China adding towed sonars to Type 054A, Type 056 vessels


Images published on Chinese military forums show a large aperture cut out of the transom for VDS on two Type 054A frigate hulls. Source: via cjdby.net

Photographs of two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 054A (Jiangkai II) frigates being fitted out at Huangpu shipyard in Guangzhou province, China, strongly suggest that variable-depth sonars (VDSs) are being installed.

The images, published on the cjdby.net website, show a large aperture cut out of the transom and installation of mechanical handling gear on Type 054A hulls 19 & 20 (Pennant number 576, Huangshi and 577, Huanggang). Huanggang was launched in July and the large aperture has been cut since then. Two much smaller apertures have also been cut, most likely for the deployment of a towed array and a towed decoy. Photographs of these being streamed by PLAN escorts have previously appeared online.


Detail of a mechanical handling gear for a variable depth sonar on a Type 054A hull at Huangpu shipyard in Guangzhou province. (via cjdby.net)

Images of Type 056 (Jiangdao class) corvette hull 17 (593, Suqian ) being launched at Shanghai Hudong shipyard in November 2013 showed a similarly modified transom. Subsequent images of that ship alongside and on trials show part of a VDS towed body, with internet sources suggesting that four Type 056 corvettes are being fitted with VDSs.

Installation of a VDS on the frigates after launch and before commissioning suggests not only that this is a late addition to the standard design, but also that the PLAN is confident in the sonar's performance and that its installation has been prioritised.

The frigates and Type 056 corvettes are not the first PLAN ships to be fitted with a VDS: a system was installed on the Type 052 (Luhu class) destroyers built in the early 1990s. Some sources suggest that a different sonar suite was installed in each of the two ships of the class: an Italian (US) DE-1163 in one and a French DUBV-43 in the other. These systems were removed when the ships were refitted in 2011.

No details have emerged of the operational characteristics of the VDS installed in the Type 056 corvettes but the partial images of the towed body suggest that it is not an exact copy of either a DE-1163 or a DUBV-43. It is likely that the Chinese will have undertaken extensive trials and analysis of any imported equipment and built a nominally indigenous system using the knowledge gained.

Both the Type 056 corvettes and the Type 054A frigates are already fitted with a bow-mounted sonar so the installation of VDS and towed arrays suggest that some platforms will be primarily anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

Although the 1,500-tonne Type 056 corvettes do not have a hanger, they have a flight deck from which an ASW-torpedo carrying Z-9 helicopter can operate, particularly in coastal waters. The addition of a VDS will significantly enhance their potential detection capability, specifically when compared to the smaller, rudimentary equipped submarine chasers they are replacing, such as the Type 037 (Hainan) class.

Previous reports have indicated that the vertical launch missile system installed in the Type 054A frigates may be capable of launching an anti-submarine rocket-type torpedo-carrying missile. The improved detection capability offered by a VDS and a torpedo-carrying missile, with a likely 20 km range, would significantly enhance the ASW capabilities of these ships.

Meanwhile, other photographs of one of the Type 054A frigates being fitted out at Huangpu shipyard show that an 11-barrelled 30 mm close-in weapon system (CIWS) that is has been installed in place of the seven-barrelled Type 730 mounting installed on the other Type 054A frigates.


A Type 054A frigate at Huangpu shipyard in Guangzhou is being fitted with an 11-barrelled 30 mm CIWS in place of the seven-barrelled Type 730 mounting installed on the other Type 054A frigates. (via HSH website)

This appears to be the same Type 1130 CIWS installed on the aircraft carrier Liaoning. The mounting has 2 drum shaped canisters each side of the gun barrels compared to one on the Type 730. These are likely to contain the magazines, potentially doubling the ready-use ammunition.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will conduct the first live firings of Kh-31A anti-ship and Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles (AS-17 'Krypton') from its Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighters during a joint exercise with Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) in the South China Sea this month.

The Kh-31 firings against a sea target will take place in a designated part of the South China Sea routinely used by the RMN for firing practice.

