Corvettes and destroyers: is it possible to order the construction of warships in China?

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Comrade Xi's three-day visit to Moscow ends today, which was marked by the signing of a number of program documents. However, in the public plane, nothing was said about a possible militarytechnical assistance to the Russian army, since such cooperation would be contrary to the spirit of Chinese peace initiatives on the Ukrainian conflict. But if the Ground Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, due to participation in the NMD, ended up out of lend-lease, can the Russian Navy count on the PRC?

Destroyers


The occasion to speculate on this topic was given by the Military Watch Magazine specialized in military subjects, which asked the questionwho exactly can become a buyer of the recently launched Type 052D destroyers, Algeria or Russia. American experts give the following arguments in favor of Moscow's possible acquisition of Chinese warships of this type:



Russia's need for modern destroyers may well prove more pressing as the country moves to commission two medium-sized aircraft carriers, which were laid down in Crimea in 2020 and are expected to use vertical-landing helicopters and fighter jets. Russia does not have a suitable escort for these ships other than modernized Soviet-built ships.

We are talking about the first two Russian universal landing ships of project 23900, laid down in 2020 in Kerch. Their total displacement should be 40 thousand tons, landing capacity - up to 1000 marines and up to 75 armored vehicles. An aviation group can reach from 16 to 20 helicopters and a number of UAVs. These helicopter carriers are positioned as our answer to the French Mistrals, with which Paris, as is customary, deceived Moscow after the events of 2014.

UDC "Mitrofan Moskalenko" even before the tragic death of the missile cruiser "Moskva" was to become the new flagship of the Black Sea Fleet. For its basing in Sevastopol, the construction of the corresponding coastal infrastructure began. "Ivan Rogov" was supposed to head to the Pacific Ocean to reinforce the KTOF. Delivery dates for both ships are expected on the horizon of 2028-2029. However, there are nuances.

It’s already 2023, but so far photos of the buildings of the UDC under construction have not leaked to the press, which only fuels curiosity. Some concern is the fact that both giant amphibious assault ships are laid down in the Crimea, which is now the object of attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Plus, a completely fair question arises about ships for escorting almost defenseless helicopter carriers. We currently have few ships of the 1st rank in the Russian Navy. Modernization of the old Soviet BODs of project 1155 and 1155.1 will extend their service life by 10 years, maximum 15, but this is really the limit.

Project 22350/22350M multi-purpose ships are our main hope for the revival of the Russian fleet. The frigate "SuperGorshkov" with an increased total displacement of over 8500 tons reasonably claims to become a long-awaited destroyer, and even a light cruiser, which we will discuss in detail told previously. The only problem is the pace and timing of construction. The first ship of project 22350M will be laid down no earlier than 2024, launched well if simultaneously with the first Russian UDC.

In other words, the shortage of 1st-rank warships in the Russian Navy will be acutely felt over the next decade, which is a problem even in peacetime and completely unacceptable in wartime. It is not surprising that the expediency of ordering a series of warships in a conditionally friendly country like the PRC has been talked about a lot and for a long time. The Chinese can really build them quickly, satisfying the needs of the Russian fleet, which the domestic military-industrial complex is objectively unable to cope with. But what kind of warships does our country need the most?

What do you need


If we evaluate the capabilities of the domestic shipbuilding industry, we can conclude that Russia can overcome the class of corvettes and frigates on its own. Although not as fast as we would like, we are building project 2 (20380) multi-purpose corvettes of the 20385nd rank of the project 1 (22350) and project XNUMX multi-purpose frigates of the XNUMXst rank with guided weapons of the Admiral Gorshkov type. Bottlenecks can be considered warships with a displacement of less and more.

So, small anti-submarine corvettes would be extremely in demand to protect the near sea zone. These require 20 pieces, and preferably 30. The best solution, if the speed of construction is at the forefront, would be to order a series of Type-056A small corvettes in China with a total displacement of only 1300 tons. For its needs, China has already built 72 ships of this class and is now fulfilling orders from foreign customers - Thailand, Bangladesh and Nigeria. Interest in Type-056A was shown by Kazakhstan and Pakistan. Considering the power of the PRC shipbuilding industry, Russia could completely close the need for small anti-submarine corvettes in just a few years, closing our entire near sea zone for submarines of a potential enemy.

