Posted on 08/11/2016 6:53:06 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
China recently produced another “carrier killer” destroyer, the latest in an ever-expanding fleet of Chinese ships capable of threatening American naval power in the highly-contested Asia Pacific.
The eleventh People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer, an elite class of guided-missile destroyers, took to the waters just last week. As is, China already has more of these ships than Japan has Aegis destroyers.
The newest addition to China’s collection of Type 052D destroyers was built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC). This is the second ship of this type that DSIC has completed. The first is currently in the process of being outfitted for combat, and a third is already being constructed.
The primary shipyard for the Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer is the Jiangnan Shipyard, which has already produced nine destroyers of this type. Its ninth Type 052D destroyer set sail last month on July 28.
According to a recent article in The Diplomat, China had initially signaled that it would only construct 12 Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyers and then switch to the production of Type 055D multipurpose cruisers, but China has since placed an order for four more Type 052D destroyers.
The Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer, nicknamed “China’s Aegis,” fits perfectly into China’s anti-access, area-denial (AA/AD) strategy, a largely projectile-based strategy which China has been using to keep other regional actors, specifically the United States, away from Chinese territory, both actual and imagined.
The Type 052D destroyer is often referred to as a “carrier killer” because it is designed to defend against aircraft carriers, submarines, and anti-ship missiles. These ships are expected to be deployed alongside China’s only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and any future carrier units.
Each Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer is equipped with a powerful Type 346A radar system, which gives the Type 052D intelligence gathering capabilities for AA/AD activities, and a dangerous supply of YJ-18 long-range, supersonic anti-ship missiles, which were specifically designed to counter the Aegis system.
According to Deagel.com, the Type 052 Luyang III-class destroyer’s anti-ship missiles travel at Mach 0.8 for 180 kilometers, at which point the warhead separates and a solid rocket engine causes the missile to accelerate to Mach 2.5-3 for 40 kilometers. The missile can maneuver at high speeds to avoid interception by air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles.
This new class of destroyers could easily represent an extension of the Chinese AA/AD strategy in that it has the potential to facilitate the construction of a “blue water” navy with the ability to carry out “far seas defense,” which could be interpreted as the “defense” of territories claimed by and possibly belonging to other countries in the region. The PLA South Sea Fleet commissioned the Yangsha, the fleet’s fourth Type 052D back in July, and another Type 052D participated in the massive live-ammunition drill the PLAN conducted in the East China Sea last week.
As these vessels grow in number, the Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer could pose a serious challenge for the United States, Asia’s primary security guarantor.
Send tips to ryan@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
And we haggle about what bathroom to use.
We could use some Godly fire and brimstone right about now.
I’m wondering how the combat power of the Red Fleet compares against that of Japan?
Kinda reminds me of the rise of the Luftwaffe in the 1930’s.
This is crazy! Where the heck did China get the money to do this?
;-)
Is there a bilge pump in every compartment?
China’s Fleet of ‘Carrier Killer’ Destroyers Is Growing>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You mean rich cannon fodder for US nuclear subs?
Bring it.
Clinton gave them the seed money ...
Every week it seems the wisdom and foresight of Jeff Head is illustrated.
He is a great patriot and I am glad I have read his works.
The Russian and Soviet navy was officer-centric. This often reduces their effectiveness because even simple tasks cannot be accomplished without an officer's oversight. In the heat of battle, this can be a significant disadvantage.
So what do you mean by "kill".
The Soviets also built very few ships per class, with few systems common from class to class. This led to a logistical nightmare for spare parts and sailors assigned to the same ship for their entire career.
The Soviets also had a minimal grasp of damage control.
WalMart.
From you, me, and every other American that unknowingly buys products from China at our local stores. What do you think Trump is talking about regarding jobs going overseas?
It's about some businesses moving abroad, but mostly the close to slave labor wages in China while America is stuck with punitive business taxes, onerous regulations, and greedy unions. I can't tell you how often I've tried not to buy Made in China (I check the label), but sometimes it's unavoidable. I'm one of the few who try - most don't look or care.
The best thing I've seen Trump espouse is his economic plan that includes a huge cut in business taxes. I know who creates jobs...I owned 3 different businesses. My main company was put out of business from a huge overseas conglomerate because they came in and undercut our fees for our services. We had to increase the fees to our customers every year just to keep up with the Union increases. The Carlson Group were non-union.
The union that helped put me out of business is at the end of most movies. You've seen the logo with the letters, I.A.T.S.E. You don't see them as much as the Hollywood production companies got wise and shoot many other places nowadays. By closing National Film Service (est. 1947)), the non-union Group killed some thousands of jobs nation wide.
A destroyer for a carrier is a pretty good trade.
While I wouldn't want to take on a barrage of nuclear-tipped missiles, we do have some options to shoot those down before they could potentially arm themselves.
Additionally, such a capability speaks to the continual need to maintain our ballistic missile submarine fleets. One nuked carrier = one nuked Chinese city
To be fair, some of the stuff built by the Russians and the Chinese is quite good; unlike the U.S., they haven't ignored force modernization and taken a two-decades-long procurement holiday. But any new weapons system must be viewed through the prism of tactics, training and employment.
Case-in point: when I left the spook world a few years back, the Russians and Chinese were flying their latest fighters much like they did with earlier models like the MiG-23, MiG-21 and J-7. Heavily scripted tactics, under near-continuous guidance from ground controllers. Their pilots never experienced anything like the dynamic, free-flowing environment of a Red Flag or similar exercise, and they were largely incapable of deciphering a complex tactical situation and acting autonomously. In other words, their pilots would be at a severe disadvantage against their western counterparts, despite the technical sophistication of fourth-generation fighters like the SU-27 Fencer and its various derivatives.
Same thing with the Chinese Navy. DDGs function as part of larger task forces, incorporating surface, air and submarine elements. China's undersea/ASW capabilitie are improving, but they would struggle against the threat posed by newer Los Angeles-class boats and Virginia-class subs. Likewise, those destroyers may have advanced surface-to-air missiles, but how well would they function against multiple threats, firing anti-ship missiles from various headings, at the same time. Again, it's a matter of how you train and the quality of that training.
One more thought: the Chinese and Russian militaries have long suffered from the lack of a professional NCO corps. Many of the positions we fill with E-4s, E-5s and E-6s are held by junior officers in Russia and China, and most aren't as capable as our mid-level NCOs, let alone our senior NCOs.
Just curious, but what is to prevent the US from just sending in stealth aircraft to sink these on the first day of a battle? Assuming we can find them of course.
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