They are all talking about the "dumplings" of naval ships, so do you know how many ships we have built in recent years? Taking the most advanced Type 055 missile destroyer as an example, in 2021, foreign media speculated that China will add at least 8 new ships in the next four to five years!
So, to ensure the speed of the Type 055 missile destroyer's "dumpling", how many shipyards are operating on the mainland? Why did you suddenly start building it with urgency, was it to prevent the worst from happening?
Type 055, 8 ships in 5 years
At the end of 2020, the known Type 055 order was 16 ships, and then foreign media speculated on the mainland's naval ship construction plan from 2021 to 2025, and revealed that during this period, China will have 8 Type 055 ships launched.
In addition, foreign media also compared the mainland's naval ship construction plan with other countries.
At the end of 2020, the navies of major countries in the world have formulated medium- and long-term ship procurement plans. For example, in the next 20 years, the United States plans to purchase 500 ships of various types.
United Kingdom also has plans for naval development for the next 5 to 10 years. It is said that even India has previously looked forward to the construction of a third aircraft carrier.
After comparison, this article in the foreign media speculated that the naval plans of other countries have been clear, and China's naval development has long had a stable plan, so there must be a big move in the construction of ships.
As of the beginning of 2021, there are already 8 Type 055 missile destroyers, and these ships that have been launched have reserved enough technical space for the next continuous construction. In the eyes of foreign media, it is logical to continue the production of Type 055, and there are no technical and financial problems.
And in addition to the Type 055, this article at that time also speculated that China would produce other ships next, and some models were developed around the Type 055.
Type 075, 5 newly built
The Type 055 is a missile destroyer, the Type 075 is an amphibious assault ship, and before 2021, three ships have already been launched. On this basis, from 2021 to 2025, five new ships will also be launched.
On the basis of the Type 075, the Type 076 has also been in a state of research and development. In addition to the Type 055 and Type 075, the Type 054A will also be built, with a total of 20 ships. Type 054A belongs to frigates, the progress of its construction is progressing according to plan.
There are two other models, Type 054B and Type 052D, the former being frigates and Type 052D being destroyers. Compared with the 055 type, the 052D type is slightly inferior in comprehensive performance.
The Type 052D's displacement, bomb load, and sensors are not the most sophisticated, but its medium displacement is still among the best in the world. The most important thing is that its weapon system and the Type 055 are common, and in simple terms, it is like a smaller version.
Previously, according to foreign media speculation, the scale of new construction of Type 052D may be between 6 and 12 ships between 2021 and 2025.
In terms of frigates, a total of 30 Type 054A are currently known to be in service. Previously, the order book was 20 ships, which are to be completed by the end of 2025. Type 054B, as an improved and upgraded model of Type A, is speculated by foreign media to be launched at the same time during this period.
Based on the above, between 2021 and 2025, the mainland navy will build between 40 and 45 new ships.
According to the previous construction speed, Type 055 has built 8 ships in 3 years, Type 075 has built 3 ships in one and a half years, and Type 056A has built more than 70 ships in 8 years.
During the construction of the above-mentioned ships, a series of ships, including conventional submarines and landing ships, were also built in the country at the same time. Therefore, according to the previous construction speed, foreign media believe that it is not a problem for China to build about 45 new ships of various types within 5 years.
The most critical thing is that the foreign media believe that this is not the fastest pace of Chinese ship construction. However, even at the current speed, many countries cannot reach it.
So in addition to the speed of construction, what are the features of the new model of missile destroyer 055?
Emphasis is placed on air defense and anti-missile capabilities
As a missile destroyer, the most prominent feature of the Type 055 is its excellent anti-aircraft and anti-missile capabilities. This characteristic of it is targeted research and development.
Because since the beginning of World War II, as more advanced aircraft and large surface ships have been put into the battlefield, countries have quickly discovered that super-large surface vehicles such as aircraft carriers are basically a live target in front of aircraft.
In the Pacific theater, the United States and Japan have also proved this point with practical actions. It is based on this that after World War II, the major powers began to deal with the defense and air defense of large ships.
Especially after the advent of missiles, whether launched from the air and from the sea, or from land at long distances, it seems that it will be easier to strike at sea ships. There are many examples to follow.
In the 1967 Middle East War, Egypt used an anti-ship missile to directly kill Israel's destroyer Eilat, which was the first case in the field of war to directly sink a ship with an anti-ship missile.
During the Falklands War, Argentina's air force used air-launched anti-ship missiles to sink and damage a number of British ships. Since then, navies have paid more and more attention to the threat of missile attacks on ships.
Especially after the Gulf War, even the navy pulled by Iraq was able to attack the warships of the US-British coalition with missiles. In this situation, a view began to emerge in the West that large ships are useless and aircraft carriers are increasingly useless.
Later, paramilitaries like the Houthis and Allah, which are not regular armies, were able to wreak havoc on warships in countries like United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia with anti-ship missiles. This also makes the United States pay more and more attention to the issue of air defense of ships.
You know, countries like the mainland and Russia have long-range strike capabilities. In the event of a bigger war in the future, anti-ship missiles launched from a long distance on land or in the air can sink or paralyze aircraft carriers and other ships.
