In the current situation of intensifying international situation, China's military power is also steadily increasing.
By 2024, a new batch of China's warships is also close to being launched, with 4 055s on the slipway and 8 052DMs under construction.
At present, there are 8 055 large drives in service in China, and these are the first batch of 055 large drives.
055 drive
It is worth noting that the launch time of the last 055 drive of the first batch is 2022, compared with the previous average annual launch rate of 2 ships, it is obviously unusual to have no new 055 drive launched in 2 years.
Warship upgrades
The reason why the second batch of 055 drives was not built quickly is that the mainstream speculation from the outside world is that it has been upgraded.
Based on China's current national defense situation, this second batch of 055 drives may upgrade the power system and increase anti-missile capabilities.
Needless to say, China's gas turbine technology has been improving.
After the introduction of GT25000 gas turbines from Ukraine, after several years of digestion and absorption, China has also achieved "inferences" from gas turbines, so that the 055 drive can be used with more advanced gas turbines.
GT25000 gas turbines
As for the anti-missile system, China has clearly established a mature land-based anti-missile system capable of intercepting intercontinental missiles launched by the United States from land.
However, the maritime anti-missile system has not yet been clearly put into service on the mainland, which is obviously a shortcoming for China's national defense.
In the future, as the Chinese Navy enters the open sea, it will be necessary for the mainland to serve maritime anti-missile systems to expand the mainland's national defense radius.
As for the Type 052DM destroyer, it is the third model and the fourth batch of Type 052D destroyers on the mainland.
Previously, the mainland produced 3 batches of Type 052D destroyers, a total of 25 units. There are two models of the three batches of 052D, the original version of the 052D and the 052DL model.
052D destroyer
Of course, the 052D model can actually be subdivided, but because it has not improved much, it is not a new model.
As for the Type 052DL destroyer, the main thing is to elongate the hull, expand the internal volume, and upgrade the activities and working areas of the crew.
By the Type 052DM destroyer, the main changes were the power and radar systems.
Power, as we mentioned above, China's gas turbine technology has made rapid progress over the years, and the 052D destroyer with 2 gas turbines has also been stained.
As for the radar system, previously the 052D destroyer mainly used the 364 machine sweep anti-radar. In terms of radar technology, the mainland has also made rapid progress over the years, especially the dual-band radar of the 055 big drive is the pinnacle of marine radar.
Shipborne radar
Thanks to the progress of Chinese radar technology, the radar on the 052DM can also be replaced with a 368 double-sided active phased array radar.
The new radar of the 052DM can further expand its detection range, reduce energy loss, and enhance its continuous operation time.
Production of warships
As for how many of the above improved warships will be produced, the current mainstream speculation is that there will be 8 055 and 10 052DM in the new round of dumplings.
It is relatively certain that 052DM will build 10 ships, because after all the 3 batches of 052D are launched, the mainland already has a relatively clear plan for the 4th batch of 052D.
At that time, many Western media and intelligence agencies also investigated and speculated on this, believing that China's fourth batch of 052D is very likely to produce 10 ships.
052D destroyer
By the end of 2023, 5 of the 4th batch of 052D have actually been built, and they are in sea trials or outfitting state.
On this basis, the 052D still does not look like it will stop production, so it is not difficult to understand that the fourth batch of 10 ships will be produced.
As for the 055 drive, it is not certain that the second batch will produce 8 ships, but judging from the demand in China, the production of 8 ships is normal.
One of the main differences between the Chinese Navy and the US Navy at the moment is the attitude towards cruisers.
The United States has a very clear cruiser in service, and that is the Ticonderoga class.
Ticonderoga-class cruisers
China does not have cruisers, so at the moment it is the 055 drive that takes on part of the functions of cruisers.
The main role of the cruiser is to increase the shipboard firepower in the fleet and improve the anti-ship capability of the fleet except for the aircraft carrier.
At present, people who have a little understanding of the development of China's navy know that the mainland's understanding of aircraft carriers is somewhat different from that of the United States.
With the entry into service of China's YJ-21, an anti-ship missile with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, the aircraft carrier is more responsible for seizing air supremacy in the Chinese Navy's sequence, and it does not need to carry Harpoon missiles to counter-ship like the US Navy's carrier-based aircraft.
This makes the combination of 055 large drive and YJ-21 missiles in the Chinese Navy the main anti-ship force.
Therefore, if the Chinese Navy wants to improve its naval combat capabilities, it must increase the number of 055 drives.
At present, China's 8 055 drives are absolutely insufficient, after all, there are 16 Ticonderoga-class ships in service in the United States.
When the second batch of China's 055 drives is completed, China will have 16 "cruisers", which is the same number as the American Ticonderoga-class cruisers.
Underwater warships
Of course, at a time when China's maritime military strength is constantly improving, the mainland should also pay attention to the development of underwater military forces.
China's submarine power is often seen as a shortcoming.
Compared to the huge number of nuclear submarines of the United States, and the threat posed by the United States in the future to sell nuclear submarines to Australia, China is also facing a growing underwater threat.
At present, more than half of China's submarines are conventionally powered submarines, which is sufficient for coastal defense.
But conventionally powered submarines are not allowed to enter the open ocean, and even in the South China Sea, there are many restrictions. In the future, if China wants to build an ocean-going navy, it is necessary to use a large number of nuclear submarines.
After China researches and uses aircraft carriers, it is becoming more and more similar to the US "Carrier Strike Group" in terms of aircraft carrier establishment, and the US "Carrier Strike Group" needs one or two attack nuclear submarines.
Based on the calculation of two submarines in one fleet, the mainland currently needs six attack nuclear submarines.
At present, it is widely speculated that China has 16 nuclear submarines, and excluding the strategic nuclear submarines among them, there are not many attack nuclear submarines.
When China adds more aircraft carriers, attack nuclear submarines will not be enough.
【Chinese Aircraft Carrier】
Therefore, with the current distribution of China's nuclear submarine forces, the mainland's nuclear submarines are actually in a state of serious insufficiency.
If a nuclear submarine breaks down and cannot go to sea, perhaps the mainland aircraft carrier will need to "run naked."
Therefore, the mainland also needs to produce nuclear submarines in large quantities to fill the mainland's underwater military forces.
Resources:
[1] Beiqing Zhengzhi New Media, "The People's Liberation Army Rarely Exposed the Performance Parameters of the "Eagle Strike-21" Superb Anti-ship Missile!
[2] Global Network, "China Announces Land-based Anti-Missile Technology Test for the Seventh Time Since 2010 Experts: Huge Hidden Mysteries"