Type 052C People's Liberation Army Navy Destroyer

The Type 052C destroyer (NATO code name Luyang II class, often referred to as Lanzhou class after the lead ship name) is a class of destroyer built by the People's Republic of China. The Type 052C destroyer feature an active phased array radar system with four statically mounted antennas providing continuous 360-degree coverage and multiple missile direction capability for the vertically launched HHQ-9 long-range air defence missiles. This class represents China's first true long-range fleet air defence capability and is similar in outward appearance to the US AEGIS air defence system.

Type 052C Class overview
Builders:	Jiangnan Shipyard
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded by:	Type 052B
Building:	4
Completed:	2
Active:	Lanzhou Haikou
General characteristics
Displacement:	7,000 tons
Length:	154 m
Beam:	17 m
Draught:	6 m
Propulsion:	CODOG 57,000 shp
Speed:	30 knots
Complement:	280
Armament:	48 HHQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missiles 8 C-805 anti-ship / land attack cruise missiles 8 HN-2 land attack cruise missiles 8 YJ-62 anti-ship / land attack cruise missiles 1 100mm dual purpose gun 2 30mm Type 730 close-in weapons systems 6 torpedo tubes 4 x 18-tube decoy rocket launcher
Aircraft carried:	1 helicopter: Kamov Ka-27 or Harbin Z-9C ASW/SAR
Aviation facilities:	Stern hangar Helicopter landing platform

Combat system

The destroyer’s overall air defence, surface strike, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities will largely depend on how well different weapon systems and sensors are integrated together by the combat system. Most Chinese warships use the command and control system derived from the French Thomson-CSF TAVITAC, but the Type 052C might have a newly developed system with improved processing power to engage anti-ship missile threats. Another reason for the increased processing capability is to accommodate the Ka-28 ASW helicopters which lack the onboard processing capability to process the information gathered, so the information has to be passed to the host ship for processing and then passed back to the helicopter via data links. Although Chinese claimed that combat data systems based on MIL-STD-1773 fiber optic databus standard have been already successfully developed by the early 2000s, it is highly unlikely this latest version is adopted for Type 052C, which is most likely still to have MIL-STD-1553B databus standard. Domestic Chinese media have claimed that the latest combat data systems based on MIL-STD-1553B standard currently in Chinese service are versatile enough to be upgraded to MIL-STD-1773 standard eventually, but this is yet to be confirmed by sources outside China.

In together with its long-range air defence missile and close-in weapon system (CIWS), the Type 052C is the first Chinese-made surface combatant with a true fleet air defence capability. The combat system will ensure that the ship can engage multiple air targets such as sea-skimming missile and aircraft simultaneously. The ship might also be able to transmit combat information to other ships and aircraft via datalink and satellite communications to form a maritime combat network.

Missiles

A total of 48 HQ-9 naval air defence missiles are carried in and launched from eight 6-cell vertical launch systems (VLS). In contrast to previous reports which suggested that the system may be based on Russian technology, the VLS on board the Type 052C appears to be an Chinese design. Unlike the Russian-style revolver VLS, each missile launch cell of the Type 052C VLS has its own lid, but it does use the same cold-gas ignition method. The missile system uses the so-called ‘cold launch’, in which the missile is first ejected from the launch tube, and then ignites its rocket engine at low altitude. This launch style avoids the complex flame and gas exhausting pipes on the Western-style ‘hot launch’ VLS. In comparison to the Russian cold-launch system, the Chinese VLS eliminates the revolver design by providing a lid for every launching tube, which can independently fire the missile inside because each has a cold-gas ignition chamber directly below. The Chinese claim the result is simplified maintenance, decreased size, weight, and cost; and, due to the elimination of the revolver mechanism, the power consumption is also reduced in comparison to the Russian revolver design.

The HQ-9 is China's new generation medium- to long-range, active radar homing air defence missile with a maximum range of 200km. The missile is an Chinese design while incorporating some Russian S-300 rocket technology. The naval HQ-9 appears to be identical to the land-based variant.

