Zhuhai |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Luda Shipyard Zhonghua Shipyard Dalian Shipyard |
| Operators: | People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Succeeded by: | Type 052 |
| In service: | December 1971 |
| Completed: | 17 |
| Active: | Yinchuan Xining Kaifeng Dalian Nanjing Hefei Chongqing Zunyi Nanning Nanchang Guilin Zhanjiang Zhuhai |
| Retired: | Jinan Xi'an Changsha |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3,670 tons |
| Length: | 132 m |
| Beam: | 12.8 m |
| Draught: | 4.6 m |
| Propulsion: | 2 steam turbines 72,000 shp (53,700 kW) |
| Speed: | 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| 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 130 mm dual purpose guns 4 Type 76A dual-37 mm anti-aircraft guns 2 Type 75 anti-submarine rocket systems 6 torpedo tubes Depth charges 38 naval mines |
| Aircraft carried: | 1-2 helicopters: Harbin Z-9C ASW/SAR (Ship #105 Luda-II only) |
| Aviation facilities: | Hangar and flight deck Landing assistance system |
The Type 051 destroyer (NATO code name Luda class) missile destroyer was 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 design.
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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 Gnevny 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. 15 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.
This is the original configuration of the design, albeit with equipment inconsistencies among the units. Three shipyards built the original 16 vessels of this group: units #106-110 in Luda, #131-134 in Zhonghua, and #160-166 in Guangzhou. Of these, Units Nos. 105 and 109 were converted into Luda II type, while Unit No. 160 suffered an explosion in August, 1978 and was eventually scrapped. She is listed as decommissioned.
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-variant, 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.
Two Luda class destroyers were modified for ASW and C3I duties. The aft 130 mm gun and AAA guns were removed, and replaced with a helicopter deck, hangar space for 2 helicopters, and an 8-cell HQ-7 SAM system. See this pic for example. A Chinese copy of Thomson-CSF TAVITAC combat data system, ZKJ-4 was added for the C3I duties.
On a whole the new Luda IIIs had the SJD-II and SJD-4 Sonar systems installed. These sonar systems allowed submarine detections up to 18 knots (33 km/h) in harsh sea states. Zhuhai (166) was 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, Zhuhai (166) was upgraded with HQ-7 SAM, 4 x YJ-83 (C-802a) SSMs, Type 344 fire-control radar, and Type 79A 37 mm AA guns.
The HQ-7 SAM system is reported to be equipped with "semi-automatic reloader" system with 16 spare missiles. The same system is also used on the Type 052 destroyer, bringing the total number of air-defense missiles to 24: 8 (ready to fire) plus 16 (stored).
Zhanjiang (165) was upgraded to the Type 051G1 standard, which is very similar to the Type 051G2.
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), HQ-7 SAM, HY-1/HY-2 missiles replaced by 16 YJ-83 (C-802a) 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.
For comparison, please see this pic of Luda prior to modernization, and this pic of Luda with modernization.