Type-052D DDG 1

Type-052D DDG 2

Type-052D DDG 3

Type-052D DDG vertical launch system (VLS) model

Type-052D is equipped with China's first universal VLS capable of launching HHQ-9 series of long range SAM, quad packed medium SAM, YJ-18 anti-ship missiles, LACM and Yu-8 (or similar ASROC). It is also carrying PJ-38 130 mm main gun, 24-cell version of HQ-10 CIWS and PJ-12 7-barreled 30 mm CIWS. A lot of the radar, ESM suite, communication antenna and other electronic installations look like the ones we have seen on 052C, but it is carrying a flat second generation multifunctional radar given the designation Type 346A and a new type of variable depth sonar at back.
Where as Type 052C placed heavy emphasis on AAW as China's first area air defense ship, Type 052D not only improves in that area, but should also become capable in ASW (with the long range anti submarine missile + improved sonar), ASuW, long range missile strikes and amphibious landing support. As the hull of 052D has already been "maxed" out, the next generation of Chinese destroyer would be larger and equipped with more advanced propulsion unit.

Type 052D’s is clearly designed to provide area air defense. It is the first modern Chinese AAW ship that has advanced multi-functional radar system with Active guided long range SAM along with relative modern combat system.
It is also expected by many to have an advanced AEGIS like combat system allowing engagements using inputs from sensors on different ships and aircraft. While it is also equipped with the advanced YJ-62 (also replaceable with LACM) and advanced sonar system (looks to be same Towed Array Sonar as on Type 054A), there is no question that the emphasis of the ship is for area air defense. Type 052C’s ancestor Type 052B can be looked at as a stepping stone from Type 052 to 052C. Its production stopped at 2, because Type 054A is cheaper and provides almost all of the capabilities of 052B (including much stronger ASW). A large PLAN flotilla prior to 052D would surely need both Type 052C and 054A to provide required air defense and anti-submarine defense.
Type 052D provides PLAN with a lot more flexibility. That’s why more Type 052D is expected to be produced than Type 052C. It is equipped with a newer generation of multi-functional radar, new variable depth sonar along with other new sensors.
More importantly, it’s the first surface combatant with the universal VLS.
Type 052D could also maintain a more balanced profile with 32 cells for long range SAM, 8 cells for quad-packed medium range SAM, 8 cells for anti-ship missiles, 8 cells for LACMs and 8 cells for ASROC like missile. That would provide comparable air defense to 052C while having increased firepower in ASuW and ASW.
If 052D is given the task of area air defense, it can utilize all of its VLS for the purpose of air defense. They can use 48 cells for long range SAM and remaining 16 cells for quad-packed medium range SAM or even 56 cells for long range SAM and remaining 8 cells for quad-packed medium range SAM. Both of which would provide solid protection for the ship itself and surrounding fleet once we factor in the 24-cell HQ-10 SAM and 7-barrelled PJ-12 CIWS for point defense. Another possible usage is in BMD, although I'm not sure if the technical characteristics of 052D's radar allows it to do tracking and target discrimination of ballistic missile threats. This role might be left for Type 055 cruisers. In theory, you could put the reported HQ-26 missile (or some other SM-3 like missile) on 052D along with other air defense missiles in the BMD role.

