In recent years, the speed of development of the Chinese Navy has attracted the attention of the world, especially in the field of destroyers, the Chinese Navy has built a number of advanced Type 052D/052DL destroyers, known as the "China Aegis". These destroyers have powerful anti-aircraft, anti-ship, anti-submarine, land attack and other combat capabilities, and are one of the main ships of the Chinese Navy. So, can these destroyers compete with the latest Burke III destroyers of the US Navy? This article will compare the performance of these two destroyers from various aspects, analyze their advantages and disadvantages, and how they will perform in possible future naval confrontations.
Hull and power
The Type 052DL destroyer is an improved version of the Type 052D destroyer, with the hull length increased from 157 meters to 161 meters, and the full load displacement increased from 6,500 tons to 7,000 tons, to accommodate the arrival of larger Z-20 anti-submarine helicopters. The hull of the Type 052DL destroyer has a stealth design, and the angle of inclination of the superstructure is larger than that of the Type 052D, which reduces the radar reflection area. The power system of the Type 052DL destroyer uses the diesel-fuel alternating (CODOG) method, consisting of two GT-25000 gas turbines and two MTU-20 V956 TB92 diesel engines, with a maximum speed of 32 knots.
The Burke III destroyer is the newest destroyer of the US Navy and the third batch of Burke-class destroyers, with a hull length of 155 meters and a full load displacement of 9,600 tons, which is larger and heavier than the Type 052DL destroyer. The hull of the Burke III destroyer also has a stealth design, but its radar reflection area is still larger than that of the Type 052DL destroyer. The Burke III destroyer's power system uses an integrated electric propulsion (IEP) approach, consisting of two LM2500+G4 gas turbines and two MT30 gas turbines, with a maximum speed of 30 knots.
From the point of view of hull and power, the Type 052DL destroyer and the Burke Type III destroyer have their own advantages and disadvantages, the Type 052DL destroyer is smaller and lighter, more stealthy and faster, but the Burke Type III destroyer is larger and heavier, more stable, more energy-efficient and more flexible.
weapons and electronic systems
The armament system of the Type 052DL destroyer consists mainly of the following components:
An H/PJ-45 single-barreled 130 mm naval gun that can be used for sea, land and air fire at a range of up to 100 kilometers and a rate of fire of 40 rounds per minute.
The eight-seat, eight-unit 64-unit universal vertical launch system can launch a variety of missiles such as Hongqi-9 medium-range air defense missiles, YJ-18 anti-ship missiles, Changjian-10 long-range cruise missiles, and Yu-8 anti-submarine missiles.
A 24-pack Hongqi-10 short-range air defense missile system can intercept incoming missiles, aircraft, drones and other targets, with a range of 15 kilometers and a rate of fire of 1,200 rounds per minute.
An H/PJ-11 11-tube 30mm close-in defense artillery system can be used to deal with missiles, aircraft, drones, speedboats and other targets at close range, with a range of 3 kilometers and a rate of fire of 4,200 rounds per minute.
Two triple Type 7424 324 mm torpedo launchers can fire Yu-7 anti-submarine torpedoes against underwater targets at a range of up to 15 km and a speed of up to 40 knots.
A Z-20 anti-submarine helicopter that can carry a Yu-11 anti-submarine torpedo or anti-submarine depth charge against underwater targets with a range of up to 800 km and a speed of up to 270 km / h.
The electronic system of the Type 052DL destroyer consists mainly of the following components:
A set of H/LJG-346A active phased array radar can be used for air and sea search, tracking, guidance, etc., with a detection range of 400 kilometers, and can track 300 targets at the same time and command 32 targets.
A set of H/LJQ-366 over-the-horizon sea search radar can be used for sea search, tracking, guidance, etc., with a detection range of up to 200 kilometers, and can track 100 targets and command 16 targets at the same time.
A set of H/LJQ-517B over-the-horizon air warning radar can be used for air search, early warning, anti-stealth, etc., with a detection range of 500 kilometers, and can track 300 targets at the same time and command 32 targets.
A set of H/LJQ-364 high-frequency surface wave radar can be used for sea over-the-horizon search, tracking, guidance, etc., with a detection range of 3,000 kilometers, and can track 100 targets and command 16 targets at the same time.
A set of H/LJQ-382 electronic support measures system can be used for reconnaissance, analysis, jamming of the enemy's electromagnetic signals, etc., with a detection range of 300 kilometers, and can process 100 signals at the same time and command 16 signals.
A set of H/LJQ-383 electronic countermeasure system can be used for jamming, deception, suppression, etc. of enemy radars, missiles, communications, etc., with a detection range of up to 200 kilometers, and can process 100 signals at the same time and command 16 signals.
A set of H/LJQ-385 laser defense system can be used to deal with incoming missiles, aircraft, drones, laser weapons, etc., with a range of 10 kilometers and a rate of fire of 1,000 rounds per minute.
The armament system of the Burke III destroyer consists mainly of the following components:
A single-barreled 127-mm naval gun of the Mk-45 type, which can be used for sea, land and air fire, with a range of 120 kilometers and a rate of fire of 20 rounds per minute.
The four-seat quadruple 80-cell universal vertical launch system can launch a variety of missiles such as Standard-6 medium-range anti-aircraft missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and Asroc anti-submarine missiles, with cold launch capabilities, and can deal with multiple targets at the same time.
A 21-unit Navy Roland short-range air defense missile system can intercept incoming missiles, aircraft, drones and other targets, with a range of 12 kilometers and a rate of fire of 40 rounds per minute.
From the point of view of weapons and electronic systems, the Type 052DL destroyer and the Burke Type III destroyer have their own merits, and the naval guns, vertical hair systems, close defense guns, torpedo launchers, and laser defense systems of the Type 052DL destroyers are more advanced, more powerful, and more diverse than those of the Burke Type III destroyers, but the active phased array radar, sea search radar, electronic support measures system, and decoy launchers of the Burke Type III destroyers are more advanced, more powerful, and more diverse than those of the Type 052DL destroyers.
Summary and opinions
By comparing the performance of these two destroyers, we can draw the following conclusions:
The 052DL destroyer is a new sharp weapon of the Chinese Navy, with strong comprehensive combat capabilities, and is one of the most outstanding destroyers in the world today.
The Burke III destroyer is the latest destroyer of the US Navy, and it is also the third batch of Burke-class destroyers, with strong comprehensive combat capabilities, and is one of the most outstanding destroyers in the world today.
In short, China's Type 052DL destroyers and the American Burke-III destroyers have advantages and disadvantages in all aspects, and there is no absolute victory or defeat, and their actual performance will depend on various factors such as tactics, command, training, and logistics.