DDG-172, Kunming
March 21, 2014
The Chinese Navy commissioned the first of class, Type 052D, destroyer, DDG-172, Kunming, on March 21, 2014. This is a new class of destroyer that is a significant upgrade over the Type 052C, Lanzhou Class, destroyers that the Chinese have finished building six of. The Lanzho Class was Chinas first true multi-rile, wide area defense destroyer employing a sophisticated battle management system, Phased Array Radars, and Vertical Launch missile systems. That earlier class had 48 cells for surface to air missile to defend a large group ships (like a carrier battle group) against air attack from aircraft or missiles.
The Type 052D Class, or Kunming Class, has been upgraded significantly. This vessel employs 64 cells of vertical launch missiles that are capable of launching anti-air missiles, anti-surface missiles, or anti-submarine missiles from the same cells, similar to the US Navy Mk-41 Vertical Launch System. In addition, the vessel sports a new main gun, a 130mm dual purpose gun supposedly capable of firing extended range munitions. Critically, the vessel is also fitted with larger and more powerful Active Phased Array Radars (APARS) over the Lanzhou Class, which will undoubtedly have longer range, and may well have better discrimination and resolution over their earlier APARS.
In addition, rather than two 30mm Close in Weapon System (CIWS) guns, the Kunming carrier a CIWS gun forward, but now has a 24-missile launcher, the FL-3000N, aft, over the helicopter hanger deck for close in missile defense. This system, also deployed on the Chinese aircraft carrier, Liaoning, CV-16, appears to be the equivalent of the US Navy RAM missile system.
With these improvements, the Chinese Navy, with the Kunming Class, are approaching parity with the US Navy systems deployed on the AEGIS Destroyers of the Arleigh Burke Class...though the Chinese vessels are 2,000 tons lighter and less heavily armed.
Here are pictures from the commissioning of the vessel.
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The second in class, the DDG-172, Changsha, is preparing for sea trials and should also be commissioned later this year.
The third in class was launched last year and is currently fitting out. The fourth in class is about to be launched for fitting out. The fifth in class in under construction, with the modular pieces of the sixth in class ready to go into the Chinese construction facilities. It is expected that the Chinese will build at least twelve of these very capable vessles, and perhaps as many as 18. With the previous six Lanzhou Class, this will give the PLAN eighteen very capable, very modern destroyers of this type. They also have eleven or twelve other modern detroyers of different classes.
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When you consider this in light of the twenty very capable and very modern Type 054A Frigates that have built over the last five years, and the twenty Type 056 modern corvettes they have built in the last two years, with another twenty of those slated to be built, the rapid expansion, growth, and modernization of the Chinese Navy is a significant occurance, with broad impact in the western Pacific.
Specifications for the Kunming Class follow:
Designation: DDG
Displacement: 7,400 tons (Full Load)
Length: 505 ft (154m)
Beam: 56 ft (17m)
Draft: 20 ft (6m)
Propulsion: 2 QC-280, CODOG, two shafts
Speed: 32 knots
Range: est. 6,000 nautical miles @20 knots
Crew: 280
Helicopter(: 1 KA-27 ASW, Pad & Hanger
Sensors:
- Unknown APARs
- Radars 517H1, Sea Soul, TR-47C, OT-3 EO
- Unknown sonar
Armament:
- 32 cell VLS fore
- 32 cell VLS aft
- 1 X 130mm DP Gun
- 1 X Type 730 30mm CIWS
- 1 X FL-3000N launcher (24 missiles)
- 4 X 18 ASW MLRS
- 2 X 3 YU-7 Torpedoes
CHINESE AND INDIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER EXERCISE LINKS:
1ST CHINESE CARRIER BATTLE GROUP EXERCISES
INDIAN NAVY CONDUCTS JOINT AIRCRAFT CARRIER EXERCISES
OTHER LINKS OF INTEREST:
THE RISING SEA DRAGON IN ASIA
WORLD-WIDE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
AEGIS & AEGIS-LIKE VESSELS OF THE WORLD
US NAVY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
US NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER MUSEUMS
US NAVY STATION NORFOLK