The destroyer also carries two 4-cell YJ-85/C-805 or YJ-62/C-602 (disputed) anti-ship missile launchers installed between rear mast and the helicopter hangar. Unlike previous YJ-8X/C-80X series anti-ship missiles which are launched from box-shape launchers, the missile is launched from a new tube-shape launcher. The missiles are guided by the Band Stand radar installed on top of the bridge and a Light Bulb datalink forward of the hangar. The Band Stand targeting radar suggests some similarity with the 3M80 Moskit missiles used on the Sovremenny-class.

Guns

The Type 052C has two (one front, one rear) Type 730 close-in weapon system (CIWS) designed by 713th Research Institute for short-range air defence. Two seven-barrel 30 mm Type 730 CIWS are located both sides behind the bridge. The weapon system has a maximum rate of fire of 4,600~5,800 rounds/min.

The ship has a Type 210 100 mm naval 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. China has developed various guided projectiles for the 100 mm gun, such as the laser guided projectiles based on the similar projectiles developed for Chinese main battle tanks, but it is highly unlikely that these guided projectiles are in service on board the destroyer since the laser designators needed have not been observed yet. Chinese also claimed that infrared guided projectiles for the 100 mm (3.9 in) gun was also successfully developed, but trials revealed that the rate of fire would be significantly decreased because the loading system must switch between different rounds when the guided projectiles and the unguided projectiles are mixed in the same ammunition drum.

Anti-submarine systems

The ship is fitted with two triple 324 mm torpedo tubes that are capable of launching both Yu-7 and ET52 light ASW torpedoes. Additionally, the Type 726-4 decoy launching system installed on the front deck is capable of launching ASW rockets against submarines when needed, though this function is normally not used.

Electronic Countermeasures

For expendable decoys, the destroyer is armed with a fully digitized and solid state Type 726-4 decoy launching system that is consisted of four launchers installed on the front deck and a control console, though this is not necessary since the system can be fully automatic in combat via the combat data system. The system can also be directly linked to other subsystems on board such as sonar control consoles but it can not be confirmed if this capability is incorporated or not. The system incorporate modular design and during past exhibitions in China, for example, at least three types of displays had been shown, including CRT, LCD and plasma displays. Each launcher is consisted of 18 launching tubes arranged in three rows with six tubes in each row, and a variety of decoys and chaffs could be deployed.

As a secondary role, the system is armed with ASW rockets which could be used against enemy submarines when needed, but this function is mostly used as a defense against torpedo and frogmen. The other alternative function of the Type 726-4 decoy launching system is that the system can be used for shore bombardment.

The last mission of the system is photo / electro-optical reconnaissance. Chinese manufacturers had revealed in the past defense exhibitions a variety of electro-optical camera / sensor packages for rockets, as a cheaper alternative of gun-launched systems since the latter had to sustain much greater g-force. Chinese manufacturers claimed that such systems were to provide images in areas such as behind hills where the line-of-sight of on board electro-optical sensors were blocked. The disadvantage of such rocket launched system is that the range is much shorter than that of UAV, but Chinese manufacturers had claimed that the unit cost of UAV was much greater and could not be equipped in large numbers like rockets. Despite the Chinese manufacturers' advertisement (some even with pictures of Type 052C destroyers), there is no evidence either inside China or outside China that confirms such system is being carried on board.

The launchers themselves could be incorporate as part of larger system with automatic loading systems, but based on the released photos of the destroyer, this does not appear to be the case and the system seemed to need to be loaded manually instead. Additionally, the destroyers is armed with a variety of electronic warfare arrays and the Chinese had claimed the on board ESM subsystem (reportedly designated as NRJ6A, rumored to be developed from similar Israeli system) is capable of 100% interception rate. Additionally, ECM mission can be also carried out via UAV's when UAV's are carried.

Sensors

This class is equipped with a variety of radars, sonars and electro-optical sensors.