Vertical Launching System
The Type 052D has a brand new vertical launching system (VLS) for surface to air missiles, cruise missiles, anti submarine missiles, and anti ship missiles, and is capable of quad packing missiles and cold launch; it is the 3rd type of Chinese VLS system identified, after the circular version of VLS on Type 052C destroyer and the rectangular version on Type 054A frigate.
The VLS system on Type 052D differs from that on Type 052C.
The circular-shaped VLS system on Type 052C is replaced by the VLS with rectangular cells on Type 052D. Moreover, this western-like VLS looks different to the VLS system of Type 054A. Photo shows that Type 052D's VLS system dose not contain the shared exhaust vents between the rows of lunching tubes, which is the common feature of Type 054A's VLS system. Instead, the VLS on Type 052D looks more similar to US Mk 41 VLS, but without obvious indication of exhausts. The lack of exhaust vents in the leak photos leads to some Chinese internet forums postulating the cold launch method is adopted on Type 052D, but such claims cannot be confirmed by independent or official sources.
There are many other Chinese internet forums claiming that the difference between the VLS on Type 052D and VLS on Type 054A is simply a rearrangement of exhaust to a different location and Type 052D is still utilizing the hot launch method like Type 054A, but used a more advanced method of concentric canister launch (CCL) VLS (同心筒式垂直发射系统), first pioneered by USA in the mid-1990 for Mk 41 VLS upgrade.
This second claim appears more probable than the cold launch claims, because official Chinese sources have confirmed the existence of CCL VLS developmental program headed by the School of Mechatronics Engineering of Beijing Institute of Technology, and various research papers have been publicized, such as the effect of the flow mechanism and annular size of CCL and others. It's reported that chief designers of Chinese CCL VLS included Professor Yuan Zenfeng (袁曾凤), Professor Miao Peiyun (苗佩云) and professor Liang Shijie (梁世杰). When using CCL method, the flame produced in hot launch is diverted through the space between the inner and outer canisters within each individual VLS cell, so no specially dedicated exhaust shared by several cells are needed, thus similar to how British vertical launched (VL) Sea Wolf missile operates, and this is why CCL VLS can be mistaken for cold launch due to the lack of dedicated exhaust sandwiched between two rolls of cells in traditional VLS, while in reality, the exhaust of CCL VLS is within each individual cell.
What is also confirmed by semi-official sources in China is that the VLS on Type 052D is built to GJB 5860-2006 standard (GJB = Guo-jia Jun-yong Biao-zhun, 国家军用标准 meaning National Military Standard), so that different types of missiles can be launched by a single launching system. According to some of the publicized examples of GJB 5860-2006 requirement, there are 3 types of VLS that differs in length: 9 meter, 7 meter and 3.3 meter respectively (section 5.1.3), but the diameter is same for all, 850 mm maximum (section 6.1.2), with each launching tube filled with either dry air or nitrogen inside (section 6.1.4), and with higher internal pressure. (section 6.1.4). Similar to U.S. Navy's MK 41, a launching module includes 8 launching tubes (section 5.2.4), and each tube can house 1 - 4 missiles (section 5.2.4). Each launching model has a launching control unit (section 5.3.7), which can simultaneously launch up to 4 missiles of different kind (section 5.3.6). The launching control unit must have build-in test/diagnostic function (section 5.3.8). These publicized portions of GJV 5860-2006 are surprisingly similar to that of Mk 41 VLS, which prompt some Chinese internet sources to claim that there are potential future export of such system so that it has to comply to Mk 41 VLS, the most widely used VLS in the world. (Wikipedia)

With the addition of PJ-38 artillery gun and VLS launched LACMs, 052D could be PLAN's first ship to have major land attack capabilities. PJ-38 would provide 052D with the ability to support amphibious landings like Sov destroyers.
Long range LACMs would finally give PLAN the ability to attack land target from far away. This is a capability that PLAN really never needed when they were a brown or green water navy.
Even though YJ-62 launchers were removed, 052D could also be fitted with 16+ anti-ship missiles in an ASuW profile. All of the SAMs should also have secondary anti-ship mode. If they develop PJ-38 into being able to launch over the horizon anti-ship projectiles, 052D could be quite powerful in ASuW missions.
PJ-38, the 130mm turret weighs at least 50 tons and the gun has a range of 29.5 kilometers and a max rate of fire of 40 rounds a minute. Laser guided rounds can be fired but mostly the weapon fires the usual unguided shells.
Finally, Type 052D can also be PLAN's most effective surface ship in ASW missions. Its universal VLS can hold longer ranged ASROC missiles than Type 054A's VLS. Type 054A is almost limited to the short legged Z-9C helicopter while 052D could also use Ka-28 helicopters (and Z-15/20 in the future). With a more powerful sonar suite than Type 054A, it would be better suited for ASW missions in blue waters.
At the moment, 052D is China's primary surface combatant and expected to provide the most important roles in escorting a fleet. It is likely to be useful in China's navy for a long time because it is using China's first universal VLS and an artillery gun that can launch different type of projectiles. Its close in defense systems could easily be upgraded. New missiles and projectiles could probably be supported on 052D in the future with software updates or relatively small hardware upgrades. PLAN currently has the problem where it often does not replace outdated weapon system because of cost and supply concerns. That's why the recent Type 052 upgrades only changed the CIWS. Type 052D is first ship in PLAN to really benefit from a more plug and play approach that USN has enjoyed for years. Even when Type 055 joins service, Type 052D could still be very useful in land attack or ASuW or ASW roles.

