The Type 052B or Guangzhou class destroyer (NATO reporting
name: Luyang I class) is a class of multirole missile destroyer built by the
People’s Republic of China. Two ships have been built, with Guangzhou (168) and
Wuhan (169) both being commissioned into the PLAN in July 2004. This class
features a stealthy hull and significantly improved air defence systems, an
area that had been a major weakness on previous ships designed by China. These
ships represent a major improvement over the older generation vessels and
reflects PLAN’s need to have a modern destroyer.
The Type 052B is built with considerable Russian technology
including the Russian-made 9M38 Buk-M1-2 (NATO codename: SA-N-12 Grizzly) air
defence missile system, an extremely effective air defence system with a range
of 38 km. Most military analysts expect the Guangzhou class to be similar to the
Russian Sovremenny class destroyer in terms of general performance. The
displacement of the Type 052B is 5850 tons. The ship features a “low
point” design combined with radar absorbing paint to reduce radar
signature. The ship’s funnel incorporates cooling devices to reduce infrared
signatures. The stern flight deck can host a Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter.
The Type 052Bs are equipped with two missile launchers, one
forward and one aft on the ship. These launchers can launch the SA-N-12 Grizzly
Surface-to-Air Missile. Each launcher has two dedicated MR-90 Front Dome fire
control radars and carries a total of 48 missiles. They also haves 4 quad YJ-83
Anti-Ship Cruise Missile launchers located amidships. For guns there is a 100mm
cannon in ‘A’ position and this is the first PLAN vessel to be equipped with a
Close-In Weapons System, or CIWS. For sub-surface threats, she is armed with 2
triple 324mm Yu-7 Anti-Submarine torpedo tubes and two Type 75 twelve-barrel
240mm antisubmarine rocket launchers. The Type 052B is equipped with four
18-barrel Type 724 chaff launchers for part of its self-defense suite.
Weapon Systems
The Type 052B destroyer is armed with two Russian-made
surface-to-air missile launchers, one on the front deck behind the 100mm main
gun, and one on top of the helicopter hanger. The launchers can fire the latest
9M317 Shtil (NATO codename: SA-N-12 Grizzly) semi-active, radar-homing,
medium-range air defence missile. The missile uses the ship’s Russian-made
Fregat M2EM Top Plate 3D circular scan radar for target acquisition, and the
Front Dome (two radar for each launcher, each radar with two guidance channels)
indication radar for missile guidance. Up to three missiles can be aimed
simultaneously. The range is up to 38km against aircraft and 20km against
anti-ship cruise missile. The ship carries 48 missiles.
Four 4-cell launcher for the YJ-83 (C-803) sea-skimming,
radar-homing anti-ship cruise missile system are installed behind the funnel.
The YJ-83 is said to have a final approach speed of Mach 1.5 and a maximum
range of 150km. It was noted that the YJ-83 onboard the Type 052B relies on a
Russian-made Band Stand fire-control radar to provide target information, which
would enable the YJ-83 to reach its maximum range of fire without relaying
target information by the shipborne helicopter.
The Type 052B destroyer was the first PLA Navy warship to be
fitted with the CIWS. There is a seven-barrel 30mm Type 730 CIWS installed on
each side of the bridge. The weapon system has a maximum rate of fire of 4,600~5,800
rounds/min.
The ship also has a single-barrel 100mm gun developed by 713
Institute on the basis of the French Creusot-Loire T100C design. The gun can be
used against surface targets and air targets such as aircraft and low speed
missile, with a maximum rate of fire of 90 rounds/min. The gun can be operated
in fully automatic mode from the radar control system, from the shipborne
optical sighting system, or laid manually. The turret design incorporates
strong radar cross-section reduction features.
The Type 052B destroyer is fitted with two triple 324mm Yu-7
(Mk-46 Mod 1) antisubmarine torpedo tubes and two Type 75 twelve-barrel 240mm
antisubmarine rocket launchers. Range is up to 1,200m. The rocket is armed with
a 34kg warhead. Additionally, the destroyer has four 18-barrel multiple rocket
launchers (MRLs) installed on the front deck. The purpose of these MRLs remains
unknown but is thought to be used to launch antisubmarine rockets, ground-
attack rockets and/or decoys/chaffs.
Radar
The Type 052B uses a Fregat-MAE-5 (Top Plate) 3D search
radar, mounted at the top of the forward mast. Four MR90 Front-Dome radars
provide fire control for the SA-N-12 missiles. A Type 344 fire control radar
controls the main gun. A bandstand radar provides fire control for the YJ-83
ASCM missile.
Sensors
The air search radar is a Russian Fregat M2EM (NATO
codename: Top Plate) 3D air search radar operating at D/E band. The radar has a
maximum detect range of 230km to aircraft and 50km to sea-skimming missile.
There are four (in contrast to six on Sovremenny class) Russian Front Dome fire
control radar (F band) for the 9M38 air defence missile. The main gun and
anti-ship missile are controlled by the Russian Band Stand radar.
Command and Control
The ZJK-5 combat system onboard the Type 052B is thought to
be an improved variant of the Type 051B (Luhai class)’s ZJK-4-3A. The ZJK-5 is
based on the 1553B military data bus and the 100Mbps Ethernet technology. The
multi-channel defence suite is capable of engaging several targets
simultaneously.
Aviation
The destroyer’s stern hanger accommodates one Kamov Ka-28
(NATO codename: Helix) antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter. Carrying various
weapons including torpedoes and deep charges, the helicopter can operate in all
weather conditions up to 200km from the host ship. Alternatively, the destroyer
can carry an indigenous Z-9C helicopter.
Propulsion
The Type 052C’s propulsion is in the form of CODOG,
consisting of two Ukraine-made DA80/DN80 gas turbines rated at 48,600hp and two
Shaanxi diesels (Chinese copy of the MTU 20V956TB92) rated at 8,840hp (6.5 MW).
Specifications
Type: Guided missile destroyer
Unit cost – around
US$400 million per ship by 2004’s price
Ships – Guangzhou
(168) and Wuhan (169) as of 2006
Propulsion – 2 x
Zorya-Mashproekt DN80 gas-turbines
2 x MTU
Friedrichshafen 12V 1163TB83 diesels
Length – 155
meters
Beam – 17 meters
Draft – 6 meters
Displacement: 5,850 tons standard, 6,500 tons full load
Speed – 30 knots
Crew – 280 (40
officers)
Combat Data System
– ZKJ-7 information processing system designed by the 709th Institute (reported
speed: 100 MB/s)
Sensors and processing systems:
Fregat-MAE-5 (Top
Plate) 3D air search phased array radar
MR90 Front-Dome
fire control radar
Mineral-ME (Band
Stand) over-the-horizon targeting radar
Type 344
fire-control radar
Data link: HN-900
(Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
Communication:
SNTI-240 SATCOM
Armament
16 x YJ-83 SSM
48 x SA-N-12
SAM in 4 x 12 magazine
1 x 100 mm gun
2 x 30 mm Type
730 CIWS
2 x Triple 324
mm ASW torpedo tubes
2 x Type 75,
12-barrel 240 mm antisubmarine rocket launchers (range 1200 m, 34 kg warhead)
4 x 18-barrel
Type 726-4 decoy/chaff launchers
Aviation: 1
Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter
