Chinese destroyer Xi'an (153)

	Xi'an moored in Saint Petersburg on 27 July 2019
History
China
Name	Xi'an
Namesake	Xi'an; (西安);
Builder	Jiangnan Shipyard, Shanghai
Launched	16 June 2012
Completed	30 December 2014
Commissioned	9 February 2015
Homeport	Zhoushan
Identification	Pennant number: 153
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 × 30mm 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

Xi'an (153) is a Type 052C destroyer of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 9 February 2015.

Development and design

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.^[1] 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.^[3] The Ka-28 is equipped with a search radar and dipping sonar and can also employ sonobuoys, torpedoes, depth charges, or mines.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6] The weapon has a rate of fire of 25 rounds per minute.^[1] 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.^[1]

Construction and career

Xi'an was launched on 16 June 2012 at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. Commissioned on 9 February 2015.^[7]

According to the Liberation Army Daily report on December 22, 2016, Xi'an encountered a foreign aircraft approaching in the East China Sea and warned and collected evidence in English. Xi’an was designated as the command ship of the Chinese formation participating in the 2016 RIMPAC. It participated in the exercise for 69 days and sailed for more than 15,000 nautical miles. It led the formation to complete 16 subject exercises in 3 categories of maritime blockade operations.

Gallery

Xi'an moored at Jiangnan shipyard on 7 August 2014.
Xi'an underway during RIMPAC on 28 July 2016.
Xi'an underway on 16 August 2016.
Xi'an underway on 5 April 2019.
Xi'an underway at Hook of Holland on 15 July 2019.
Xi'an underway on 28 October 2019.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010. Jane's Information Group. p. 137. ISBN 978-0710628886.
^ McDevitt: pages 59
^ McDevitt: pages 61
^ United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, pages 20–21
^ United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, pages 20
^ 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.
^ 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.

[jfs_2009-20103-1] Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010. Jane's Information Group. p. 137. ISBN 978-0710628886.

[McDevitt_2018_59-2] McDevitt: pages 59

[McDevitt_2018_61-3] McDevitt: pages 61

[oni_2015_20-21-4] United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, pages 20–21

[oni_2015_20-5] United States Navy Office of Naval Intelligence: The PLA Navy, pages 20

[6] 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.

[oni_2018_PLAN_ID_Guide-7] 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.

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