Class overview
Builders:	Changxingdao-Jiangnan Shipyard
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded by:	Type 052C
Building:	8
Planned:	12
Completed:	1
General characteristics
Tonnage:	7500 tons fully loaded.
Length:	156 m
Beam:	18 m
Draught:	6.5 m
Propulsion:	CODOG Two QC-280 gas turbine engines, each generates 28MW of power and two MTU 20V 956TB92 diesel engines, each generates 6 MW of power.
Speed:	30 knots
Complement:	280
Sensors and processing systems:	Next generation shipborne AESA radar Type 517M L band long range radar Type 385
Armament:	1 x H/PJ-38 130mm dual purpose gun 1 x 24 Cell FL3000N CIWS 64 VLS for surface to air missiles, cruise missiles, anti submarine missiles, anti ship missiles, some of which can be quad packed 2 x 30 mm remote controlled gun H/PJ-12 / 1 x Type 730 CIWS 6 torpedo tubes 4 x 18-tube decoy rocket launcher
Aviation facilities:	Stern hangar Helicopter landing platform

Type-052D Kunming

Type-052D DDG,No.172 Kunming, went into service at morning Mar 21, 2014 to South Sea fleet

Type-052D, 130mm Gun

At 160m long and 18m wide, the Type-052D is slightly larger than its predecessor, the Type 052C, and is believed to weigh just over 6,000 tonnes. Reports indicate the vessel will use a Type 346 Active Phased Array Radar System and a Type 518 L-band long-range radar.
Meanwhile, the main 100mm gun on the Type 052C, reportedly unreliable, appears to have been replaced by a new PJ-38 130mm gun. The vessel also comes with a helicopter-landing platform and close-in weapon systems.
According to China Military News, the new destroyer comes with two 32-unit vertical launch systems capable of launching HQ-9B air-defense missiles, anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles. The original YJ-62 missile launchers used on the Type 052C do not appear to be present on the new DDG.
It has been speculated that the Type 052D could be equipped with a navalized version of the DH-10 land-attack cruise missile.

The US fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter can be detected by the radar system installed aboard the People's Liberation Army Navy's new Type 052D destroyers, according to the Moscow-based Voice of Russia, citing military experts.
Vladimir Evseev, director of the Moscow-based Center for Social and Political Studies, told the Russian broadcaster that details of China's radar project, including the amount spent on its development, remain unknown, however it is a great leap forward in regards to the nation's military modernization program.
China has encountered a lot of obstacles in its attempts to develop its own radar system, but it has managed to overcome these issues with Russian help, Voice of Russia said, citing Konstantin Sivkov, director of the Russian Academy for Geopolitical Issues.
Sivkov said that the most crucial part of China's success is that the PLA Navy finally knows how to handle active electronically scanned array radar systems. With this technology, Chinese destroyers are able to track and shoot down F-35 fighters from a distance of 350 kilometers.
Meanwhile, Pavel Zolotaryov, deputy head of Institute for USA and Canada Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the Chinese warship not only has the ability to locate the US stealth fighter but can also deploy countermeasures against the fighter's electronic interference capability.
The new system will gradually increase the combat capability of the PLA Navy in Western Pacific region, Voice of Russia said.

Comparison between 052D’s 32-tube VLS for various kinds of missiles and 052C’s 36-tube VLS for air-defense missiles only.

