Type 051 destroyer

This article is about the Luda class destroyer. For the rapper, see Ludacris.

Zhuhai
Class overview
Builders:	Luda Shipyard Zhonghua Shipyard Dalian Shipyard
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy
Succeeded by:	Type 052
In service:	December 1971
Completed:	17
Active:	Yinchuan Xining Kaifeng Dalian Hefei Chongqing Zunyi Nanning Nanchang Guilin Zhanjiang Zhuhai
Retired:	Jinan Xi'an Changsha Nanjing
General characteristics
Displacement:	3,670 tons
Length:	132 m
Beam:	12.8 m
Draught:	4.6 m
Propulsion:	2 steam turbines 72,000 shp (53,700 kW)
Speed:	32 knots (59 km/h)
Range:	2,970 miles
Complement:	280
Armament:	Note: Aramaments listed are for latest 051 modernized variant 16 anti-ship missiles 8 surface-to-air missiles + 16 spare (manual reload) 2 twin-barrel 130 mm dual purpose guns 4 Type 76A dual-37 mm anti-aircraft guns 2 Type 75 anti-submarine rocket systems 6 torpedo tubes Depth charges 38 naval mines
Aircraft carried:	1-2 helicopters: Harbin Z-9C ASW/SAR (Ship #105 Luda-II only)
Aviation facilities:	Hangar and flight deck Landing assistance system

The Type 051 destroyer (NATO code name Lüda class) missile destroyer was the first surface warfare oriented vessel ever designed and built in China, and the first Chinese ship to be fitted with an integrated combat direction system. It was based on the Soviet Neustrashimy class destroyer design, with some design influences from the Kotlin class destroyer design.

History

In the late 1960s, China began testing its long-range rockets for the Chinese space program, as well as the ICBM program. The People's Liberation Army Navy operated only four ex-Soviet Gnevny class destroyers (Anshan class in PLAN service) at the time, which were unsuitable for long-range ocean recovery missions. The 701 institute was instructed to develop China's first indigenous guided missile destroyer, modelled after the Soviet Kotlin class. The design was approved in 1967, and construction of the first Type 051 Luda class destroyer began in 1968.

A total of 17 Type 051 destroyers were built between 1968 and 1991. 15 remain in service today. Major refit for ships of this class began in 1990s, replacing the old HY-1/HY-2 with YJ-83 (C-803) missile, and manual guns with automatic guns. For air-defense, an 8-cell HQ-7 Surface-to-air missile system is also installed with the upgrade.

Ships

Luda I

This is the original configuration of the design, albeit with equipment inconsistencies among the units. Three shipyards built the original 16 vessels of this group: units #106-110 in Luda, #131-134 in Zhonghua, and #160-166 in Guangzhou. Of these, Units Nos. 105 and 109 were converted into Luda II type, while Unit No. 160 suffered an explosion in August, 1978 and was eventually scrapped. She is listed as decommissioned.

The original Luda destroyer was equipped with 2 x triple HY-1 or HY-2 missile launchers, 2 x 130 mm guns, plus an assortment of manual 25 mm, 37 mm, and 57 mm AA guns. Two of the Luda I destroyers were converted into command-variant, with enlarged superstructure for air defense C3I center, ZKJ-1 combat data system, and Type 381A Rice Shield 3-D long-range air search radar.

• Xi'an (106) - retired Oct. 2007
• Yinchuan (107)
• Xining (108)
• Dalian (110) - Command variant
• Nanjing (131) - retired Feb. 2012
• Hefei (132) - Command variant
• Chongqing (133)
• Zunyi (134)
• Changsha (161) - retired Aug. 2008
• Nanning (162)
• Nanchang (163)
• Guilin (164)

Luda II

Two Luda class destroyers were modified for ASW and C3I duties. The aft 130 mm gun and AAA guns were removed, and replaced with a helicopter deck, hangar space for 2 helicopters, and an 8-cell HQ-7 SAM system. See this pic for example. A Chinese copy of Thomson-CSF TAVITAC combat data system, ZKJ-4 was added for the C3I duties.

• Jinan (105) - converted from Luda I to Luda II started in 1987. Retired Nov.2007
• Kaifeng (109) - upgraded with Crotale SAM and YJ-83 (C-802a)^{[citation needed]} missiles (However, it is undecided as to whether unit no. 109 is the Kaifeng or the Dalian.)