Radars

The ship is the first Chinese ship fitted with a multifunction Active Phased Array Radar with four antenna arrays, with a reported name Type 348 Radar. China originally imported a Ukrainian C-band active phased array radar for evaluation, but decided that the radar did not meet the Chinese requirement. Instead, China adopted a domestic S-band multifunction active phased array radar with four antenna arrays. The radar is developed by the Research Institute of Electronic Technology (also more commonly known as the 14th Institute) at Nanjing, Jiangsu province, and it is a successor to the 14th Institute's earlier developed Type H/LJG-346 SAPARS (Shipborne Active Phased Array Radar System) that was completed in 1998. Chinese discovered that the S-band adopted by the American AN/SPY-1 passive phased array could be better suited for the requirements for the active phased array radar as well. The radar has reported name of Type 348 Radar and a maximum range of 450 km, and a maximum resolution of 0.5 metres. However, under an earlier but completely different contract, Ukraine did provide cooling technologies for the antenna to China. According to many Chinese claims on the internet, the name assigned for Type 348 radar is Sea Lion, but others claim the name only applies to the export version.

The same Kavant Design Bureau of Ukraine that had provided China with cooling technologies for the radar antenna earlier also provided technical expertise in integrating the active phased array radar with ESM and the anti-stealth radar with Yagi antenna, which in turn, is a successor to the earlier Type 517H-1 (NATO codename: Knife Rest) long-range 2D air search radar. This metre-wave radar operates in the VHF band and is designated as Type 517M by the Chinese. Like the Type 348 Radar, this radar is also totally by China, and Chinese claim that it has better performance than the similar land-based JY-27 radar, which its accuracy is 150 meters for distance, one degree for angle, and its maximum range is 330 km. Type 517M radar, in contrast, has a maximum range of 350 km, but China has not released the details of its accuracy.

A Russian MR331 Mineral-ME (with NATO reporting name Band Stand) fire-control radar (for anti-ship missile and for the main gun as its secondary mission) was capable of over the horizon targeting, and it has been installed on other newly built PLAN ships including Type 054A frigate. The Type 344 Radar is installed to provide fire control for the main gun, and for the Type 730 CIWS as its secondary mission in case the locally mounted fire control radars for the CIWS malfunctioned or damaged in battles. Two locally mounted LR66/TR47C radars derived from Type 347 Radar provide fire control for the Type 730 CIWS, and although these radars are also capable of providing fire control for the main gun, it is not known if such capability has been incorporated via the combat data system. Type 364 Radar is installed in a radome for air and surface search, and this radar acts as a supplement of the Type 348 Radar and as a provider of target information for SAM and CIWS, while also have the anti-ship missile targeting as its secondary mission.

Electro-optical (Optronics)

The OFC (Optical Fire Control) -3 electro-optical fire control system is a modular design that is consisted of a laser range finder, a color TV camera, and an IR camera, and the laser range finder can be replaced by a laser designator (for the laser beam riding SAM), the TV camera can be replaced by a night vision camera, and the IR camera can be replaced by an ImIR, at higher cost. Development to incorporate the dual band IR, night vision camera, and the color TV camera has been successfully completed, but it is unclear if these newly developed versions will be installed on any of the ships. The OFC-3 optronics is designed by the Central China Optronic (electro-optical) Research Institute. Although the advanced versions have been successfully tested, only the most basic version have been installed on board Type 052C class, as acknowledged by the developer, and domestic Chinese media rumored the main reason was to reduce the cost. However, the adaptation of the most basic version of OFC-3 results in great decrease in the performance and effectiveness of the main gun, because without the laser designator needed, laser beam riding and semi-active laser guided projectiles can not be deployed for the Type 210 100 mm naval gun.