DDG1000. USS Zumwalt 1

DDG1000. USS Zumwalt 2

The US has recently scrapped its plan to produce DDG1000 destroyers as the mainstay of its navy because DDG1000 is not significantly superior to Type 052D.
DDG1000 is advanced mainly in its vertical launch system (VLS) and radar. However, when China’s first Type 052D was commissioned on March 21, 2014, its more details have been revealed to show its VSL is by no means inferior to DDG1000’s.
A launch tube in 052D’s VLS can launch and control 4 different kinds of missiles, including air-defense, anti-ship, anti-submarine and ship-to-ground missiles of different sizes.
The maximum diameter of the missile is 850 mm, bigger than DDG1000’s MK41 VLS.
Unlike US VLS only capable of hot launch or Russian VLS, cold launch, 052D’s VLS tubes are capable of both cold and hot launches of missiles and they also have CCL devices so that the smoke in hot launching of a missile is discharged through a concentric tube.
There are separate launch control electronic equipment for the control of each missile launched to simplify the procedures of control so that there are no longer the complicated control procedures of multi-layer transmission of information and orders.
The new type active phased array radar used on 052D now has a liquid cooling system instead of the air cooling system in Type 346 phased array radar on 052C that has a curved case to increase the area of contact for cooling.
In the new radar, liquid goes through the antenna for cooling. As a liquid cooling system has bigger cooling capacity and the contact area is bigger in the antenna array, the new radar must have greater power and better sustained performance.
Due to the above-mentioned advanced equipment and functions, a DDG1000 is better than 052D only in bigger displacement and 26 more launch tubes. However, designing 12,000-ton Type 055 destroyer bigger than DDG1000. When 055 is commissioned, DDG1000 will be inferior.
Therefore the US has to scrap its DDG1000 plan and decides to produce 10 Virginia class submarines and spent $11.4 billion to produce unmanned long-range bombers to deal with China’s new destroyers.
In the past, the US always believed that it always had the newest ideas in weapon development, but now it seems to be China’s turn.
The most serious problem is that the US remains outdated in sticking to its Air-Sea Battle strategy while for a decade, China has adopted the space-era strategy for the development of integrated space and air capabilities.
Source: huanqiu.com “Preeminant new VLS makes Type 052D destroyer rival to US DDG1000” and “Exposure of 052D destroyer’s mystic radar with overall performance better than existing one in US navy” (summary by Chan Kai Yee)