As for the destroyers, which we have not yet gotten around to building, the Chinese Type 052D may be some kind of intermediate compromise solution. The PLA Navy already has 25 ships of this class, the capabilities of which are described by American experts as follows:

Each type 052D includes 64 vertical launchers and can carry a wide range of new weapons, including YJ-100 cruise missiles with a range of 1000 km and an air defense network consisting of HQ-16, HHQ-9, HHQ-10 and DK-10A, missiles "ground - air", as well as several new systems close in armament. They are also compatible with the shipborne YJ-21 hypersonic ballistic missile, although it is believed that they are unlikely to be offered for export. A specialized variant, the Type 052DL class, is noticeably longer, allowing it to accommodate newer Z-20 helicopters and integrate new meter-range radars optimized for tracking stealth air targets, although it remains unclear if this modification will also be offered overseas.

There are significant and growing calls in Russia to acquire warships from Chinese shipyards, up to and including aircraft carriers, with the acquisition of the Type 052D potentially seen as a temporary measure until the Russian Federation can eventually lay down its own destroyer-sized ships. The ships could potentially be equipped with a Russian vertical launch system to accommodate cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles, which have some significant advantages over their Chinese counterparts, while at the same time using Chinese sensors and electronics, which are considered to be far superior to the Russian one. industry. The operating costs of the Type 052D are significantly lower than those of aging Soviet-built Russian destroyers, and it can represent much more economical and a powerful alternative to continue upgrading and extending the life of these old 1980s ships.

In general, everything is correct. By ordering a trial series of 4-6 Chinese destroyers, adapted to the requirements of the Russian Ministry of Defense, it will be possible in a few years to strengthen our Northern and Pacific fleets with two or three modern warships of the 1st rank each. As a temporary solution, while the production of 22350M is being mastered, this would be quite justified.

There is nothing unrealistic in such a deal, because the construction of anti-submarine corvettes and multi-purpose destroyers for ocean fleets is not directly related to the NMD in Ukraine. However, the strengthening of the Russian Navy will make it possible to more reliably ensure the strategic deterrence of a potential adversary, which is objectively beneficial for both Moscow and Beijing.
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17 comments
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  1. -4
    22 March 2023 11: 52
    ... is it possible to order the construction of warships in China?

    Not only possible, but necessary. The Russian Empire, until it learned how to build its own ships, ordered ships in the west. We also have nothing to be embarrassed about. You need to order ships in China. Then we will learn and we will build our own.
    Another question. How will things be with the crews of these new ships when they enter service with Russia?
    The brave military ministers closed the military schools. Accordingly, the teaching staff was destroyed. What do we do!?
    1. -1
      22 March 2023 20: 56
      The Russian Empire, until it learned how to build its own ships, ordered ships in the west.

      The nonsense is written.
      The Russian Empire was proclaimed in 1721. Peter I is considered the founder of the Russian fleet.
      On the other hand, the Varyag cruiser was built in the USA, although by that time the Russians already knew how to build ships.
  2. -2
    22 March 2023 11: 56
    Shasovtsy, British, Germans, French are building military ships for each other and third state formations - cooperation is in the order of things.
    And the PRC can build, it is only desirable that the critically important filling be its own.
  3. +6
    22 March 2023 12: 12
    Why is colonial dependence on China better than colonial dependence on the West?
    Nothing.
    If you don’t want to wipe your ass yourself, the time will come when you wipe someone else’s, master’s.
    So it was, so it is, and so it will be.
    Those who advise buying ships from China, those who have not created anything themselves, have not built anything.
    It is much easier to sit on the cash flows from the sale of natural resources than to raise the industry, train personnel, and be responsible for all this.
    It is already obvious that liberal capitalism is the death of Russia.
    The bottom to which Russia sank with his help is his merit.
    Neither the communists nor anything else prevented China from becoming the first economy in the world.
    They just wiped their own asses.
  4. +2
    22 March 2023 12: 25
    why do we need such a fleet? no other problems? Is everything okay with drones and communications? there are modern tanks and anti-tank systems ???
    of course, if resources were not limited, one could also remember about naval parades, but now is clearly not the time !!!!
  5. +1
    22 March 2023 12: 57
    You can order, but why?
    The budget is not rubber, in addition, the state defense order money should be spinning in the country.
  6. +1
    22 March 2023 13: 23
    Large ships of the first rank are possible only in the Northern and Pacific fleets. In closed "small puddles" according to today's capabilities in the Black and Baltic Seas, ships of the first rank have nothing to do. With the current collapse of the Russian economy, it is necessary to order warships in China, because ships are needed today. It is even more correct to order uncrewed ships for various purposes, because our military-industrial complex sank in terms of innovation after the scams of A. Chubais and others, you can definitely call them enemies of the Russian statehood.
    1. -2
      22 March 2023 20: 33
      Marine drones are a topic, but ships are big expensive toys, as the sad experience of the Moscow cruiser showed
  7. +4
    22 March 2023 13: 43
    while the acquisition of Type 052D