The OFC-3 Electro-optical system is further supplemented by the IR-17 Infrared Surveillance Device optronics, which is an infrared system only, and like OFC-3 system, it has also been installed on Luzhou class destroyer and Guangzhou class destroyer. The IR-17 system is usually installed on the forward mast just below the 3-D air search radar, and it is consisted of three parts: sensor head, operator console and electronic cabinet that contains other electronics including power supply. In comparison to OFC-3, more information is released on IR-17, including:

Sensor head weight: < 160 kg
Control console weight: < 390 kg
Electrical cabinet weight: < 300 kg
Sensor head size: 0.6 m x 0.9 m x 1.1 m
Control console size: 0.72 m x 1.05 m x 1.65 m
Electrical cabinet size: 0.6 m x 0.7 m x 1.65 m
Accuracy: 3 mrad
Range against sea-skimming anti-ship missile with 0.1 square meter radar cross section: > 8 km
Range against cruise missile: > 20 km
Range against aircraft with 3 square meter radar cross section: > 30 km

The JRSCCS integrated command and control system is used to direct both the OFC-3 and IR-17. In addition, the system can also be used to direct all on board weaponry and sensors, though as only an emergency backup measure for the combat data system, which JRSCCS integrated command and control system is linked to. The JRSCCS system is full automatic and only require a single operator when necessary. The operator console of the JRSCCS is designated as JRMC and is consisted of two multifunction color displays and a joy stick, and up to five JRMC consoles can be deployed when required. According to the developer, such five consoles arrangement as the emergency backup of combat data system is located separately from the main combat information center where the combat data system is located to ensure survivability, but it is not known for sure if this configuration had been adopted for Type 052C destroyer.

Like the H/ZBJ-1 combat data system on board, the JRSCCS is distributed and redundant and reflects both Russian and Western influence. From the Russian/Soviet tradition, each sensor handles as much of its own data processing as possible. While this potentially allows the design of individual system components to be simplified, the Chinese followed the Western tradition by ensuring central components can still process all information from the sensors in the event of sensor hardware malfunction. The cost of such redundancy is such that half the price of the ship is in its C4I systems. Another Western design tradition incorporated was the use of an open architecture software design.

Sonar

Like the Sovremenny class destroyers, the ASW weaponry on board Type 052C destroyer is mainly for self-defense, since it is a class of air-defense destroyer. The ship is equipped with hull-mounted SJD-8/9 medium-frequency hull-mounted active–passive sonar, which is a development of French DUBV-23 sonar, and the improvements in both the hardware and the software over the original French design enabled the sonar to be used as a torpedo approaching warning system as well. When in active mode, the range of the hull-mounted sonar is at least 12 km or greater, and when in passive mode, the range is at least 60 km or greater, a 20% increase to the 50 km maximum range of the Russian–Soviet MGK-355 Platina sonar on board Sovremenny class destroyers. Encrypted underwater telephone and other communication gears are installed on board to enable this class to be better coordinated with submarines in joint maneuvers.

Although both variable-depth sonar such as ESS-1 medium-frequency VDS (the Chinese development of French DUBV-43 VDS) and towed-array sonar were successfully tested on board, these were abandoned because incorporating these extra sonars would lead to significant redesign of the hull and increased cost. Despite the fact that the extra processing capability reserved in the combat data system for the towed sonar and VDS when needed, it is highly unlikely that the towed sonar and VDS would ever be incorporated in the near future. The high frequency obstacle–mine avoidance sonar once originally planned to equip this class failed to materialize due to the same financial concern of reducing the cost.

Two models of airborne dipping sonars can be carried by on board Ka-27 helicopters, both being the derivatives of Russian / Soviet V-3 medium frequency (MF) Ros' sonar (also known as Rys, with NATO reporting name Lamb Tail), with a range around 7 km. Original sonars on board Ka-27 were Russian VGS-3K models marketed by Morfizpribor, while Chinese military enthusiasts have claimed (but yet to be confirmed) that H-3 models of Ukrainian firm Sokol is also purchased by China to diversify supplier sources. Unconfirmed claims by Chinese military enthusiasts also suggest that Russian firm Morfizpribor is actively marketing its 180 kg class Vesta-K low frequency (LF) airborne sonar to China as an upgrade to the original VGS-3K Ros' sonar, which would significantly boost the performance by increasing the range by tenfold to 50 km, and with greater operating depth to 700 meters. However, the drawback of Russian–Soviet airborne sonar is that the information gathered cannot be processed on board the aircraft, so the process in done on board the ship instead. In contrast, the French Thomson-CSF-built HS-12 used on sonar Harbin Z-9 has a range in excess of a dozen kilometers and information gathered can be processed directly on board the helicopter.

