• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

2500-ton Light Frigate

This newly built fully stealthy warship is probably a Littoral Combat Ship wiwth Chinese Characterisitcs Undder Modern Conditions. Some people say it is a new type of light frigate, which is true; some people say it is used to replace the 054A, which is a bit "nonsense"; but some people say it is the Chinese version of the Littoral Combat Ship, and I raise my hand to agree! The reason is simple. Although the U.S. littoral combat ship failed, it was a failure in armament technology rather than a failure in development concepts. Because any naval power must not only fight a decisive battle in the oceans, but also complete control of the coastal area. And most of the time, this coastal area is not even its own coastal area, but the enemy's coastal area. Around 2011, while my country was building the 054A frigate on a large scale, it also started construction of a light frigate, the Type 056 frigate. The Type 056 frigate has a tonnage of more than 1,000 tons. It has a simple design and simple configuration. It was built and put into service in our country within about ten years. Up to 72 056 series frigates. The 056 series frigates are divided into the 056 basic type and the 056A upgraded version. The upgraded version 056A has enhanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities. However, after the large-scale construction of the 056 series frigates was just completed, all 22 basic type 056s were decommissioned from the Navy and handed over to the Coast Guard in 2021. For a long time, all naval powers have intentionally or unintentionally ignored the importance of littoral operations. After all, everyone believes that after winning a decisive battle in the ocean, all that is left is to deliver amphibious forces or launch cruise missiles to attack enemies in depth. However, the fact is by no means that simple, because coastal areas will be a "high threat challenge" faced by naval powers. Do not believe? Then let’s review the warships of powerful naval forces that were sunk or damaged by bombings in coastal areas. Suspected new domestically produced littoral combat ship First up is the USS Stark, a Perry-class frigate of the United States Navy. Although this frigate with a displacement of 4,100 tons is equipped with Standard-1 anti-aircraft missiles, it was attacked by Iraqi fighter jets with two "Exocetus" anti-ship missiles in the Gulf area, blasting a hole of more than 20 square meters on its hull. mouth, the ship's hull tilted severely due to water intrusion. Fortunately, it was eventually towed back to the base for repairs and was not "sunk" by Iraq. Comparative effect of suspected new domestically produced littoral combat ship and existing ships In the 1982 Anglo-Arama Island War, the British Navy's Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield, HMS Coventry, and two Type 21 "Admiral" class frigates were successively sunk by Argentina. Of course, the method used by Argentina It is also the fighter jet that launches the "Exocet" anti-ship missile. Some people say that if this is the case, we only need to enhance the air defense capabilities of warships operating in coastal areas. Do we need to build specialized littoral combat ships? Let's look down. The hit "Perry" class frigate Then came the 1991 Gulf War. In this war, the Iraqi army was helpless in the face of the US-led allied forces, let alone the Iraqi navy, which did not even have decent warships. The Iraqi Navy not only has no destroyers, but also a few frigates. As soon as the US aircraft carrier formation presses forward, the Iraqi Navy says "goodbye". However, even with such a huge disparity, Iraq still damaged a US cruiser and an amphibious assault ship, namely the cruiser "Princeton" and the amphibious assault ship "Tripoli". The way Iraq completed its attack was very simple, which was to lay mines and then wait for the US warships to hit the mines. Yes, it's that simple. Comparison between suspected new domestically produced littoral combat ship and existing ships Then there is the war between Russia and Ukraine in recent years. The landing ship of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet was attacked and injured multiple times by Ukrainian unmanned speedboats. Even the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the guided missile cruiser "Moscow", exploded and sank for no apparent reason. There are many theories, such as being attacked by Ukrainian shore-based anti-ship missiles, attacked by Ukrainian drones, attacked by Ukrainian unmanned speedboats, and accidentally causing a fire, etc. All in all, this 10,500-ton "Glorious" class cruiser was buried in the coastal area of ??the Black Sea. Comparison between suspected new domestically produced littoral combat ship and existing ships At this point, we have to mention the United States’ understanding of operations in coastal areas. When the United States developed the Littoral Combat Ship, it was at a time when the "sea-to-land" strategy was in vogue. The United States believes that the ocean occupies 75% of the world, and more than 70% of the world's population, economy, and resources are concentrated in coastal areas; for 99% of countries, defending against enemies in coastal areas is also an important part of their maritime combat systems. construction method. For example, many countries have built "air-submarine speed" systems, as well as deploying mines and relying on shore-based missiles to defend against enemies. Therefore, it is not enough for a naval power to simply annihilate the enemy's navy at sea. It must find ways to extend its combat power to land through coastal areas. Littoral combat ship interior layout Under the guidance of such a theory, the technical requirements for littoral combat ships are: high stealth capability, high-speed maneuverability, air defense, anti-speedboat, anti-frogman, ability to launch cruise missiles or anti-tank missiles; and multi-purpose capabilities, such as Coastal mine countermeasures, anti-submarine, and amphibious delivery capabilities. This amphibious delivery is limited to the small team level. For example, a small boat can be released from the stern of the ship, a small Marine team can be delivered, go ashore to perform some temporary tasks, and return quickly after completion. These temporary tasks include destroying enemy coastal missile sites, radar bases, warehouses, transportation facilities, etc. It can be seen that the littoral combat ship needs to have the following characteristics: fully enclosed, fully stealthy, high speed, small tonnage, and capable of air defense, anti-ship, anti-submarine, mine sweeping, amphibious team delivery and temporary dock capabilities. In order to meet the above requirements, the United States developed the Independence-class and Freedom-class littoral combat ships. Comparison between suspected new domestically produced littoral combat ship and existing ships The topic turns back to China's brand new warship. It is expected to have a tonnage of about 2,000 tons and is designed to be high-speed. It is fully stealthy, and even the chimney has been changed to underwater smoke exhaust to reduce infrared signatures. It is equipped with a 76 mm caliber stealth rapid-fire naval gun and anti-aircraft missiles. The vertical launch device may even have the ability to launch ground-attack cruise missiles and sub-super combined anti-ship missiles; it has a huge stern platform that can carry not only helicopters, but also about 2 small boats with personnel. Delivery, mine countermeasures, mine laying, anti-submarine and other capabilities. Littoral combat ship interior layout In future operations across the Taiwan Strait, we will also face pressure from a large number of activities, cruises, and operations in coastal areas. The tasks of anti-drone, air and missile defense, ground strikes, mine clearance, and amphibious team delivery also require specialized personnel. The warship is completed. Neither 056 nor 054A is suitable for this role. In addition, even in ocean operations, we still need to use the concept of "distributed operations" to develop some simple, stealth, and high-speed platforms equipped with different mission packages, such as anti-ship mission packages, air defense mission packages, etc., to complete different tasks. rapid combat mission.

Why is China building a littoral combat ship? Aiming for a decisive battle in the Taiwan Strait and competing in the ocean 2023-11-24 09:35:28 Source: Divine Bird Watching this new frigate is much larger than the "Visby" class stealth frigate, because the ship is next to a Type 054A frigate. Through comparison, it can be seen that although the length of the ship's hull is lower than that of the 054A, the height of the mast is It is only a little lower than the 054A. Comparing the previous pictures of the 056A and the 054A parked together, it can be seen that this new frigate is much larger than the 056A. It is estimated that its displacement will be more than 2,000 tons. Another feature of the ship is that the superstructure is relatively high. This design may be to design a ship-based helicopter hangar to compensate for the lack of a hangar for the 056A. This frigate has a large platform behind the main gun and in front of the cockpit. If it is to carry a close-in defense gun, it does not need such a large platform, so this area will most likely be equipped with a vertical launch system. In addition, the chimney of the ship is not found in the photo, so this new stealth frigate may adopt an all-electric propulsion system. Judging from the photos, the construction of the ship is almost complete, and the painting has been completed. However, the upper hull number has not been painted yet. Only the stern of the ship still shows signs of construction. The strange thing is that the construction of this brand-new frigate has been completed, but no news has been revealed before. So will this be a foreign trade ship? The author believes that this can basically be denied. In the past, foreign trade ships built by our country for other countries would be disclosed during the signing of the contract. After all, this is business, and disclosing information is equivalent to promoting oneself. There is no need to hide it. But at present There is no news or proof that the ship is a foreign trade ship. In addition, judging from the painting, this is a typical Chinese naval ship painting. Therefore, this frigate can basically be determined to be a self-use ship of the navy. Overall, the tonnage of the ship is between 054A and 056A. The weapon configuration is much higher than that of 056A, but the cost must still be lower than 054A. In addition, the ship may be designed with a hangar that can accommodate Z-9C carrier-based helicopters. , the anti-submarine capability will also be significantly higher than that of the 056A. The design mission of such a light frigate with improved firepower but controllable cost must still be preventive patrols in mid-to-offshore waters, which is similar to the U.S. Navy's Littoral Warship and our Navy's Type 056A frigate. positioning, but the entire weapon configuration, shipboard system modernization and reliability of such a brand-new frigate far exceed that of the US Navy's littoral warship. The emergence of this new stealth frigate is a big surprise for us. my country's first 054B was just launched in August. Only three months later, another new frigate was launched again. The launch of this new frigate Not only does it mean that our navy's offshore combat capabilities will be comprehensively strengthened, but it also reflects that our country has simply "opened up the six channels of Rendu" in the development of modern ships. It is even more difficult for other countries to design and build a brand new ship, and it is even more difficult for other countries to design and build a brand new ship. China can design and build brand-new frigates in a short period of time as needed. This is a perfect reflection of our country's strong shipbuilding system and advanced technology.