Type-022 Houbei Class Fast Attack Missile Boat

Type-022 Houbei Class Fast Attack Missile Boat 2

Type-022 Houbei Class Fast Attack Missile Boat 3

Type-022 Houbei Class Fast Attack Missile Boat 4

China is launching catamaran missile boats in large numbers in what might be a program to replace long-standing conventional missile boats.
However, the new missile catamarans are painted in blue and white camouflage colors that are characteristic of the Chinese marines. This raises questions about the boats’ real missions—questions that might be intentionally generated by the paint scheme.
In 2004, China’s Quixin Shipyard in Shanghai produced the lead Houbei Type 022 wave-piercing catamaran, hull number 2008.
The Type 022 is 43 meters (140 feet) long and weighs 225 tons. It is equipped with two missile launchers and has a top speed of 38 knots. After several years of extensive prototype testing, Quixin then produced hulls 2009, 2010 and 2011. Many observers thought this could be only a four-ship design, such as the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN’s) previous five new guided-missile destroyer (DDG) designs of only one or two hulls since 1991.
However, the startup of production for additional 022 hulls in Dalian, Quixin and Jiangnan shipyards in Shanghai, as well as in the Huangpu shipyard in Guangzhou, changed this precept.
The large number of wave-piercing catamaran 022 hulls being launched several at a time at five different shipyards is a major event in PLAN shipbuilding. Previous large-scale building programs were the 130 copies of Soviet Whiskey and Romeo submarines, 16 Luda destroyers and hundreds of Shanghai patrol boats from the 1950s to the 1970s.
China has been negotiating to export several 022s, and a smaller 19-ton, 14-meter (46 foot)-long China Cat design already has been sold to Iran. 
The Australian company AMD exports various sizes of catamarans for commercial customers from all parts of the world.
From 1993 until 2000, China procured seven AMD catamarans from 16 meters long to 30 meters (100 feet) long for river, seaport or local ferry duties. AMD has a joint venture company, Sea Bus International, located in Guangzhou that refined this catamaran design. After a review of competing designs, the PLAN selected a military patrol boat design based on the AMD 350, which is markedly like the 022 in specifications. AMD is cooperating in the design with China, and French diesels may be the power plant.
Range could be a serious limitation for the speedy 38-knot catamarans, but a couple of Australian 40-meter catamaran designs listed a range of 300 miles with two diesels and waterjets.
In 1965 the Soviet Union provided China with its first Osa-class and Komar-class fast attack boats with two and four Styx surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs), respectively. The boats had Russian M503A diesels for each shaft. Osa was equipped with three propellers and diesels, and Komar had four propellers and diesels. China had only the Square Tie search radar to control its SSN-1 missiles.
Ten years later, China began mass producing copies of these boats and called them Huangfeng and Hegu classes. Several Chinese shipyards built about 10 per year, and by 1985 PLAN had achieved a maximum inventory of 120 Huangfeng and 110 Hegu. As they aged, the active inventory of each class dropped to about 50 active and 25 in reserve by 1995.
Currently, no active Hegu-class boats remain and only 14 Huangfeng boats are active, so a new modern high-speed missile boat is needed to replenish this type in the PLAN order of battle.
The Huangfeng boats, along with many Luda destroyers and Jianghu frigates, carried four C-201 missiles (also called HY-2 or CSS-N-2) that are modified Russian Styx missiles. They are large with a diameter of 76 centimeters (30 inches) and are 5.8 meters (19 feet) long in their cells.
The large numbers of 022s being produced at a rapid pace might lead to the obvious conclusion that 022s are a modern SSM boat design with the old antiship missile (ASM) mission.
But the lack of the detection and track fire control radar and missile datalink Band Stand systems, which are associated with C-803/YJ-83 missiles on new construction 054 frigates and 052 Luyang DDGs, eliminates the idea that the 022s could carry newer C80x/YJ-8x series Mach 0.9 or supersonic long-range SSMs.
Old model SSMs lack the Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System (INS/GPS) positioning capabilities provided by Rockwell to China in 1986.
This eliminates the likelihood of 022s carrying SSMs prior to the C-802 series, which makes the C-802 with a 160-kilometer (100-mile) range or the C-802A with 200-kilometer (125-mile) range the logical SSM for 022.
These are on upgraded Ludas and new Luhu and Luhai DDGs, which similar to the 022s have no Band Stand guidance/link, making the C-802 series the most reasonable SSM loadout.
A photograph shows a crane transferring a missile above the 022 launcher, but it is in a transportation container and cannot be identified. It is the same size as on prior DDGs.
The sophistication of 022 combat systems shows a large cost and weight commitment beyond that of previous fast small missile boat designs.
The degree of automation is striking and is illustrated by comparing the total of 26 crew members of the Huangfeng—with similar weight and length to the 022—to the crew of only 12 on the 022.
For example, copies of the advanced Russian close-in weapon system (CIWS) on the Type 656 Sovremmeny DDGs are very expensive and previously were found only on large new PLAN vessels.
The Huangfeng and Hoku missile boats had only manned twin 25-millimeter gun mounts. But, on the 022, a Type 630 six-barrel CIWS is installed in a stealthy unmanned gun turret on the bow.
The new 054 frigate and 052 DDGs have the Type 347G Rice Bowl as their CIWS fire control radar. These are large and too heavy for the small 022, so a 2-foot-diameter radar dish on the smaller boat appears to be a tracking radar for the CIWS gun mount without the usual CIWS radar on top of the Type 730 CIWS.
The 022 has a passive Fenis-ME electro-optic tracker and Kolonika II low-light-level optical director on top of the bridge, which serve as a backup CIWS fire control director on other ships during jamming of other active radars. The Type ESR-1 362 is the reliable surface search radar on top of the mast.
The Type 765 I-band navigation radar is on a pedestal in front of the mast.
Also on the mast is an HN-900 Chinese datalink for command coordination with aircraft, submarines and other PLAN warships.
Such comprehensive command and control diversity seems beyond the usual small missile craft requirements. The port corner of the bridge has a 20-meter (65-foot) high frequency whip antenna for long-range communications, and a 15-meter (50-foot) antenna is on the starboard side aft of the bridge.
The mast reinforced yardarm has the identification friend or foe (IFF), the direction finder, two outboard electronic countermeasure jammers, electronic support measures receivers and datalinks.
Noticeably missing is the expected satellite communication radomes on each side of the bridge. These may be added later.