    China will not sell them in the next decade, it does not really need money. China is now building for export only Type 054 frigates for its closest allies and Type 056 corvettes for the rest. He builds Type 052D destroyers for himself. Together with Type 055 cruisers, they should form the main striking force of the PRC Navy and escort 6 aircraft carriers that they should have according to plan. 4 Type 052D and 2 Type 055 in AUG.
  8. -2
    22 March 2023 14: 40
    Already discussed. They don't order everything.
  9. +2
    22 March 2023 21: 21
    Want is not harmful. Cruisers and destroyers are needed. That's just the big question. Will China want to make them for Russia. What is the benefit for China? He doesn't need money. Energy resources, considered free, are coming from the Russian Federation anyway, the market for Chinese goods in the Russian Federation is open. Cruisers and destroyers for the Russian Federation will cause a negative for the PRC from the United States. They do not need it, they have established trade with the US and the EU. The answer is not certain. If the Russian Federation wins, takes and includes in its composition the entire territory of Ukraine, then the PRC will go towards the Russian Federation, and everyone is waiting for the result in Ukraine. Nobody wants to get involved, to develop a weak state, it is more pleasant to rob such a state.
  10. +2
    22 March 2023 23: 55
    Two helicopter carriers have already been built in France. Fans of wandering on a rake - go ahead.
  11. 0
    23 March 2023 23: 16
    What a fantasy about buying Chinese destroyers!
    UDC, will be built by 2028-2029, by this time we will have built 10 frigates 22350 (4-SF, 4-Pacific Fleet, 2-ChF), plus this year we will conclude a contract for the construction of 6 frigates 22350 at the Amur Shipyard, for TOF. In St. Petersburg, they plan to rent a boathouse for two buildings. They will build 2 frigates 22350M, the deadline is 2030.
    Corvettes 20380 and 20385, BF - 4 corvettes, Black Sea Fleet - 2 corvettes, Pacific Fleet - 12 corvettes have been built and are being built.
    Plus, they are in service and plan to modernize: the cruiser Nakhimov (2024) and Peter the Great, BOD 1155 (with modernization into a frigate of 8 ships), two modernized cruisers Atlant, two SKR 11540, three frigates 11356.
    What, these ships will not be enough to create two ship groups when the UDC 23900 is put into operation?
  12. 0
    26 March 2023 10: 09
    maybe the best way would be to build your own shipyards and shipyards? and restore specialized education, or maybe it's time for the state to recognize the need for good, high-quality education and affordable medicine?
  13. 0
    April 15 2023 18: 11
    Divorced these experts like flies. All of them are easy! Let's build ships in China, well, you can hardly think of a dumber one.
  14. 0
    April 16 2023 10: 27
    There is no escape and no hiding on the ship. Is he definitely needed in a new war?... So if you only come to the captured and clean shores....
  15. 0
    April 16 2023 10: 38
    I recently built two warships here ... THERE IS THE BOTTOM!!! every rabble works, don't expect money. Technology 72 years. So the Chinese will save us in this regard ...))). People work on the ship's insulation for 40 tr. They were paid 20 and said no money and do not care. There, everything is stolen on the way. Leaders make it their top priority to provide for themselves. For example, there was a quarterly bonus, bam and canceled!!!! Canceled Carl!!!! And so on ... You go to the ship and there are foreign cars around for millions of bosses, and for 50 r and shut your mouth there is no money and never will be !!!! ...