Stealthy New Warship Design Emerging At Shipyard In China Alex Luck

China Reveals New Warship We've Never Seen Before Eurasia Naval Insight

Announce it to the world! China's new stealth frigate was born, equipped with a fully stealthy naval gun! 2023-11-24 09:50:47 Source: Qunjie Zhijia

Liaonan, also known as Dalian Liaoning South Shipyard, directly adjacent to the Lushun Naval Base of the Chinese Navy (PLAN). Liaonan is notable for having participated in the large construction program for the Type 056- and Type 56A-corvettes, Alex Luck noted "displacement of the new combatant may be between 2,000 and 3,000 tons, based on an estimated length of 100 metres. These figures must be treated as very rough estimates based on superficial observation, pending further measurements via more detailed imagery. Tom Shugart measured the hull in drydock at 97 metres length and a beam of 14 metres, both larger than the Type 056(A), which comes in at around 90 metres length and 11 metres across. Type 056 displaces slightly less than 1,500 tons. The new ship also possesses a far taller superstructure with a bridge featuring notably large windows sitting higher than on the Type 054A frigate next to it.... the new type, if produced in significant numbers, may complement or replace existing Type 22 missile catamarans, Type 056 corvettes handed to the Coast Guard and possibly even Type 054A, which in turn can be delegated to focus on other blue water-type operations." appears to be a new class of medium-sized warship being built by China. It basically came out of nowhere and is clearly different to all the existing Chinese warship classes. The lead ship is being finished in the Southern Liaoning shipyard, also known as the Liaonan shipyard, and a part of the overarching Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. The new ship looks to be the size of either a large corvette or a light frigate. The PLA Navy could very well classify it as either. For the purpose of our video, we will refer to it as a light frigate, keeping in mind that the eventual designation of the vessel is unknown. Based on the image, full displacement is somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 tons. The defining features of the vessel include a clearly integrated radar mast, a heavy emphasis on stealth, the minimisation of radar signature – and the stealthy radar mast above the bridge is part of that. It probably carries an AESA radar of some sort, which is pretty standard in new warships. It is worth noting that, before the ship was launched, it had been spotted in August by Western analysts using satellite photos. Although at the time, it was still being completed in a drydock, so it wasn’t clear whether this was a new class or one of the existing classes. Based on estimates taken at the time, the new frigate has a length of 97 metres and a beam of 14 metres. There is clearly a vertical launching system VLS on the elevated platform between the bridge and the main gun. It is unclear as of yet what type of VLS this is. The fact the ship is quite tall and the VLS being located on an elevated platform point to some possibility for the longer universal UVLS, the one that carries long range air defences and the YJ-18 cruise missile, although that remains to be seen. It is more likely in my opinion to be the smaller frigate VLS, which should be more suitable for the mission requirement of a ship of this size. The main gun appears to be either a 57 millimetre or a 76 millimetre. Personally, I’m leaning more towards the 57 millimetres at this stage. It is unclear where the ship’s anti-ship missiles will be located, whether on top of the superstructure or inside the VLS. Another important point is that the ship has a large hangar for a helicopter, and a large landing pad to go with it. This could point to the ability to embark a helicopter larger than the Z-9, which is typically used by Chinese frigates and corvettes. The spacious flight deck may plausibly support the larger Z-20 anti-submarine helicopter, given this will be the new standard helicopter used by China’s destroyers. Alternatively, the spacious aviation facility could be used for drones – the type that can perform vertical take-off and landing, and we know China has been developing these types of drones for some time. The Liaonan Shipyard building the ship has historically only constructed fairly small surface combatants, such as the Type 056A corvettes that only displace 1,500 tons. So, the new frigate will be the largest built by the Liaonan shipyard to date, and it shows that the ability to build large warships is being achieved by more and more of Chinese shipyards, not just limited to a few like in the United States and the UK. Among the more credible analysis, is the view that the new warship is intended to lead the 4:34 corvettes and the Coast Guard vessels in enforcing China’s maritime claims. 