DDG 167 Shenzhen Refit

[Eisennagel]

 

 Notes I collected on this ship.

 

You can find a summary of this one ship class as follows:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_051B_destroyer

 

Pretty much a geriatric by Chinese standards, even though the ship was laid only as late as 1996.  It represented the first Chinese attempt for a modern destroyer with radar signature reduction.  The ship was designed with VLS in mind but the technology was lacking in those days, leading to an HQ-7 aka FM-90 or improved copy of the French Crotale missile installed.  For much of the 2000s decade, DDG 167 Shenzhen served as the PRC's PR ship, visiting port after port.   When newer destroyers came, along with the Type 054A frigate, the new ships took over the PR role, and the Shenzhen began to fade into obscurity, as well as from the radar of the media and observers.  From then on, the ship underwent a lengthy refit.

 

In its original and most widely photographed form, showing the HQ-7 SAMs, the 16 YJ-83s,  and the Type 381 Rice Screen radar, which is a FRESCAN phase array.  Strangely, the earlier Chinese destroyers like these came with hangers that can fill two helos, then regressed to only one helo in later designs until the two helo hangers returned with the Type 055.

 

 

The upgrade transformed the ship, though in a predictable way, gaining the Type 382 Sea Eagle S/C radar, which is like a copy of the MR710 Fregat, with improvements and lessons from the Type 381 Rice Screen, and has dual C and S band support.  A 32 cel VLS HQ-16 replaces the HQ-7, the HQ-16 being closely derived from the Shtil-1 albeit with some differences, having a better range (70kms) and the VLS cels being hot launched compared to the Russian version which is cold launched.   The four 37mm AA guns were replaced by two Type 1130 CIWS, each with up to 10,000 rounds per minute.  Four Chinese copies of the MR90 Orekhs provides missile tracking and targeting.  Predictably, like a Type 054A grafted in, along with systems pretty much inspired from the Sovremenny destroyers.  There is a new radar between the two funnels, which I suspect to be a surface search fire control radar for anti ship missiles, but can also scan for sea skimmers, like the Type 366, aka Mineral ME copy.

 

 

The one thing that remains a question and which stands out is the antiship missiles, because apparently, contrary to the fan art and expectations, which expected the missiles to be the standard YJ-83s, the missile cartridges don't look like it.

 

Here we have frame racks for the antiship missiles installed.

 

 

There are four racks, which can potentially hold as many as 16 missiles.

 

 

The question is what.  The cartridges are squared and much longer than YJ-83 cartridges.

 

 

The following picture is clearer but partly photobombed by a Type 052D right behind it, which makes it look like having more antennas and CIWS than it should.  Interestingly, shows the two destroyers having the same height on their bridge and superstructure.

 

 

They resemble these cartridges, allegedly either the YJ-18 or DH-10 missile testing.

 

 

The YJ-18 is the Chinese Klub/Kalibr equivalent or similar copy, with a supersonic terminal stage.  The DH-10 is a long ranged LACM, but may have an antiship variant (YJ-100?), derived from the CJ-10 family.

 

DH-10 cartridges on TEL

 

 

YJ-18 cartridges on TEL

 

 

The YJ-18 while having the same cartridge shape, appears bigger, which meant that the TEL carrying it, can only carry two cartridges compared to three for the DH-10.

 

Its possible that the racks could allow for different combinations of DH-10, YJ-18 and YJ-83 or even the Yu-8 ASROC.  I am left with the impression from the pictures, the ship is testing different load outs to see how it affects the ship's weight.    

 

Overall, a pretty impressive upgrade, though lacking in the sense of state of the art radars, and the inclusion of DH-10 and YJ-18 gives it a much higher threat level than its previous form.

[Eisennagel]

 

To add:

 

The use of the long square canisters might also include  or cannot exclude the possibility of using the YJ-12 supersonic antiship missile.

 

 

 

[Eisennagel]

 

The post refit Shenzhen as she finally appeared in a massive amphibious exercise earlier this year, back to her station in the South China Seas.   Calling the ship "Luhai class" seems a bad case of naming, since the Shenzhen is the only member of this class.

 

 

East Pendulum has a write up on the refit.  This seems to confirm the ship is armed with eight YJ-12 missiles.  The ship also seems to have lost her towed array in the upgrade, as the ship is set to be heavily focused on antiship warfare.   Despite this, her two helicopter with hangers compliment is unique among PLAN ships, that are generally equipped with only one helicopter and one hanger, with the notable exception of the Type 055, and the Shenzhen's half sisters of the Type 051C class.

