I don't know if friends still remember that ten years ago in 2014, the first 052D destroyer of the Chinese Navy was delivered to the Navy for official service, which is the lead ship of the 052D destroyer, the 172 "Kunming ship".
This was the most advanced destroyer of the Chinese Navy at that time, and the first four destroyers of the 052D were all in service with a certain destroyer detachment of the South China Sea Fleet, becoming the strongest surface combat force of the Chinese Navy at that time.
But when the "Kunming" was just put into service, not many people could have imagined that in a few years, the 052D destroyer would break the record for the number of destroyers built in the Chinese Navy.
And after 10 years of service with the first ship, more than 30 052D destroyers have been built and launched.
Changes to the 052D destroyer
I still remember that many friends at that time felt that the 052D destroyer was too advanced, and we probably couldn't build much of such an advanced and expensive (from the perspective of the time).
So at that time, many friends made suggestions on the Internet, thinking that the Chinese Navy should take the 052D destroyer as the core, build a large number of 052C destroyers, and build a small number of 052D destroyers.
In the eyes of friends at that time, the 052D destroyer played a role similar to the U.S. Navy's "Ticonderoga"-class cruiser in the Navy, and the 052C destroyer played a role similar to the Burke-class destroyer, which was the most ideal configuration.
However, who knows that the 052D destroyer, which was still not built at a high rate until 2016, will be built and launched 20 in the next five years, increasing the total number of 052D destroyers to 25.
And two or three years later, a new wave of 052D destroyer construction frenzy was set off, increasing this number to more than 30 units. Just 2023 is the year. Seven ships were built and launched.
The impression of the 052D destroyer has also changed from a precious and scarce core workhorse to an ordinary destroyer that can be seen everywhere.
There is no doubt that the 052D destroyer has now become the backbone of our navy, and the 25 ships currently in service are enough to form 2 aircraft carrier battle group escort formations composed entirely of destroyers.
So why did our Navy choose the 052D destroyer as the main force for mass construction? How long will the 052D destroyer remain the main force in our Navy? Can you fight for another 20 years?
Three "good" for the 052D destroyer
The 052D destroyer can be built in large quantities and become the main force of our Navy, which in my opinion is inseparable from the three "good": easy to use, easy to build, and cheap.
Good use refers to the performance and reliability of the 052D destroyer. Although the 052D destroyer has a displacement of only 7,000 tons, it is equipped with a four-sided active phased array radar and is equipped with active anti-aircraft missiles.
This makes the regional air defense capability of the 052D destroyer even stronger than most of the 9,000-ton "Burke"-class destroyers, and only the late-stage Burke-class destroyers can surpass the 052D destroyers by virtue of their superiority in size and number of missiles.
This is obviously extremely rare for a 7,000-ton destroyer.
In the ten years of use of the Chinese Navy, even in high-intensity ocean-going deployment missions, the 052D destroyer has shown good service and reliability.
A destroyer like this, which can fight and work well, will of course be recognized by the Navy and vigorously built.
And if you want to build a kind of ** in large quantities, then this kind of ** must be easy to build.
Good build is a relatively broad term, which includes the construction cost of this ship, the maturity of the technology, the complexity of the design and process, and the capacity of the shipyard.
Let's put the construction cost to the next point to discuss, look at the technical maturity of the 052D destroyer, as well as the complexity of the design and process.
In general, the 052D destroyer is an upgraded and improved version of the 052C destroyer, and the overall design is inherited from the 052C destroyer.
This greatly reduces the difficulty of the design, and maximizes the use of the design and craftsmanship of the 052C destroyer.
And in terms of technical maturity, the 052C destroyer solves the vast majority of problems for the 052D destroyer.
The first batch of 052C destroyers had a large number of reliability problems, including the collapse of combat systems, which were properly resolved after years of improvement.
The relevant improvement experience has been applied to the 052D destroyer, ensuring that the technology used on our 052D destroyer is mature and reliable.
Finally, it's cheap, the cost of building the 052D destroyer is really cheap.
According to various sources, the construction cost of an early 052D destroyer may only be 3 billion yuan, even if it is the first.
Third, the fourth batch, after upgrading and improving, the 052D destroyer, the construction cost is probably less than 4 billion yuan.
Based on 4 billion yuan, it is less than 600 million US dollars at the current exchange rate, which is almost equivalent to the cost of a littoral combat ship of the US Navy.
This is only equivalent to the construction cost of 1 3 to 1 4 of a Burke-class destroyer, and the combat performance reaches ninety percent of the Burke-class destroyer, or even comparable to it.
Such an easy-to-use, easy-to-build and cheap **, in which country's navy, would it be reluctant to build it in large quantities?
How long can you be the main force?
So how long can the 052D destroyer be the main force in the Chinese Navy?
There are currently two views on this issue:
One view is that because the 052D destroyer is too cost-effective, and its comprehensive performance is also among the best in the world today, it can be used for a long time and become the main ship of the Chinese Navy in the next 20 years.
Another view is that the 052D destroyer currently lacks the potential for upgrading, and its current performance is sufficient to meet the needs of the Chinese Navy.
However, when the challenges we face in the future increase, it is very likely that the 052D destroyer will not be able to meet the needs of the Navy, and because of the lack of upgrade potential, it will be replaced by the 055 large drive or newer surface combat ships.
It seems to me that these two statements actually point out the advantages and disadvantages of the 052D destroyer, respectively.
Obviously, the importance of the advantages and disadvantages is not the same in different situations.
If the increase in the threats and challenges we face in the future is not obvious, then the 052D destroyer can continue to serve as the main ship of our Navy.
If the threats and challenges we face are increasing rapidly, then I am afraid that advanced warships such as the 055 drive will be needed to carry the main banner, and the 052D destroyer will be used as an auxiliary.
Dear readers, what do you think? Welcome to exchange and discuss in the comment area.