The Type 052B is a multirole missile destroyer built by Jiangnan Shipyard for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China. Two ships have been built in the class: Guangzhou and Wuhan. The class is preceded by the Type 051B destroyer and succeeded by the Type 052C destroyer.
The Type 052B was the first Chinese-built destroyer to demonstrate air defence capabilities. The class features a stealthy hull and a Russian-made defence system. The destroyers can be deployed in anti-surface and anti-submarine operations.
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The destroyer was launched in May 2002 and commissioned in July 2004.
The second vessel, Wuhan, was launched in January 2003 and commissioned in late 2004. The vessels are in service with the 9th Destroyer Flotilla of the PLAN South Sea Fleet.
Design
The vessel shares similarities with the Russian-built Sovremenny-class destroyer in terms of size and performance. It has an overall length of 154m, a beam of 17m and a draught of 6m. Full displacement is 6,500t.
Missiles
The destroyer is armed with two missile launchers firing SA-N-12 Grizzly surface-to-air missiles. The launchers can carry 48 missiles and are equipped with MR-90 front dome fire control radars.
Four quadruple launchers are armed with YJ-83 anti-ship cruise missiles. The YJ-83 is a long-range anti-ship missile with a maximum range of 200km which uses a data-link to receive target updates from helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft.
Guns
A single-barrel 100mm gun is installed on the bow deck. The gun has a rate of fire of 90 rounds a minute and is used against aircraft and low-speed missiles. It can be operated in fully automatic and manual modes.
The vessel is also fitted with two Type 730 close-in weapon systems (CIWS). The CIWS has a maximum firing range of 3,000m and can fire at a rate of 5,800 rounds a minute. Each system is equipped with a fire-control radar and an electro-optic director.
Torpedoes and rockets
The vessel is fitted with two triple 324mm torpedo-launching Yu-7 anti-submarine torpedoes. The Yu-7 has a maximum range of 7.3km and a maximum speed of 28kt. It can carry a 45kg warhead. Two Type 75 ASW rocket launchers can fire rockets against submarines within a 1,200m range.
Aircraft
The vessel has a stern flight deck and a single raised helicopter hanger to support the operations of a Ka-28 ASW helicopter. The helicopter can carry torpedoes and deep charges for ASW operations.
Countermeasures
The Type 052B’s countermeasures include an active/passive jamming electronic counter measure system and four 18-barrel Type 726-4 decoy/chaff launchers.
Sensors/radars
The vessel is equipped with a Fregat-MAE-5 3D search radar operating at E-band. The radar has a maximum detection range of 230km and can simultaneously tracks 40 targets. Four MR90 Front-Dome radars developed by the Russian ALTAIR Naval Radio Electronics Scientific Research Institute provide fire control for the SA-N-12 missiles. A Type 344 fire-control radar operating at I/J band controls the main gun.
A Mineral-ME datalink provides fire control for the YJ-83 ASCM missiles. The destroyer is also fitted with a medium-frequency active/passive search and attack sonar.
Propulsion
The destroyer uses a combined diesel or gas propulsion system consisting of two Zorya-Mashproekt DN80 gas-turbines rated at 48,600hp and two Shaanxi diesel engines rated at 6.5MW. The propulsion system provides a maximum speed of 29kt.