 

http://www.eastpendulum.com/unique-destroyer-type-051b-peau-neuve

[ahoycool]

I am more interested in the 055 Cruiser than this experimental destroyer.

[Eisennagel]

7 hours ago, ahoycool said:

I am more interested in the 055 Cruiser than this experimental destroyer.

 

I am already making a collection of notes on that.

[Kingfishercritic]

Do you reckon the Chinese are using her as a test bed for new missiles and/or new mountings for non standard missiles- like the one's you've mentioned? It may be that she's a tech demonstrator, and we'll see conversions of other ships to use these launchers if she is successful.

[Eisennagel]

6 hours ago, Kingfishercritic said:

Do you reckon the Chinese are using her as a test bed for new missiles and/or new mountings for non standard missiles- like the one's you've mentioned? It may be that she's a tech demonstrator, and we'll see conversions of other ships to use these launchers if she is successful.

 

No.  The Chinese has a specific ship that is used as a test bed and is modified time to time with new radars and missiles.  The ship carries a two setts of different VLS, two racks for slanted canisters, the superstructure has provision for only one fixed face of large phase array radar and one tall mast that is used to test revolving phase arrays.  There is only one ship of this class, I forgot the Type number for the moment.

 

The missiles used on the ship has been previously tested before, the VLS and HQ-16s are from the Type 054A frigate.  Its the first time I have seen the YJ-12 supersonic AshM deployed on a ship, although this has been tested on the test bed mentioned above, and the YJ-12 is already operational with aircraft and land based TELs.  The YJ-12s will also be deployed on the refitted Sovremennys, as these are converted from using Russian to Chinese equipment.  

 

I do think the older ships are used as training stepping stones for crews that would be eventually transferred to vessels like the Type 052D.

[Kingfishercritic]

9 minutes ago, Eisennagel said:

 

 

I do think the older ships are used as training stepping stones for crews that would be eventually transferred to vessels like the Type 052D.

That seems more likely. 

[Eisennagel]

 

They are going to need it, with so many finished 052Ds just lying in the ports, waiting for crews.  Then you have more 052Ds being built and 055s being thrown in, a new carrier and two new LPDs, they better find crews for these.    I don't think they will put new recruits on the top level ships, they would have to pull them from the existing Type 022 FACs, 056 corvettes, Type 053H3, 054 and 054A frigates, and older destroyers which they have a few, two Type 052, two Type 052B, one Type 051B which is the mentioned Shenzhen, two Type 051C and the four Project 956E and EM Sovremenny destroyers.  

[Eisennagel]

 

This is the ship that is used specifically for missile and radar tests.  I can't find a complete picture of, but in this video, its being used to test the universal VLS that went into the Type 052D.  The missile launched vertically from the tubes is a YJ-18 missile that goes supersonic on its terminal stage.

 

 

 

This image shows a part of this test ship again, this time it has a new turntable phase array, likely an AESA.   The radar might be used as a search, track and fire control radar for a medium ranged SAM.  So far this radar has not been deployed yet with the PLA Navy but it may show up in a future ship.  The ship also has two slanted canisters, possibly for testing DH-10 cruise missiles, but most likely for YJ-12 supersonic missiles.

 

 

 

[Eisennagel]

 

Open house for the Shenzhen at no other place, but the city of Shenzhen.  People were able to come on board, and the ship is confirmed to use YJ-12 antiship missiles with a maximum of 16.

 

 

 

 

[Eisennagel]

 

 

[Eisennagel]

 

Henri has a new blog on the Shenzhen that adds more details.  You need to run Google Translate as it is in French.

 

Some highlights from the ship officers that was being asked.

 

This is the first ship in the PLA Navy to have the YJ-12.

YJ-12A missile range is 400km.  Nothing new there, this has long been public information.

"The power of the missile is such that if a ship of the same tonnage as the Shenzhen is hit (6600 tons), the ship would be broken in half and needs to be abandoned."

The precision of the missile is such that only one missile can be fired at a ship, instead of two.

Asked to why the YJ-18 (PLAN's other supersonic missile, which is used on the 052D) isn't used on the ship, the answer is that there is no space.

Won't tell which version of the HQ-16 (the SAM used on the VLS) is used.  

Officer admits that due to the lack of antisubmarine interface, the VLS is not equipped with the Yu-8 which is an ASROC, unlike the Type 054A frigates that use the same VLS.

Also admits, basically confirms, the ship does not have VDS or TAS due to the lack of space and budget constraints.  TAS was previously applied and tested on the ship in its former form.  The ship still has a hull sonar and light torpedoes.