Now, with the mainland also having aircraft carriers, we should also pay attention to the issues that the United States were worried about. This was also the original idea of the development of the Type 055 missile destroyer, whose main combat mission is air defense and anti-missile capabilities.
From a technical point of view, the current anti-ship missiles are becoming more and more intelligent, and other performance such as long-range strikes and stealth are also continuing to improve.
This kind of weapon can be launched through a variety of platforms on land, sea, air and even underwater, which is difficult to detect and intercept, which also puts forward higher requirements for the performance of air defense and anti-missile weapons.
Type 055 was born with such a mission, and in layman's terms, it will be the bodyguard and umbrella of the aircraft carrier in the future.
Boost the combat effectiveness of aircraft carrier battle groups
Before the advent of the Type 055, other missile destroyers and missile frigates on the mainland actually had good air defense and anti-missile capabilities.
It's just that the previous models were developed and built at the beginning of this century, and their hull structures have long been finalized, and the displacement and space on board are also limited, and there is not much room for overall improvement and upgrading, so it is necessary to create a new type with stronger comprehensive capabilities.
Compared with previous ships of the same type, the Type 055 is equipped with more advanced information and electronic equipment systems, and with more advanced radar, it has stronger long-distance detection capabilities at sea and in the air.
Crucially, it has a faster response capability that can respond quickly when a suspicious target is found. In terms of the number of missiles carried, it has surpassed the Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers of the US military.
In addition to anti-missile capabilities, the ship is also equipped with traditional anti-aircraft weapon systems. The main anti-aircraft defense gun is 130 mm class, and the secondary gun forms a dense defense matrix, and the number of launch tubes has been increased to 11.
That is, it can intercept missiles that come from a long distance. For conventional air attacks, it can also be defended by using a dense network of fire composed of main and secondary guns.
In future operations, Type 055 will form a battle group with aircraft carriers and other ships. Its main task is to defend and escort, providing a solid protective shield for aircraft carriers to perform tasks at sea over long distances.
And it's up to our shipyards to build them.
The construction volume of the 8 major shipyards is equivalent to the construction of the 4 countries combined
Between 2015 and 2018, the eight major shipyards on the mainland were built more than the four countries combined. It is precisely these eight shipyards that ensure the speed of the mainland navy's "dumplings".
The Dalian shipyard is widely known to the public, because it was here that the mainland's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, took over. Over the years, the Dalian shipyard has built a variety of destroyers of various types in various periods of the Navy, and the first batch of Type 055 was built here.
The Liaoning South Shipyard is another shipyard located in the northeast, and for many years the main task here was to build various types of auxiliary ships. Frigates like Type 056 and other models are from this shipyard.
Also in Liaoning Province is the Bohai Shipyard. This is the cradle of submarine manufacturing on the mainland, and the first nuclear submarine on the mainland also came from here, and it is the domestic nuclear submarine manufacturing base.
Turning to the south, the Jiangnan Shipyard has a long history, and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, it became an all-rounder in the construction of all types of ships.
In the early years, Jiangnan Shipyard built the first domestic frigate models. Since then, various types of destroyers have been built here, and a series of destroyers currently in service have been launched from here.
And as an all-rounder, submarines and various auxiliary ships on the surface, Jiangnan Shipyard can also be built. In the new century, a domestic aircraft carrier has been built here.
Also located in the Shanghai area is the Hudong Shipyard, which is still relatively young compared to the above shipyards, but the mainland navy has many types of frigates, destroyers, electronic reconnaissance ships and integrated supply ships in service, all of which were built here.
It is worth mentioning that from 2021 to 2025, 8 of the 20 Type 054A frigates will be built at this shipyard.
The Whampoa Shipyard is also mainly engaged in the production of various types of frigates, and the production of the remaining 12 Type 054A frigates was built here.
In addition to the production of warships, other types of official ships were built here. Like coast guard ships, salvage and search and rescue special vessels, etc., are mainly built and produced by the shipyard.
The Wuchang shipyard is located in central China, and although it is not on the seashore but on inland waterways, it mainly produces conventional submarines of various types.
In addition, frigates, sonar detection ships, minesweepers and other ships with comprehensive performance can also be built and produced here.
Guangzhou Shipyard International is also known as Guangzhou Shipyard, which is a large shipbuilding enterprise located in South China. In the early years, the shipyard produced a large number of frigates and destroyers of various types, and since then it has mainly produced auxiliary ships.
At present, large integrated supply ships, island and reef supply ships, as well as cable laying ships and integrated support ships are all launched from here.
epilogue
On the whole, to ensure that a large ship like the Type 055 is launched like a dumpling, it is necessary to have a strong large shipbuilding enterprise.
Several major shipyards in China have undertaken the construction of various types of ships of the mainland navy. Each of these shipyards has its own focus, which can not only ensure speed, but also ensure the overall performance improvement of the ships required by the navy.
It is precisely because of this ability to ensure the speed and quality of "dumplings" at any time that the mainland has an impregnable coastal defense.
Resources:
"8 055 + 5 075! U.S. media: China's largest shipbuilding scale in history in the next five years" Global Times, January 9, 2021
"Naval Engineering University People: Why is the Type 055 Missile Destroyer Called "the Heavy Weapon of the Country"", China Youth Daily, October 27, 2017