Great write up, Bltizo.
Really enjoyed reading it,
I particularly like this comparison image:
055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread
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Really enjoyed reading it,
I particularly like this comparison image:
Great write up, Bltizo.
Really enjoyed reading it,
I particularly like this comparison image:
Thanks Jeff, appreciate it.
Also, credit to the original person who did the comparison (watermark at the bottom of the image, sdwge on cjbdy), and subsequently modified on CDF by hongjian and hmmvw.
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Verum
Junior Member
Can you please show the source for confirmation? By whom? Official Department of Defense? State media? Or just popular defence talk shows?
I don't understand what you mean, is it the existence of the 055 class which you are asking confirmation for, or the fact that it is the next upcoming major surface combatant for the Chinese Navy?
The existence of the 055 class confirmed when the mock up was sighted last year, but it was rumoured by the Chinese military watching community in 2013. If you go to the beginning of this very thread, you can see the initial rumours which progressed to the present state of confirmation. And yes, a number of other government agencies, state media, and non-affiliated media have also reported on the 055 class. Chinese state and military media has acknowledged its existence directly, I believe the USN's ONI report on the Chinese Navy this year also acknowledged it, and a simple search of "055 class" will also reveal a large number of other media sources reporting on it.
The 055 class exists, and this is not a subject of debate.
[Edit: this part of my very post is the basis for the confirmation. "However, in late 2013 more rumours from more reliable sources began to trickle in, with greater detail that looked plausible. Then in early 2014, pictures emerged of a mock up under construction, for what was clearly a large surface combatant, and Chinese state and military media began acknowledging the existence of a new surface combatant and even the 055 designation." -- I am not sure what else you require.]
The fact that the 055 class is the next upcoming major surface combatant class is because we know the Navy will not be developing a new class of surface combatant that can emerge before when the first 055 class is expected to emerge.
If you are questioning the use of the word "confirmed," then I would recommend you read my entry on the rules of PLA watching, which outlines some of the key principles for effective following of the Chinese military:
This entry is even more relevant to your question, because it addresses the importance (and non-importance) of various sources in "confirming" various new developments. Essentially, the point is that "non-official" Chinese language military forums are often the first reliable source for confirming new Chinese military developments, and it takes time for English language media to report them, and when they do report them they may even do so incorrectly.
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If the size comparison is accurate, and type 55 had broadly similar hull form as 052, then i would say there is no way 055 is only 10000 tons. Based on this comparison I'd say the bigger hull would be close to twice the displacement of the smaller hull.Great write up, Bltizo.
Really enjoyed reading it,
I particularly like this comparison image:
Maybe he is asking for confirmation on the term "large destroyer," as opposed to cruiser. But that is just a guess on my part.
Clearly, IMHO, the existence of the program and what the ship will look like have been confirmed with the mock-up at the PLAN On-land facility at Wuhan.
I agree. I personally think the Type 055 is going to be a 12,000 tons vessel, maybe more.
Now, what her full load is versus what her light lad is up for debate.
But I view vessels generally by their full load displacement because that is what they go to see for full operations with.
I think that particular comparison may have exaggerated the bow length of the ship a little, but it also did not increase the beam compared to the mockup, which I think will occur.
The key thing to note is that the mock up is nearly 20m wide and 141m long. However those dimensions are still smaller than the actual ship; the real thing may be up to 3 metres wider, and the mockup is missing half of its bow and a good portion of its flight deck, which cuts off up to 1/5 of its overall actual dimensions.
Given the 052D is probably slightly over 7000 tons in full displacement, if the 055 had dimensions close to what that comparison depicts, then it could be nearly 15,000 tons in full displacement, but seeing as this is the first batch of the class I expect it's full displacement will be a little lower and will not take advantage of the full displacement capacity of the ship's dimensions. Which is part of the reason as why I list the ship's full displacement as "excess of 13,500 tons," rather than "~15,000 tons".
I've written an entry on my site about the 055 class destroyer, briefly going over the ship's history and discussing some of the key characteristics and specifications of the ship that we know about and which we expect, based on reliable rumours over the years and the characteristics of the mock up.
Projection: 055 class destroyer overview
Background:
In early 2013, rumours in the Chinese military watching community began to speak of a new large surface combatant under development for the Chinese Navy, with a tentative designation of 055. General descriptions flitted to and fro, describing a ship with over a hundred VLS with a displacement over 10,000 tons. However such rumours were initially treated with substantial caution if not outright disdain by some individuals in Chinese military watching circles. After all, the 052D class destroyer had only just arrived on the scene, and the lead ship had yet to enter service. A new cruiser sized ship seemed like fantasy.
However, in late 2013 more rumours from more reliable sources began to trickle in, with greater detail that looked plausible. Then in early 2014, pictures emerged of a mock up under construction, for what was clearly a large surface combatant, and Chinese state and military media began acknowledging the existence of a new surface combatant and even the 055 designation.
Construction of a distinctive mockup at the Chinese Navy test facility at Wuhan was discovered in early 2014
Thus the 055 class “large destroyer” (as described in Chinese parlance) was confirmed as the next upcoming major surface combatant for the Chinese Navy.
Great write-up. A very good summary of what is publicly known about 055 destroyer and very reasonable conjecture about its size, tonnage, propulsion, senors and armaments.
By the way, I like your site. Please keep up the good work.
lcloo
Captain
From fzgfzy's prediction for 2016
3. 8 units of type 055 will be built , some will be built in Nansha shipyard in the South.
4. LHA build date is uncertain, could be around 2017.
5. Eight 054AG (G for Gai - upgraded) to be added. 056 production will be continued. Contract for eight 054B (electric propulsion) should have been signed by then (2016)
3. 8 units of type 055 will be built , some will be built in Nansha shipyard in the South.
4. LHA build date is uncertain, could be around 2017.
5. Eight 054AG (G for Gai - upgraded) to be added. 056 production will be continued. Contract for eight 054B (electric propulsion) should have been signed by then (2016)
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asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
So 24 x Type 054A and another 8 units of them before Type 054B appears?
I would expect Type 054B but not so soon the Type 054A programme is a robust one and is doing fine if they continue building
I would expect Type 054B but not so soon the Type 054A programme is a robust one and is doing fine if they continue building
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