The Type 052 (NATO/ OSD Luhu-class destroyer) is a

class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

s developed in the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(PRC) for the

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

(PLAN). The Type 052 was an intermediate between the obsolescent Type 051Kirchberger (2015): page 186 and the modern Type 052B destroyers.Kirchberger (2015): page 195McDevitt (2017): page 57 They were the first PLAN destroyers powered by

gas turbine A gas turbine or gas turbine engine is a type of Internal combustion engine#Continuous combustion, continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas gene ...

s, and the first PLAN ships with modern combat direction systems (CDS). They were also part of the first generation of PLAN warships armed with

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...

s in the form of the short-range Crotale (called HQ-7 in Chinese service.)Kirchberger (2015): page 231 The Type 052 used subsystems imported from the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and the

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. The embargo after the

1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between t ...

ended the supply of and support for those subsystems, limiting production to two ships and likely affecting their operating efficiency due to system integration issues. Afterward, China turned to

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and

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for technology.Kirchberger (2015): page 143

Programme

The Type 052 was the first PLAN warship where the CDS was designed before the ship. The CDS, possible the ZKJ-6 based on the

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IPN-10 or IPN-20,Kirchberger (2015): page 188 began development in 1983 and underwent land-based testing in December 1986. Two ships were ordered in 1985, but delayed by export orders to

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. The first, ''

Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...

'', was laid down in November 1990 and commissioned in July 1994. ''

Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...

'' was commissioned in March 1996. In 2003, ''Harbin'' was refitted with a low radar profile 100mm gun turret in 2003; ''Qingdao'' followed in 2005. A major refit began in 2010 for ''Harbin'' and ''Qingdao'' in 2011 which included changes to sensors and weapons, gas turbine replacement, and some hull work.

Design

Machinery

The ships were completed with different gas turbines due to the embargo; ''Harbin'' with two General Electric LM2500s from the United States, and ''Qingdao'' with two Zorya-Mashproekt DA80s from

.Collins and Grubb (2008): page 36

Sensors

The original sensors included the Type 518 air search radar, the Type 362 search radar, and the FrenchCollins and Grubb (2008): page 32 DUBV-43 variable depth sonar. These were replaced during the 2010 refit with the Type 517 radar, the Type 362 radar, and a linear towed array sonar respectively.

Weapons

The ships are armed with an octuple HQ-7/Crotale launcher, and a total of 32 missiles. France agreed to sell the missile systems in 1986, and they were delivered after October 1990. Four Type 76A twin 37 mm guns were installed at construction. They were removed during 2010 refit, and the aft pair replaced by a pair of Type 730 CIWS.

Other

The CDS installed on the Type 052 is unclear.Kirchberger (2015): page 187 One ship may have received the

Thomson-CSF Thomson-CSF was a French company that specialized in the development and manufacture of electronics with a heavy focus upon the aerospace and defence sectors of the market. Thomson-CSF was formed in 1968 following the merger of Thomson-Hous ...

TAVITAC; the PRC bought two TAVITACs from France in the 1980s.Kirchberger (2015): page 185 The TAVITAC may be known as, or modified into, the ZKJ-5 CDS in PRC service. The other ship may have received the ZKJ-6. The quarterdecks were built open, and enclosed during the 2010 refit. The ships may have had severe survivability issues like earlier PLAN warships. Observations by foreign visitors to ''Harbin'' in March 1997 suggested limited damage control capability and crew safety features.

Operational history

''Qingdao'' participated in the PLAN's first cruise to circumnavigate Earth in 2002. German technicians were flown in to repair its diesel engines during the cruise.

Ships of the class

Gallery

Defense.gov News Photo 970309-N-9815L-005.jpg, ''Harbin'' at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1997 with the original main gun turret. People's Liberation Army Navy LUHU Destroyer, Harbin (DDG112).jpg, ''Harbin'' at Auckland, New Zealand, in 2007 with the low radar profile turret. CNS_Qingdao_(DDG-113).jpg, ''Qingdao'' in 2013 after the major refit.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Type 052 Destroyer Destroyer classes