UAV

According to Chinese advertisements released during various defense / aerospace / electronic exhibitions in the past, conversion kits have been developed for destroyers to deploy multiple UAVs. The developers of both the JRSCCS and the combat data system have claimed that their products could handle the information needed to control UAVs. However, it is highly unlikely that any long range UAVs will ever be deployed on board this class because the complete handling system to support these large UAVs would need the entire hangar, thus displacing the only helicopter on board. Chinese governmental media, however, did release photos of a variety of propeller driven light UAVs being launched from destroyers and claimed that these light UAVs could be deployed on every destroyer class currently in Chinese service, and some of the pictures have depicted some UAVs carry laser targeting pods, providing guidance for laser guided projectiles. However, as of mid-2007, it still can not be confirmed that if any light UAVs has been on board Type 052C class on a regular basis. The lack of regular deployment of UAVs on board only seems to confirm the claim that the laser guided projectiles for the main gun are not deployed due to the lack of associating guidance equipment. On August 17, 2008, another type of UAV named as Hummingbird carrying electro-optical pod were deployed on board for the successful test of a new data link developed by China Northern Co. (中国北方公司). The new data link is a two-way real-time encrypted data link designed to replace the current HN-900 data link, and it is designated as NCTDL, short for Naval Common Tactical Data Link. The new data link is claimed by many Chinese to be at least equal to the Link 16, and even comparable to Link 22, but such claims have yet to be verified by both the Chinese government and sources outside China. However, it is certain that the new data link will replace HN-900 currently in service on board PLAN ships.

Aircraft

The ship’s stern hangar accommodates 1 Kamov Ka-28 (export version of the Kamov Ka-27, NATO codename: Helix) antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, or alternatively, 1 Z-9 ASW helicopter (Chinese version of the Eurocopter Dauphin AS 365N), and both type can carry various weapons including torpedoes and depth charges. The Ka-28 helicopter can operate in all weather conditions up to 200 km from the host ship, but its onboard dipping sonar only has half the range of the Chinese copy of the French dipping sonar on board Z-9, furthermore, it lacks the processing capability to process the information gathered, so the information has to be passed back to the host ship for processing via data links, while in contrast, Z-9 can process the information gathered on board the helicopter, but with shorter range.

Although the sensors and weaponry carried by both helicopters are somewhat comparable to their western counterparts, the overall capabilities as ASW platforms for these helicopters are seriously hampered due to the installation of their radars: unlike the western belly-mounted radars with 360-degree coverage, the radars for Ka-28 and Z-9 are chin-mounted and nose-mounted respectively, thus creating huge blind spots. In order to overcome these blind spots, Ka-28 and Z-9 must fly in very complicated flight patterns, resulting in significant fuel consumption, thus decreasing the endurance and range in comparison to western ASW helicopters.

Propulsion

The ship’s propulsion is in the form of CODOG, consisting of two Ukraine-made DA80/DN80 gas turbines each rated at ~32,600 hp(24 MW) and two Shaanxi diesel engines (Chinese licens production of the MTU 20V956TB92) each rated at ~6,700 hp (5 MW). The DA80/DN80 gas turbine is the export version of UGT-25000 of Ukrainian Zorya-Mashprocket State State Enterprise Gas Turbine Research & Production Complex, purchased by China in the late 1990s as part of license-production in China. The UGT25000 has power rating of 25-27MW depending on configuration, but could only provide 24MW upon delivery because development was not fully completed when they were sold to China. A total of eight units were originally purchased and Chinese sources have claimed that all had been upgraded, mainly in the area of turbine blade production techniques, and such update had greatly increased reliability and maintainability. The main parameters of DA80/DN80 included:

length: 6.4 meter
Width: 2.5 meter
Height: 2.7 meter
Weight: 16 tons
Efficiency: 36.5%
Exhaust gas flow: 90 kg / second
Exhaust temperature: 465ºС