On previous new construction craft, incremental weapon upgrades are added during production. One upgrade that later 022s now have is a small FLS-1 surface-to-air launcher on the bridge.
It would launch one of the QW series missiles with various guidance types.
Since the 1999 production of the 1,250-ton JervisBay for the Royal Australian Navy, Australian builders have provided three high speed vehicle (HSV) catamaran hulls to the U.S. Navy for trials.
They vary in size from 950 to 2,100 tons, and they are intended largely for U.S. Marine Corps amphibious and other special missions.
The United States recently has built two HSVs, the FSF-1 Seafighter and experimental 88-foot-long Stiletto (SIGNAL Magazine, March 2006).
Delivered in late 2005 and 2007, they are modular multimission and special forces vessels. This Western assortment of much larger HSVs comprises practical amphibious support vessels, unlike the small PLAN 022 design.
Several possible answers may exist to explain the lack of an SSM radar on 022 among other anomalies of weapons and missions.
The older C-801 and C-201 Osa/Komar copies used the Square Tie radar for SSM fire control targeting. One explanation would be that the marine support mission needs only simple targeting on fixed land sites with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) type ballistic missiles.
Since there is no need to detect and track mobile targets and guide the missile to intercept, the complex Band Stand or even basic Square Tie capabilities are not needed.
As for the possibility of fitting Army ballistic missiles into 022 missile cells for marine landing support, there is one prior example of the PLAN trying to modify an existing warship to a shore bombardment role.
During a 2003 to 2005 upgrade at Hudong shipyard, the 053H frigate hull 516 had one single-barrel 100-millimeter gun mount replaced with two twin-barrel 100-millimeter gun mounts, which quadrupled the volume of fire.
Additionally, two twin CSSN-4 SSM launchers were replaced with three ballistic missile launchers having 10 300-millimeter missiles per launcher or five launchers with 50 rockets each for shore bombardment. The missile range is 40 kilometers (25 miles), similar to the PLA Type 89 and Russian BM-21.
A second 053H hull, number 512, began receiving the same landing support modification in 2006.
A four-round NORINCO Type 83 multiple rocket system (MRS) fires four 273-millimeter rockets with a diameter of 4.7 meters (15.5 feet) with a range of from 23 kilometers (14 miles) to 40 kilometers (25 miles) or even 80 kilometers (50 miles), depending on the rocket motor.
A 300-millimeter Angel-120 MRS launches eight 6.9-millimeter rockets at ranges of from 50 kilometers (30 miles) to a maximum of 120 kilometers (75 miles).
Another 10-round A-100 MRS launches a 300-millimeter rocket at ranges from 25 kilometers (15 miles) to 90 kilometers (55 miles).
An earlier MRS designated the WS-1 launches four 320-millimeter rockets to a maximum range of 30 kilometers (20 miles). It is possible for the PLAN to put army launching tubes in the 022 launcher in place of C-802 for landing artillery support missions, but the artillery rockets are one-quarter the diameter of C-802.
Another possibility is if China installed some of the 533-millimeter HN series of submarine-launched ground attack cruise missiles in the 022 launcher cells.
The initial 1992 HN-1 had a minimum range of 600 kilometers (375 miles), and the 1996 HN-2 increased that range to 1,000 kilometers (625 miles). Coincidentally, the latest HN-3 became operational in 2005, about the time that the lead 2208 was undergoing tests. The HN-3 had ranges of from 2,500 kilometers (1,570 miles) to a maximum of 3,000 kilometers (1,875 miles).
These HN series are long-range strategic weapons with INS/GPS and terrain mapping navigation and have turbofan propulsion such as the U.S. Tomahawk. All have multiple launch platforms including submarines, surface ships and ground vehicles, and the HN-1 also had an air-launched version.
A Russian three-dimensional-view drawing of an 022 shows four missile cell hatches per launcher, which makes a total of eight instead of four missiles. These could be much smaller diameter missiles than C-802 SSMs.
Ballistic land artillery missiles also are this smaller size, and they offer a simpler design without radar tracking or homing in on a moving target.
A photograph of the lead 2008-2011 hulls berthed at a facility shows all four with marine camouflage. This is a strong indication of direct support of amphibious landing operations, rather than just an anti-surface-ship naval mission such as for the old Hegu and Huangfeng series.
Other Chinese amphibious vessels from large multipurpose amphibious assault ships  and tank landing ships to smaller utility landing craft, medium landing ships, mechanized landing craft or assault boats all have standard gray paint, indicating they are PLAN assets. The concept that the blue/white paint means ownership and control by the marine force is reinforced by the fact that marine Type 63A amphibious tanks also are blue/white, as are marine combat uniforms.
The dozen completed 022s are distributed equally among all three fleets. The two PLAN marine brigades are located in Hainan and Guangzhou, both in the Southern Fleet provinces (south and east), but there are small marine bases in the north left over from the days of the Soviet threat. In fact, major Russian/Chinese amphibious exercises in 2005 in the north used PLA special shock landing troops instead of marines. So any correlation of PLAN marine locations with the apparent three-fleet distribution of 022 catamarans is inconclusive.
No other nation has missile catamaran boats with marine missions.
Western observers may have difficulty understanding a Chinese design if it does not fit their blue water or littoral mission concepts. But the number one objective of the Chinese government is reunification by bringing the renegade island of Taiwan back into the Chinese nation.
If this must be done by an invasion, then gunfire support of the amphibious landing is a gap in PLAN capabilities. The ideal U.S. Navy invasion gunfire support platforms were the U.S. Navy 16-inch battleship guns and 8-inch cruiser guns that provided crushing firepower in World War II.
Use of the many PLA intermediate-range ballistic missiles located in Fujian province would destroy much of the Taiwan infrastructure, which would be counterproductive.
On the other hand, the small missile catamarans need only travel from Fujian province ports to the Taiwan landing sites. Their design may make no sense to Western observers, but it meets China’s most important unique government and PLAN objective.
The catamaran-based missiles could be used to support Taiwan amphibious landings.
So these mass-produced 022 catamarans simply could be replacements for the 210 scrapped Hegu and Huangfeng high-speed SSM boats.
Intelligence and naval experts have been wrong in the past about what type of missiles were in naval missile cells.
However, it also is possible that China deviously painted these PLAN boats with marine colors just to make Western experts try to figure out why.
James C. Bussert is employed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia, where he works on surface-ship antisubmarine fire control systems.

