Chinese destroyer Kunming

Kunming docked at Jiangnan Shipyard on 6 April 2014
History
China
Name	Kunming
Namesake	Kunming (昆明)
Builder	Jiangnan Shipyard, Shanghai
Laid down	16 February 2012
Launched	29 August 2012
Commissioned	21 March 2014
Identification	Pennant number: 172
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 052D destroyer
Displacement	7,500 tons (full load)
Length	157 m (515 ft 1 in)
Beam	17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Draught	6 m (19 ft 8 in)
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas
Sensors and processing systems	Type 346 radar Type 518 radar Variable depth sonar Towed array sonar
Armament	1 x 130 mm gun 1 × HQ-10 short-range SAM 24-cell launcher 64 cell VLS HHQ-9 SAM YJ-18 SSM CY-5 ASW Type 730 CIWS
Aircraft carried	Helicopter
Aviation facilities	Hangar Helipad

Kunming (172) is a Type 052D destroyer of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 21 March 2014. ^[1]

Development and design

The basic ship type and layout of the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer is the same as that of the Type 052C destroyer, but compared to the earlier Type 052C destroyer, the Type 052D superstructure has a larger inclination angle and provides better stealth performance. At the same time, the Type 052C helicopter hangar is located on the left side of the hull axis. This was changed to the center axis of the ship on the Type 052D; a pair of small boat storage compartments were added on both sides of the hangar, similar to the design on the Type 054A frigate.

The close-in weapon system is composed of a H/PJ-12 short-range defense weapon system located in front of the bridge and a 24 Hongqi-10 air defense missile system located on the top of the hangar, which is combined to form a ladder interception. The original 100-millimetre (3.9 in) naval gun was replaced by a higher height and better stealth model H/PJ45 naval gun. On 13 May 2019, the extended version of the Type 052DL was exposed. The hull of the Type 052DL is basically the same as the Type 052D, but the helicopter deck is lengthened to prepare for the Zhi-20 to board the ship. ^[2]

The Type 052D is the first Chinese surface combatant to use canister-based universal vertical launch system (VLS), as opposed to the concentric type VLS carried aboard earlier vessels. 64 cells are carried; 32 forward and 32 aft. ^[3] The VLS is reportedly an implementation of the GJB 5860-2006 standard. ^[4] The VLS may fire the extended-range variant of the HHQ-9 surface-to-air missile, YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missiles, ^[5] and CY-5 anti-submarine missiles. ^[6]

Construction and career

Kunming is the lead ship of the class and was laid down on 16 February 2012 at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. She was launched on 29 August 2012 and commissioned on 21 March 2014. ^[7]

On 26 October 2015, a United States Navy destroyer approached within 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) of Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Kunming was sent to surveil the American ship.

References

1. "New missile destroyer joins South China Sea Fleet". eng.mod.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11.
2. Releases, DP Press. "China Launches 23rd And 24th Type 052D Guided-Missile Destroyers". DefPost. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
3. Li: page 44
4. Wang, Weixing, ed. (4 September 2012). "谜一样的战舰 从052D驱逐舰看中舰艇系统" [A Ship of Mystery: The Shipborne Systems of Type 052D] (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2012-10-11.
5. China Military Power: Modernizing a Force to Fight and Win (PDF) (Report). United States Defense Intelligence Agency. 2019. p. 70. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
6. Wong, Kelvin (2017). Undersea dragon: Chinese ASW capabilities advance (PDF) (Report). Jane's 360. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
7. "New missile destroyer joins South China Sea Fleet". eng.mod.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11.