Type 051B destroyer

The Type 051B Luhai-class is a class of destroyer built by the People's Republic of China. It consists of only one ship, No.167 "Shenzhen". When "Shenzhen" was commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy in 1998, it was then, the largest surface combatant that China had ever built. It resembles in many ways an enlarged version of the Luhu class destroyer, and is one of the first PLAN ships with a slope-sided hull to reduce radar signature.

History

"Shenzhen" was laid down by Dalian Shipyard in Northeastern China in May of 1996. The Shenzhen made the switch from the Luhu-Class' Diesel-Gas-Turbines to Gas Turbine engines. The Luhai-Class is 2,000 tons larger than the Type 052 destroyer, Luhu-Class. The Launch was the in 1997 although official revelation of the ship's existence did not come until the year following its commissioning. The chief designer of this class is academic, Mr. Pan Jingfu (潘镜芙), who is also the designer of the predecessor and follow-up of this class of ship.

Analysts speculated that the ship would be equipped with VLS system in the forward section for air-defense SAMs. However, when the ship was finally revealed, many were disappointed by its out-dated air-defense capability. They were still armed with the 8-cell HQ-7 SAM launcher. These SAMs lack effectiveness against sea skimming missiles with multiple approach angles. The PLAN was unhappy with the design and no further ships of this class was built.

The sole Type 051B destroyer 167 Shenzhen participated in the PLA Navy’s first goodwill visit to Africa in 2000, and the first visit to Europe in 2001. In 2004, the ship received its mid-life modernization refit in 2004, with its original 100mm main gun and the HQ-7 air defense missile system being replaced by improved models.

Specifications

* Unit cost - > 2 billion renminbi yuan per ship by 1980s price
* Ships - DDG 167 Shenzhen
* Propulsion - 2 Ukrainian AM50 Gas Turbine Engines
* Length - 153 meter
* Beam - 16.5 meters
* Draft - 6 meters
* Displacement - 6,100 tons (standard); 6,600 tons (full load)
* Speed - 30 knots
* Crew - 250 (40 officers)
* Combat data system - ZKJ-6 Information processing system designed by the 709th Institute (Reported speed: 10 Mbit/s)
* Data link: HN-900 (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
* Communication: SNTI-240 SATCOM
* Radar
** Rice Shield 3-D air search radar
** Type 360S air/surface search radar
** Type 344 fire-control radar (for 100 mm gun & SSMs)
* Armament
** 4 x quad (YJ-83) SSM box launchers
** 1 x 8-cell HQ-7A SAM with automatic loader (8 ready to fire + 8 spare missiles)
** 1 x dual 100 mm/56 caliber gun
** 4 x Type 76A dual 37 mm AA guns
** 2 x Triple 324 mm ASW torpedo tubes
** 2 x Type 946 (PJ46), 15-tube decoy rocket launcher
* Helicopter - 2 medium helicopters (Kamov Ka-28 or Harbin Z-9C)

External links

* [http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/surface/type051b_luhai.asp Sino Defense Today]