Type 051 destroyer

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Luda III Zhuhai
Zhuhai
People's Republic of China People's Republic of China
Builders: Luda Shipyard
Zhonghua Shipyard
Dalian Shipyard
Operators: Flag of People's Liberation Army Navy People's Liberation Army Navy
Following class: Type 052
In service: December 1971
Ships in Class
Ships in class: 17
Ships in active service: Jinan
Xi'an
Yinchuan
Xining
Kaifeng
Dalian
Nanjing
Hefei
Chongqing
Zunyi
Changsha
Nanning
Nanchang
Guilin
Zhanjiang
Zhuhai
Ships out of service: Guangzhou
General Characteristics
Class type: Surface warfare guided missile destroyer
Displacement: 3,670 tons
Length: 132 m
Beam: 12.8 m
Draught: 4.6 m
Propulsion and power: 2 steam turbines
72,000 shp
Speed: 32 knots
Range: 2,970 miles
Complement: 280
Armament: Note: Aramaments listed are for latest 051 modernized variant
16 anti-ship missiles
8 surface-to-air missiles + 16 spare (manual reload)
2 twin-barrel 130mm dual purpose guns
4 Type 76A dual-37mm anti-aircraft guns
2 Type 75 anti-submarine rocket systems
6 torpedo tubes
Depth charges
38 naval mines
Aircraft complement: 1-2 helicopters (Ship #105 Luda-II only)
Aircraft facilities: Hangar and flight deck
Landing assistance system

The Type 051 destroyer (NATO code name Luda class) missile destroyer were the first surface warfare oriented vessel ever designed and built in China, and the first Chinese ship to be fitted with an integrated combat direction system. It was based on the Soviet Neustrashimy class destroyer design, with some design influences from the Kotlin class destroyer.

Contents

[edit] History

In the late 1960s, China began testing its long-range rockets for the Chinese space program, as well as the ICBM program. The People's Liberation Army Navy operated only four ex-Soviet Gordy class destroyers (Anshan class in PLAN service) at the time, which were unsuitable for long-range ocean recovery missions. The 701 institute was instructed to develop China's first indigenous guided missile destroyer, modelled after the Soviet Kotlin-class. The design was approved in 1967, and construction of the first Type 051 Luda class destroyer began in 1968.

A total of 17 Type 051 destroyers were built between 1968 and 1991. 16 remain in service today. Major refit for ships of this class began in 1990s, replacing the old HY-1/HY-2 with YJ-83 (C-803) missile, and manual guns with automatic guns. For air-defense, an 8-cell HQ-7 Surface-to-air missile system is also installed with the upgrade.

[edit] Ships

[edit] Luda I

This is the original configuration of the design, albeit with equipment inconsistencies among the units. Three shipyards built the 13 vessels of this group: units #106-110 in Luda, #131-134 in Zhonghua, and #160-185 in Guangzhou. Unit No.160 suffered an explosion in 1978 and was eventually scrapped.

Luda I class ship
Luda I class ship

The original Luda destroyer was equipped with 2 x triple HY-1 or HY-2 missile launchers, 2 x 130 mm guns, plus an assortment of manual 25 mm, 37 mm, and 57 mm AA guns. Two of the Luda I destroyers were converted into command-vairant, with enlarged superstructure for air defense C3I center, ZKJ-1 combat data system, and Type 381A Rice Shield 3-D long-range air search radar.

[edit] Luda II

Two Luda class destroyers were modified for ASW and C3I duties. The aft 130 mm gun and AAA guns were removed, and replated with helicopter deck and hangar space for 2 helicopters. See this pic for example. A Chinese copy of Thomson-CSF TAVITAC combat data system, ZKJ-4 was added for the C3I duties.

  • Jinan (105) - converted from Luda I to Luda II started in 1987
  • Kaifeng (109) - upgraded with Crotale SAM and YJ-83 (C-803) missiles

[edit] Luda III (051G1/G2)

Luda III Zhuhai
Luda III Zhuhai

In the 1980s, the PLAN wanted to upgrade its 051 destroyers with British systems. In Jan 1983 the PLAN signed an agreement with UK to install the GWS 30 Sea Dart SAM system on a pair of 051 Luda DDG's, at the cost of $150 million USD. [1] There were other planned British upgrades, originally designed as the Type 051S. The upgrade plan was cancelled due to high cost, but later continued as the 051G (Gai) project. Only one ship of this type was built, #166 Zhuhai, equipped with 4 x twin YJ-8 (C-801) AShMs, 1 x triple Whitehead A244 torpedo launcher, Thomson-CSF TAVITAC combat data system (two systems purchased from France in 1985), EFR-1 Rice Lamp fire-control radar, and ESS-1 VDS towed sonar. During the mid-life upgrade, the #166 Zhuhai was upgraded with HQ-7 SAM, 4 x YJ-83 (C-803) SSMs, Type 344 fire-control radar, and Type 79A 37 mm AA guns.


The #165 Zhanjiang was upgraded to the Type 051G1 standard, which is very similar to the Type 051G2.

[edit] Luda mid-life upgrade (051DT)

The PLAN has performed mid-life upgrades on several of its Luda-class destroyers. Some ships have been upgraded with a new ZKJ-4A-3 combat data system (C3I), Crotale/HQ-7 SAM, HY-1/HY-2 missiles replaced by 16 YJ-83 (C-803) anti-ship missiles, and manual AA guns replaced by Type 76A dual-37 mm automatic AA guns. The upgraded ships are sometimes referred to as the Type 051DT. At least 2 ships (109 & 110) are reported to have been upgraded to the Type 051DT standard, with more expected to follow.

[edit] Type 051DT (mid-life upgrade) Specs

For comparison, please see this pic of Luda prior to modernization, and this pic of Luda with modernization.

  • Displacement 3,250 tons (empty), 3,670 tons (loaded)
  • Length 433.1 ft / 132 meters
  • Beam 42 ft / 12.8 meters
  • Draft 15.3 ft
  • Speed ~30+ kts
  • Endurance 2,970 miles at 18 kt
  • Crew 280 (45 officers)
  • Propulsion 2 boilers 2 turbines 72,000 hp(m) (53 MW) 2 shafts
  • C3I System: combat data systems of ZKJ series (ZKJ = Zidong Kongzhi Jiqi: automatic control machines)
    • ZKJ-1 for Luda I
    • ZKJ-4 for Luda II
    • Thomson-CSF TAVITAC for Luda III (051G1/G2)
    • ZKJ-4A-3 for Luda mid-life upgrade (051DT)
    • Data link: HN-900 (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
  • Radar/Sonar
  • Armament
    • 16 x YJ-83 (C-803) anti-ship missiles in 4 x quad launcher boxes
    • 1 x 8-cell HQ-7 Surface-to-air missile launcher + 16 spare missiles
    • 2 x twin 100 mm guns
    • 4 x Type 76A dual-37 mm automatic AA guns
    • 2 x Type 75 (FQF-2500) 12 barrel 240 mm ASW rocket launchers (120 rockets)
    • 2 x triple 324 mm Yu-7 torpedo launchers
    • 4 x DC projectors + 4 DC racks
    • 2 x Chaff/decoy rocket launchers

[edit] External links

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