Chinese destroyer Changchun (150)

Changchun on 6 October 2019
History
China
Name	Changchun
Namesake	Changchun (长春)
Builder	Jiangnan Shipyard, Shanghai
Launched	28 October 2010
Commissioned	31 January 2013
Homeport	Zhoushan
Identification	Pennant number: 150
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 052C destroyer
Displacement	7,000 tons
Length	155 m (508 ft 6 in)
Beam	17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Draught	6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas 2 x DA80 gas turbines (35.7 MW each) 2 x MTU 20V 956TB92 diesels (6 MW each)
Speed	29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
Range	4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 15 knots
Complement	280
Sensors and processing systems	Type 346 radar (air search, fire control) Type 517 radar (air search) Type 364 radar (air and surface search) Type 344 radar (main gun fire control) Type 347G(2) radar (Type 730 fire control) Type 366 radar (YJ-62 fire control) Bow mounted sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	NRJ-6A
Armament	48 HHQ-9 surface-to-air missiles 8 YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles 1 × 100 mm PJ-87 gun 2 × 30 mm Type 730 close-in weapons systems 6 x torpedo tubes 4 x multiple rocket launchers (possibly multirole)
Aircraft carried	1 helicopter: Kamov Ka-28 or Harbin Z-9
Aviation facilities	Hangar and helipad

Changchun (150) is a Type 052C destroyer of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 31 January 2013.

Development and design

Main article: Type 052C destroyer

The Type 052C appears to share the same basic hull design as the Type 052B destroyer, which in turn is based on the Type 051B destroyer. Stealth features are incorporated. ^[1] They uses predominantly Chinese systems derived from earlier foreign technology; the preceding Type 052 and Type 052B destroyers used a mixture of Russian and Chinese systems. ^[2]

The Type 052C propulsion is in the combined diesel or gas (CODOG) arrangement, with two Ukrainian DA80 gas turbines and two MTU 20V 956TB92 diesel engines. ^[3] The DA80s had blade problems and may have contributed to the last two Type 052Cs sitting pierside at the shipyard for two years without being accepted by the PLAN.

A Kamov Ka-28 or Harbin Z-9 helicopter may operate from the rear hangar and flight deck. ^[4] The Ka-28 is equipped with a search radar and dipping sonar and can also employ sonobuoys, torpedoes, depth charges, or mines. ^[5] The Z-9 is a variant of the Airbus Helicopters AS365 Dauphin. The naval variant of the Z-9, the Z-9C, is equipped with the KLC-1 search radar, dipping sonar, and is typically armed with a single, lightweight torpedo. ^[6] Either helicopter significantly improves the anti-submarine capabilities of the Type 052C.

The main gun is a 100 mm (4 in) PJ-87. The gun suffered from jamming and may have influenced the decision to adopt a different weapon for the Type 052D destroyer. ^[7] The weapon has a rate of fire of 25 rounds per minute. ^[8] Close-in defence is provided by two seven-barrel 30 mm (1.2 in) Type 730 CIWS, one mounted forward of the bridge and one atop the hangar. Each gun has a maximum rate of fire of 4200 rounds per minute. ^[8]

Construction and career

Changchun was launched on 28 October 2010 at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. Commissioned on 31 January 2013. ^[9]

On September 25, 2013, Changchun and others carried out a joint anti-submarine exercise organized by the East China Sea Fleet in the South China Sea. During the exercise, the Changchun first discovered the so-called enemy submarine, and synchronized the battlefield situation and target elements with the formation ships through the integrated command platform, and mobilized multiple anti-submarine platforms to successfully attack the submarine. ^[10]

On February 28, 2014, Changchun, Yiyang, and Changzhou formed the East China Sea Fleet's open sea training fleet and set sail from a military port in Zhoushan. On March 7, Changchun and others crossed the Bashi Channel and entered the Western Pacific for high-intensity testing training. ^{[11] [12]} On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crashed. On March 24, Changchun, Changzhou, Chaohu formed the 17th Chinese navy escort fleet, which was ready 10 days earlier than the scheduled time. From Zhoushan, they set sail ahead of schedule and went to the Indian Ocean to perform search and rescue missions via the South China Sea, Natuna Islands, Karimata Strait, and Sunda Strait. ^[13] On April 5, 2014, Changchun and others completed the search mission in the area of responsibility of 111.1 thousand square kilometers south of Christmas Island, Australia, and went to the Gulf of Aden and the waters of Somalia to take over the escort mission of the sixteenth batch of escort teams. The escort lasted 213 days and nights. The formation completed a total of 43 batches of 115 Chinese and foreign ships escorting missions, and then conducted friendly visits to Jordan, UAE, Iran, and Pakistan. Changchun would return to the military port in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province on October 22. ^[14]

In June 2017, Changchun and Jingzhou and a destroyer from Iran held a military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz. ^[15]

Gallery

• 
  Changchun on 13 November 2013.
• 
  Changchun underway on 18 July 2015.
• 
  Changchun underway on 1 August 2015.
• 
  Changchun at Penang Strait on 12 May 2017.
• 
  Changchun underway on 20 April 2018.

References

1. Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010. Jane's Information Group. p. 137. ISBN   978-0710628886.
2. McDevitt: pages 59
3. Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010. Jane's Information Group. p. 137. ISBN   978-0710628886.
4. McDevitt: pages 61
5. United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, pages 20–21
6. United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, pages 20
7. O'Rourke, Ronald (21 March 2013). CRS Report for CongressPrepared for Members and Committees of Congress China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress (PDF). RL33153 (Report). Congressional Research Service. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
8. Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010. Jane's Information Group. p. 137. ISBN   978-0710628886.
9. United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (2018). PLA Navy Identification Guide (Report). Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
10. "东海舰队多兵种联合围猎 长春舰一马当先战潜艇-新华网". 2013-10-06. Archived from the original on 2013-10-06. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
11. "中国军网_数字报". 2014-10-06. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
12. "中国海军编队西太演习：长春舰距敌千米实弹打击". mil.news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
13. "中国军网_数字报". 2014-10-11. Archived from the original on 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
14. "中国人民解放军海军第十七批护航编队凯旋回国-中新网".
15. Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "中国伊朗海军在霍尔木兹海峡举行军演 | DW | 18.06.2017". DW.COM (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2020-12-13.

Further reading

• 24 Hours Aboard PLAN Changchun