Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The hulk of the Australian light carrier Melbourne, purchased for scrapping in 1985,
remained in Chinese hands in 1994. The ship was being studied by naval designers.
During 8/1998 the ex-Soviet aviation cruiser Minsk was towed from a South Korean
scrapyard to a Chinese port; she now serves as a museum/entertainment complex. The
former Soviet carrier Varyag has been purchased by Chinese interests for similar
commercial use; the hulk finally left the Black Sea 1 November 2001.
Destroyers
Haizhou (Sovremennyy) class large multirole destroyers
(2+2 ships)
(Project 956A)
Specifications as in Russian service
Displacement: 8,480 tons full load
Dimensions: 156.37 x 17.19 x 7.85 meters/513 x 56.4 x 25.7 feet
Propulsion: Steam turbines, 4 boilers, 2 shafts, 99,500 shp, 32.7 knots
Crew: up to 368
Radar: MR-700A Fregat-MA/Top Plate-B 3-D air search
Sonar: MG-335 Platina bow mounted MF
Fire Control: 6 Orekh/Front Dome SAM control, Monolit/Band Stand SSM targeting
EW: Start-I/Bell Shroud, Bell Squat, Foot Ball, 2 PK-2 decoy RL, 8 PK-10 decoy RL
Aviation: midships helicopter deck and telescoping hangar for 1 light helicopter
Armament: 8 3M-82/SS-N-22 Moskit/Sunburn SSM, 2 SA-N-7 Shtil SAM systems (48
9M-38/9M-38MI Smerch/Gadfly SAM), 2 dual 130mm/54cal DP, 4 21 inch torpedo
tubes, 2 RBU-1000 ASW RL, 40 mines
Concept/Program: Two Russian Sovremennyy class destroyers, originally started for the
Russia but suspended due to financial problems, have been sold to China. The first was
delivered late in 1999, over a decade after they started construction. Two more ships have
been ordered.
Concept/Program: Improved version of the 'Luda-I' class, with improved sonars, SSMs,
and electronics. Some sources report this as a 'Luda-III' class, and identify helicopter-
capable 'Luda-Is' as 'Luda-II' class. This ship is probably intended as a trials platform for
new systems later incorporated in the 'Luhu' design.
Builders: 105-110 Luda SY, 131-134 Zhonghua SY, Shanghai, 161-165 Dalian SY. In
service 1972-1991.
Concept/Program: Somewhat more modern and multi-role than the previous small
Chinese frigates, but they lack any real ASW capability.
Concept/Program: A simplified version of the 'Jianghu-II', with some systems from the
'-III' version, apparently put back into production to maintain fleet numbers. With only 4
SSM they are of minimal combat value.
Concept/Program: Small, obsolete frigates, now mainly valuable as patrol units. There
are no gunfire control radars; the SSMs are obsolete. Units with 2 dual 100 mm mounts
(and reduced 37 mm) are 'Jianghu-II'. The class has been put back into production to
maintain fleet numbers.