The second 054B-class frigate "Qinzhou" (hull number 555) has entered service with the South Sea Fleet of our country.
Recently, the second 054B-class frigate "Qinzhou" (hull number 555) has entered service with the South Sea Fleet of our country. The first 054B-class frigate "Luohe" (hull number 545) also entered service with the North Sea Fleet in January. Thus, all two 054B-class frigates initially built by our country have been put into service. The displacement of the 054B-class frigate is over 6,000 tons and it adopts the same 32-cell vertical launch system as the 054A-class frigate. Eight YJ-83 anti-ship missiles are arranged in the middle of the hull. Compared to the 054A-class frigate, its radar and electronic equipment have undergone a complete upgrade. It features a dual-panel phased array radar, and a small dual-panel fast-response radar is installed inside the aft mast. The propulsion system uses four domestically produced diesel engines, along with four diesel generators. Regarding the 054B-class frigate, we have also conducted extensive technical analysis in previous reports. Although the 054B is the newest class of frigate in our country, from the numbering of 054B, it can be seen that the 054B is simply an upgrade of the 054A frigate. Overall, it is still not a qualified long-range anti-submarine frigate.
The first 054B-class frigate "Luohe" (hull number 545) has entered service with the North Sea Fleet of our country.
Why do we say this? First, considering the displacement, a displacement of around 6,000 tons is still not suitable for long-range operations at sea, and its ability to withstand wind and waves is relatively poor. Moreover, for long-range operations, self-sufficiency is far from adequate. Although according to publicly available information, the displacement of the 054B is very likely to exceed 6,000 tons and reach around 7,000 tons. However, surface warships suitable for long-range operations start at 7,000 tons, and because our country lacks naval bases overseas. To obtain ideal self-sufficiency, the full load displacement must be raised to a level of 8,000 to 9,000 tons. This is why the current main surface warships of the US Navy are almost exclusively 9,000-ton-class Burke-class destroyers.
The displacement of the Constellation-class will inevitably need to increase further.
Although the US Navy is also beginning to build the new-generation 7,000-ton Constellation-class frigate, the Constellation-class is still undergoing continuous design modifications. The displacement of 7,300 tons is certainly not the final figure, and it will rise significantly. Ultimately, the full load displacement will likely rise to around 8,000 tons. Additionally, considering future upgrade and improvement potential, for long-range surface warships, the ideal full load displacement should be at least 9,000 tons. Another important reason why the 054B is not considered a qualified long-range anti-submarine frigate is its propulsion system. The propulsion of the 054B consists of four domestically produced high-power diesel engines, each with a power slightly over seven megawatts. This power is insufficient, and it is also the fundamental reason why the displacement of the 054B cannot be increased.
The main propulsion of the 054B consists of four domestically produced high-power diesel engines.
Because full electric propulsion has not yet been achieved, multiple diesel engines must rely on mechanical gearboxes when operating in parallel. However, this requires the number of diesel engines to be even so they can match the two propeller shafts. Moreover, the number of diesel engines per shaft must also be even. This means that the number of diesel engines will be limited to four, not five or six, as this would bring significant technical challenges. In the framework of mechanical transmission, parallel operation of multiple engines has always been a world-class challenge. For example, to coordinate the parallel operation of two gas turbines with different powers and speeds, Japan's Murasame-class destroyer had to limit the total power to 60,000 horsepower, wasting 10,000 horsepower. The speed of the 054B and the 054A both seem to have shortcomings. Additionally, the acceleration capability and noise of diesel engines are poor. This makes it difficult to track powerful nuclear submarines, leading to the conclusion that the 054B is unsuitable for executing long-range anti-submarine combat missions.
The main improvement of the 054B's weapon system is the 100mm forward main gun.
Another issue with the 054B is that apart from replacing the 100mm forward main gun, there are no significant improvements in the weapon system. It still retains the original 32-cell vertical launch system of the 054A, along with eight anti-ship missile launchers in the middle of the hull. This limits the improvement of the 054B's combat capabilities because the original 32-cell vertical launch system is not a universal vertical launch system. It can only accommodate two types of ammunition: the HQ-16 air defense missile and the anti-submarine missile. New YJ-18 and YJ-21 anti-ship missiles cannot be used. Even the latest HQ-16 air defense missile has a maximum range of only 160 kilometers, which is somewhat inadequate compared to the greatly enhanced range of anti-ship missiles today. For example, the JASSM anti-ship missile of the US Navy has already extended its range to 900 kilometers. The CPS missile system being modified on the DDG1000 of the US Navy has a range that has been extended to 3,600-4,500 kilometers.
A public paper mentions a 9,000-ton-class surface ship platform.
Therefore, we can only say that the 054B is neither a qualified long-range anti-submarine frigate nor China's true next-generation long-range frigate. A qualified long-range frigate will be seen in the future 9,000-ton-class surface ship platform. There are also public papers showing that we are indeed developing a larger surface ship platform. Its standard displacement is around 6,800 tons, meaning its full load displacement will basically reach the 9,000-ton level. As for whether the model mentioned in the paper is China's actual 9,000-ton-class surface ship platform remains to be seen. However, there is no doubt that we have a demand for a 9,000-ton-class surface ship platform. Only by raising the full load displacement of the new generation of surface ships to the 9,000-ton level can we possibly solve the current lack of long-range anti-submarine frigates.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493408792432984613/
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