Luda III (Type 051G1/G2)

On a whole the new Luda IIIs had the SJD-II and SJD-4 Sonar systems installed. These sonar systems allowed submarine detections up to 18 knots (33 km/h) in harsh sea states. Zhuhai (166) was equipped with 4 x twin YJ-8 (C-801) AShMs, 1 x triple Whitehead A244 torpedo launcher, Thomson-CSF TAVITAC combat data system (two systems purchased from France in 1985), EFR-1 Rice Lamp fire-control radar, and ESS-1 VDS towed sonar. During the mid-life upgrade, Zhuhai (166) was upgraded with HQ-7 SAM, 4 x YJ-83 (C-802a) SSMs, Type 344 fire-control radar, and Type 79A 37 mm AA guns.

The HQ-7 SAM system is reported to be equipped with "semi-automatic reloader" system with 16 spare missiles. The same system is also used on the Type 052 destroyer, bringing the total number of air-defense missiles to 24: 8 (ready to fire) plus 16 (stored).

Zhanjiang (165) was upgraded to the Type 051G1 standard, which is very similar to the Type 051G2.

• Zhanjiang (165)
• Zhuhai (166)

Luda IV (Type 051DT)

The PLAN has performed mid-life upgrades on several of its Luda class destroyers. Some ships have been upgraded with a new ZKJ-4A-3 combat data system (C3I), HQ-7 SAM, HY-1/HY-2 missiles replaced by 16 YJ-83 (C-802a) anti-ship missiles, and manual AA guns replaced by Type 76A dual-37 mm automatic AA guns. The upgraded ships are sometimes referred to as the Type 051DT. At least 2 ships (109 & 110) are reported to have been upgraded to the Type 051DT standard, with more expected to follow.

Luda S (Type 051S)

Proposed variant,equipped with Sea Dart missile,but cancelled for lack of funds and other factors.

Type 051DT (mid-life upgrade) Specs

For comparison, please see this pic of Luda prior to modernization, and this pic of Luda with modernization.

• Displacement 3,250 tons (empty), 3,670 tons (loaded)
• Length 433.1 ft (132.0 m) / 132 meters
• Beam 42 ft (13 m) / 12.8 meters
• Draft 15.3 ft (4.7 m)
• Speed ~30+ kts
• Endurance 2,970 nautical miles (5,500 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
• Crew 280 (45 officers)
• Propulsion 2 boilers 2 turbines 72,000 hp(m) (53 MW) 2 shafts
• C3I System: combat data systems of ZKJ series (ZKJ = Zidong Kongzhi Jiqi: automatic control machines)
  • ZKJ-1 for Luda I
  • ZKJ-4 for Luda II
  • Thomson-CSF TAVITAC for Luda III (051G1/G2)
  • ZKJ-4A-3 for Luda mid-life upgrade (051DT)
  • Data link: HN-900 (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
• Radar/Sonar
  • Type 517A Knife Rest, or Cross Slot 3-D long-range air search, A-band
  • Type 515 Bean Sticks or Pea Sticks air search radar, E/F-band
  • Rice Screen 3-D early warning lon-range radar, G-band
  • Square Tie air/surface-search radar, I-band
  • TSR 3004 (DRBV-15 Sea Tiger or Eye-Shield air/surface search radar (E-band)
  • Type 343G fire-control radar (for 100 mm gun)
  • Type 347 fire-control radar (for automatic 37 mm guns)
  • Racal RM-1290 navigation radar (J-band)
  • High pole IFF
  • Pegas 2M & Tamir 2 medium-frequency hull-mounted sonar
• Armament
  • 16 x YJ-83 (C-803) anti-ship missiles in 4 x quad launcher boxes
  • 1 x 8-cell HQ-7 Surface-to-air missile launcher + 16 spare missiles
  • 2 x twin 100 mm guns
  • 4 x Type 76A dual-37 mm automatic AA guns
  • 2 x Type 75 (FQF-2500) 12 barrel 240 mm ASW rocket launchers (120 rockets)
  • 2 x triple 324 mm Yu-7 torpedo launchers
  • 4 x DC projectors + 4 DC racks
  • 2 x Chaff/decoy rocket launchers

External links

• Sino Defense Today
• Global Security
• Chinese Navy