Future Nuclear Submarines

After disclosure Types 094, 095 and 096 nuclear submarines, people outside China have great concerns whether China really has any Type 098 strategic nuclear submarines.
Recently, a US media has said in its report, US satellite has detected China’s construction of 2 new-type fourth-generation strategic nuclear submarines, each of which is equipped with 12 sets of launching devices for ballistic missiles.
It is said that a Chinese Type 098 strategic nuclear submarine has a displacement of 28,300 tons, can submerge to the depth of 5,200 meters and is wide in size.
As it is propelled by a superconductive system, its noise does not exceed 20 dB. It has free maneuverability due to several vector propelling devices located in various areas of its body. It is a real intelligent stealth submarine undetectable due to very low noise.
It has 50 torpedo launching tubes for conventional defense while its major weapons are the 24 new JL-5 SLBMs with 80 separately guided warheads each, in which 20-35 are decoys. However effective the enemy’s missile defense systems are, it can be absolutely sure that 84 enemy cities will be destroyed at the first round of attack.
However, there is another less sensationalizing speculation that by the year 2025, China will have 3-4 aircraft carrier battle groups and 6 strategic nuclear submarines. Each submarine carries 12 SLBMs with 3 nuclear warheads each. Two of them will keep routine patrol while a third of them will be deployed when there is an emergency.
The 108 nuclear warheads they carry will constitute effective deterrent against the U.S.
Source: qianzhan.com “Foreign media: PLA is building 2 most advanced type 098 strategic nuclear submarines” (summary by Chan Kai Yee)