The exact location of the firing area is unknown but military sources confirmed that it is well away from the disputed Spratly Islands to avoid provoking other claimants.

The RMN will also conduct live firings of MBDA MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles and Seawolf surface-to-air missiles from its ships and MBDA Sea Skua missiles from RMN Super Lynx helicopters.

^ Will this get recorded and released for public viewing like other missile firings we've seen to date?

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysian security forces shot and captured a suspected Filipino intruder in a standoff with eight boatmen in separate pump boats in waters off Pulau Bakungan Kecil that borders southern Philippines.

Soldiers from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) were forced to shoot one of the intruders and sink his boat when he threatened to attack them after they were trying to sneak into Sabah’s waters from neighbouring Philippines island of Bakungan Besar at about 1.45pm on Wednesday.

However, seven other intruders immediately fled in their pump boats back into Philippines waters while the 22-year-old suspect has been admitted to the Duchess of Kent Hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.

Esscom commander Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun said Thursday that prior to the shooting, soldiers had intercepted eight pump boats heading towards Pulau Selingan in Sandakan.

He said they fired three warning shots at them to warn them to surrender. However, only two of them turned back while six others remained in defiance.

“One of them suddenly flashed a parang at security forces, prompting an attack from our side,” he said Thursday.

Abdul Rashid said the suspect was shot and his boat sank in the incident. He was later caught and brought to the hospital for treatment.

“Investigations on the suspect’s background is being carried out,” he said in adding that security forces will continue strengthening security and prevent intrusion in the 10 districts under the Eastern Sabah Security Zone.

The 10 districts are Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.

SANDAKAN: Security forces fired at a pump boat that had encroached into Malaysian waters off Sabah yesterday and arrested an injured man armed with a machete who was in the vessel.

Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) commander DCP Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun said today the man, who was injured in the left calf and right hand, was taken to Pulau Bakungan Kecil for first aid and then sent to the Duchess of Kent Hospital here.

The boat was one of eight that had encroached into Malaysian waters on their way from Pulau Bakungan Besar in the Philippines to Pulau Selingan located 25 kilometres from Sandakan at 1.45 pm, he said.

"The suspect is in stable condition," he said in a statement.

Abdul Rashid said soldiers deployed in Pulau Bakungan Kecil came to know that several boats from Pulau Bakungan Besar in the Philippines were headed to Pulau Selingan, and six soldiers rushed to the location in a boat.

"At the location, the soldiers saw eight pump boats in Malaysian waters with one person aboard each of the vessels," he said.

Abdul Rashid said the soldiers fired three warning shots into the air to chase away the boats but only two vessels turned back to the Philippines.

"The boatmen mocked the soldiers and one of the boats with a man armed with a machete approached the soldiers' vessel. The soldiers fired in self-defence," he said.

Abdul Rashid said an investigation was initiated to find out where the intruders were from and that ESSCom had stepped up security in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone). - BERNAMA

Bro.....klu post dlm military thread ni kita2 je baca.....ko try buat new thread psl ni tgk ape reaksi org...... dan aku rase aku boleh expect klu melibatkan kejayaan security forces.

Dah tembak?

Target.  Container barge ?

link rosak abam

Guys i alr add all the mmea asset onto wikipedia help edit the description column pls all the grammar wrong one

multicam (and its derivatives Scorpion W2/MTP seems popular).    but i fancy cadpat. any idea where to get one? 

Anyone knows what variant of M4 is this? Use by PASKAU if I'm not mistaken.

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if i study in singapore since young to pre uni can go rmaf?? my malay only got very basic cos i learn in singapore sekolah menengah, sekolah cina summore

Guys do u all think buying kora class corvette from india is gd idea??  basically an enlarged version of vietnam molniya missile spam boat, 16 kh35 missile with 130km range, if conflict rly happen i think like 12 of these missile spam corvettes would be more scary than 6 sgpvs, and wikipedia say each ship 40million usd(wtf) but i think that is outdated prices and may or may not include weapons. and its indian, indian relationship w china not that good i think. so, gud idea??