Ten years ago, in 2014, the 052D destroyer lead ship 172 "Kunming" was delivered to the Navy and officially put into use. When I first entered the service, I am afraid that not many people foresaw this.
The first service of the "Kunming" was impressive, after all, it was the most sophisticated destroyer of the Chinese Navy at that time. However, by the time it had completed its first decade of service, the number of 052D destroyers had exceeded 30, far exceeding expectations.
At that time, many people thought that the 052D destroyer was too advanced and expensive to build (by the standards of the time). There are quite a few people on the Internet who have suggested that the Chinese Navy should take the 052D destroyer as the core, mass-produce 052C destroyers, and produce 052D destroyers in small quantities.
In the opinion of the time, the role of the 052D destroyer was similar to that of the Ticonderoga-class cruisers of the US Navy, and the 052C destroyer was similar to that of the Burke-class destroyers. Such a configuration is considered the most ideal. However, it turned out that the development of the 052D destroyer exceeded the original assumption and became an important force that cannot be ignored in the Chinese Navy.
However, who would have thought that until 2016, the 052D destroyer, which had not been built at an unsatisfactory pace, would spring up like mushrooms in the next five years, and the number suddenly increased to 25 units.
And only two or three years later, there was a new wave of 052D destroyer construction frenzy, bringing its number to more than 30 units. Just in 2023, this year alone, 7 ships were successfully launched.
The 052D destroyer, which originally gave the impression of being a precious and scarce core workhorse, has now become ubiquitous and has become a representative of ordinary destroyers.
There is no doubt that the 052D destroyers have become the backbone of our Navy, and 25 of them are currently in service, which is enough to form two aircraft carrier battle group escort formations composed entirely of destroyers.
So, why did our Navy choose the large-scale construction of 052D destroyers as the main force? How long will it be able to hold the main position in our army? Will it be able to fight for another 20 years?
The reason why the 052D destroyer was able to be built on a large scale and became the main force of our Navy is, in my opinion, inseparable from three "good": easy to use, easy to build, and cheap.
"Useful" refers to the performance and reliability of the 052D destroyer. Although it has a displacement of only 7000 tons, it is equipped with an active phased array radar on all sides and carries an active anti-aircraft missile.
The regional air defense of the 052D destroyers is stronger than most 9000-ton Burke-class destroyers, especially leading in volume and number of missiles. You must know that even the later Burke-class destroyers need to rely on the advantage of size and number of missiles to surpass the 052D destroyers.
For a destroyer of only 7,000 tons, this is really rare and powerful. Over the past decade of use by the Chinese Navy, the 052D destroyer has demonstrated excellent service and reliability even in high-intensity ocean-going deployment missions.
A destroyer that is both capable of fighting and being good will naturally be highly recognized by the Navy, so it will be produced in large quantities. In order to achieve large-scale production, we must first ensure that this kind of production is easy to manufacture. The so-called "good manufacturing" is not only about low construction costs, but also about the maturity of the technology, the simplicity of design and technology, and the production capacity of the shipyard.
Regardless of the cost of construction, let's look at the technical maturity of the 052D destroyer, the difficulty of the design and process. Overall, the 052D destroyer is an upgraded version of the 052C destroyer, and the overall design continues the characteristics of the 052C. This greatly reduces the difficulty of the design, making maximum use of the design and craftsmanship of the 052C destroyer.
In terms of technical maturity, the 052C destroyer solves most of the problems of the 052D destroyer. The first batch of 052C destroyers had a number of reliability problems, such as the collapse of combat systems, etc., but these problems were properly resolved over the years of improvement.
The improvements have been applied to the 052D destroyer, ensuring that our fleet is equipped with proven, trusted technology. This is not only a technical improvement, but also a guarantee of the security of the fleet.
Speaking of **, the cost of the 052D destroyer is really quite cheap. According to various sources, the initial cost of building a 052D destroyer may only be 3 billion yuan, even after several upgrades.
The construction cost of the third and fourth batch of 052D destroyers is less than 4 billion yuan. At current exchange rates, this is less than $600 million, almost equivalent to the cost of a U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship.
Considering such a **** with outstanding performance and low cost, it can't help but make people think, in any navy, who wouldn't be eager to build in large quantities?
As for how long the main position can be maintained? Within the Chinese Navy, there are two very different views on the future of the 052D destroyer.
One view is that because the 052D destroyer has a high performance ratio and is also in the forefront of the global comprehensive performance, it is expected to play the role of the main ship of the Chinese Navy for the next 20 years.
Another view is that the 052D destroyer has reached the peak of its performance and lacks the potential for further upgrades, but in its current state it is sufficient to meet the needs of the Chinese Navy and can stably serve as a capital ship for a long time.
In the future, as the challenges we face are increasing, the 052D destroyer may struggle to meet the needs of the Navy. Due to the lack of potential for upgrading, it may be replaced by the 055 Grand Drive or other newer surface warships.
It seems to me that these two statements actually highlight the pros and cons of the 052D destroyer. Obviously, the importance of these strengths and weaknesses will vary from scenario to situation.
If the increase in threats and challenges in the future is not significant, then the 052D destroyer can still continue to play the role of the lead ship of the Navy. But if the threat we face rises sharply, then advanced warships like the 055 Drive may be needed to take on the main responsibility, and the 052D destroyers may be repositioned as auxiliary forces.
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