float to the surface, orient itself vertically, and launch itself into its rock propellet trajectory. in surface ship operation, the weapons does exactly the same things, except the torpedo tube is above water.
the reason why the chinese gave up on these full size tubes is probably because RPK-2 is not a standard general issue weapon in Chinese service, and its Chinese equivalent does not use torpedo tubes.
They are from the pre-stealth era.