Idzhisam never dreamed: Type 55 radar destroyers will surprise the Pentagon
Triumphal Leap of the Celestial
While Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems military-industrial division specialists and representatives of the US Navy are trying to complete as soon as possible the field tests of the prototype of the advanced shipboard AFAR-radar AN / SPY-6 (V) AMDR deployed in Hawaii, and then proceed to the phase of hardware and software integration of serial products on the first Arleigh Burke Flight III EM class, the Celestial Empire demonstrated its truly triumphal breakthrough in the development of shipborne radar architecture. This is a successful finalization of the project of the promising dual-band multipurpose radar complex Type 346B, which is the “core” of the improved combat information and control system H / ZBJ-1 (analogue of “Aegis”) attached to the promising UR class destroyers of the Type 55 class.
According to the publication navyrecognition.com with reference to the Chinese media, on April 23, 2019, in honor of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy, a solemn naval parade, in addition to frigate of the 1st rank, Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov and surface ships 12 more states, the lead destroyer Type 055 DDG-101 "Nanchang" took part, the achievement of the level of initial combat readiness of which is considered by the Chinese command fleet as a starting point for the formation of extensive echeloned missile defense barriers in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
But why, in light of the growing relevance of developing naval missile defense systems for the upper limit of the Chinese Navy, is it the Type 55? After all, it is well known that the 15 destroyers launched from the slipways rocket weapons Type 52D have identical 2x32 modular “hot start” modular TLUs with a diameter of transport-launch cells of the order of 850 mm and length from 3300 to 9900 mm (depending on the type of missile being deployed). As a result, the exoatmospheric anti-ballistic missiles HQ-26 and HQ-16, which are being developed today by Chinese specialists, can be easily integrated into the AM Type 052D ammunition.
Type 346B is a radar complex that provides exceptional survivability in the event of enemy massed missile strikes
The answer lies in the radically modernized Type 346B radar system, which has received a host of technological advantages over both the Type 346A radars of the Type 052D destroyers and the even more “wooden” single-band AN/SPY-1D(V) radars installed on the American Arleigh Burke Flight I-IIA destroyers. Looking at the photographs of the lead destroyer DDG-101 Nanchang, recently published by the Chinese news by the agency www.news.cn, you can pay attention to the fact that the number of main paintings of active HEADLIGHTS on the Type 346B radar increased exactly 3 times and reached 12 units! In particular, in addition to the four active headlamps located on the octagonal main superstructure of Nanchang and simultaneously represented by S- and X-band arrays of transceiver modules, the Type 346B radar complex received:
- four auxiliary X-band AFAR-RLS, located on the upper hex superstructure (designed to highlight small targets with anti-aircraft missiles with semi-active CGHS HHQ-9A and target designation of PL-10A anti-aircraft missiles with active CGOTS); due to the placement of this antenna post at an altitude of 30 meters above sea level, the potential of working on complex targets located near the “screen” of the radio horizon (more than 27 — 30 km) increased, and it became possible to continue combat work even when all the main 4 AFAR channels are “crammed” with the approaching enemy anti-ship and anti-radar missiles;
- four horizontally oriented cloths AFAR, two of which are located in the area of the main superstructure mate with the sides of the hull, and the second pair - on the side surfaces of the helicopter hangar (in the back of the ship); these stations do not provide any advantages in terms of “processing” targets at the horizon of the horizon (after all, they are at a height of about 20 m); These canvases form additional radiation patterns that “overlap” the review sectors of the main 8 AFAR installed on the main superstructures.
This means that even in the event of the failure of three Type 346B radar aerial canvases serving one of the most missile-hazardous air directions, Type 055 destroyers will retain the ability to reflect massive missileaviation enemy attacks.
Findings. A series of unique missile defense sisterships
As a result, it can be stated that the result of the cohesive work of specialists in the field of radio electronics from the Nanjing Research Institute (developed by the MRLS Type 346A / B), as well as shipbuilders from the Chinese state shipbuilding corporation “China Shipbuilding State Corporation” has become a series of unique anti-missile defense sisters. possessing maximum survivability on oceanic theaters, replete with advanced means of aerospace attack of the enemy.
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