4:40 They are supposed to the smaller ships in various confrontations within the vicinity 4:46 of disputed islands, involving countries such as the Philippines and Japan. 4:52 So, a natural question is: why don’t you just send an existing frigate? 4:58 Why build a new class? 5:00 Well, the problem is that the Type 054A class of existing frigate at 27 knots are just too 5:09 slow, making it very difficult to ward off trespassers, who tend to be a lot faster at 5:16 over 30 knots. 5:17 For this reason, the faster destroyers tend to be deployed, but this is inefficient from 5:24 the point of view of resource allocation. 5:28 The new frigate fills the gap of a fast but affordable naval asset for enforcing maritime 5:34 claims. 5:36 The new light frigate seems especially comparable to two existing warship classes in terms of 5:43 characteristics and missions. 5:46 One of these is the Russian Project 22160 patrol ship, also known as the Vasily Bykov 5:54 class. 5:55 It is in my opinion a beautiful ship, with very modern looks and obviously a serious 6:01 effort at reducing the radar signature. 6:05 The Vasily Bykov is deployed in the littoral waters for duties including patrol, monitoring 6:12 and defence of coastal territories. 6:15 They come with the option for a VLS to launch the Kalibr cruise missiles. 6:21 They are cheaper and more numerous than the frigates, and are used for less important 6:26 missions, which frees up the frigates for more important assignments. 6:32 The other comparison is with Sweden’s Visby class, which is also built to be a highly 6:38 stealthy patrol ship. 6:40 It is very fast at 35 knots and highly manoeuvrable. 6:44 It emphasises low visibility and radar signature. 6:49 The Visby is designed for littoral warfare, for navigating around the complex environment 6:56 of the Baltic Sea and for chasing away intruders. 7:00 Both the Vasily Bykov and the Visby could be somewhat analogous to China’s new frigate. 7:07 A Chinese graphic artist has produced illustrations comparing the new frigate with the existing 7:14 Type 056A corvette, with foreground being the frigate. 7:19 That said, I don’t think he got the scaling between the frigate and the corvette accurate 7:26 – the corvettes should be far smaller than the frigate. 7:30 The drawing shows a main gun that can be out away to enhance the stealth capability of 7:36 the ship whenever needed. 7:38 However, I don’t think he has any informational basis to draw the main gun like that – this 7:45 is almost certainly based on reasonable imagination. 7:49 The new warship revealed this week basically came out of nowhere. 7:53 For now, what we know is that the vessel emphasises stealth and has a VLS of an unknown type, 8:01 and is likely to be fast. 8:03 Its mission is believed to be the enforcement of maritime claims, to ward off trespassers 8:10 in a way that couldn’t be done with affordable assets, and to focus on environment within 8:16 the First Island Chain. 8:18 It has a generous helicopter support facility, which point to the wartime usage for anti-submarine 8:26 warfare. 8:27 Given the above, the new light frigate may serve a similar role to the littoral combat 8:33 ship of the US Navy, which includes patrol and coastal warfare, and anti-submarine warfare. 8:41 However, the littoral combat ship of the United States is without a doubt a massive failure. 8:49 Its engines do not work properly and everybody in the US Navy will tell you that the littoral 8:56 combat ship is a massive enormous failure. 9:00 If the new ship is a Chinese equivalent of the American LCS, it will almost certainly 9:07 be far more successful than the LCS ever was.