The Type 051C destroyer (NATO reporting name: Luzhou class) is a long-range air-defence guided-missile destroyer built by China in its ongoing effort to create a true blue water navy. The ship uses the hull design of the older Type 051B (Luhai class), but is equipped with the advanced Russian S-300FM air defence missiles systems. Currently, two ships of this class have been launched and deployed by People's Liberation Army Navy

North Sea Fleet The Northern Theater Command Navy (), or the North Sea Fleet (NSF; ) is one of the three fleets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, under the Northern Theater Command. In September 1950 the Qingdao Army Base was redesignated as a naval ...

Background

The construction of the Luzhou-class destroyer at China's northern Dalian Shipyard was revealed in 2004 with the help of Internet photographs. A disadvantage of the Type 051C is that it lacks the stealthier radar cross-section found on the newer Chinese warships. The ship also possesses less advanced steam turbine propulsion compared to gas turbine propulsion present in all newer Chinese destroyers. The Type 051C is a stop gap measure to provide long range area air defense to the fleet by mating the mature hull design with proven SAM system that is more capable than that of the

Type 052B destroyer The Type 052B (NATO/OSD Luyang I-class destroyer is a class of guided-missile destroyers in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force (PLAN). The Type 052B was China's first modern destroyer designKirchberger (2015): page 195McDe ...

. Production of this class stopped once more advanced

Type 052C destroyer The Type 052C destroyer (NATO/ OSD Luyang II-class destroyer) is a class of guided-missile destroyers in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force (PLAN). The Type 052C introduced both fixed active electronically scanned array (AES ...

s became available.

Description

Missiles

The Luzhou class uses the advanced Russian S-300FM air defence missile system with

track-via-missile Track-via-missile or TVM refers to a missile guidance technique which combines features of semi-active radar homing (SARH) and radio command guidance. This avoids the problems with terminal accuracy normally seen by command guided missiles, espec ...

homing guided by a single Tombstone radar. The missile has a maximum range of 150 km and an operating altitude of 10 m - 27 km. The anti-ship abilities possessed by the Luzhou class includes eight indigenous YJ-83 (C-803)

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good ...

s. This anti-ship missile has a range of over and approaches its target in sea skimming mode at a speed of

Mach Mach may refer to Mach number, the speed of sound in local conditions. It may also refer to: Computing * Mach (kernel), an operating systems kernel technology * ATI Mach, a 2D GPU chip by ATI * GNU Mach, the microkernel upon which GNU Hurd is bas ...

1.5. As a secondary role, the missile can also be used against land targets.

Guns

The ship uses two

Type 730 CIWS The Type 730 is a Chinese seven-barrelled 30 mm Gatling gun/Rotary cannon CIWS. It has a PLA Navy designation H/PJ12. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar, and electro-optical tracking systems. The maximum r ...

guns for air defence. The Type 730 is a

CIWS A close-in weapon system (CIWS ) is a point-defense weapon system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses, typically mounted on a naval ship. Nearly all classes of l ...

that is also installed on the Type 052B (''Guangzhou'' class) and Type 052C/ 052D destroyers, and the Type 054A (Jiangkai II-class) frigates. The ship also has 100 mm gun based on a French design for use against surface targets.

Sensors

The S-300FM missile is guided by the Volna (NATO codename: Tomb Stone) 3D phased-array target tracking radar installed on top of the stern deckhouse. The radar can direct 12 missiles to engage 6 targets simultaneously. Since two radars are required to give 360° coverage, this means that there is a blind gap on Type 051C in full SAM cover in the forward quadrant, resulting in a major tactical restriction. The air search radar is a Fregat-MAE-5 (NATO reporting name: Top Plate) 3D air search radar mounted at the top of the rear mast, offering two channels in E-band. The radar can track up to 40 targets simultaneously, and has a maximum range of 120 nmi to aircraft and 20 nmi to sea-skimming missile. There is also a large round radome mounted at the top of the front mast, housing a Type 364 (SR64) surface search radar. A large round radome installed on top of the bridge houses the Mineral-ME (NATO reporting name: Band Stand) radar that provides anti-ship missile control and over-the-horizon radar acquisition and target designation of surface ships. There are two indigenous Type 347G (EFR-1) I-band radars integrated with the Type 730 CIWS to provide fire-control.

Propulsion

The ships are powered by two indigenous steam turbine engines giving them a top speed of 30 knots.

Ships of class

References

External links

* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/ddg-x.htm {{Ship classes of the Chinese Navy Destroyers of the People's Liberation Army Navy Destroyer classes Type 051C destroyers