Redid the Luda:
The Luda class ships are ASW-oriented surface combatants intended for blue-water power projection operations as part of the screen for surface strike groups. In 1960, the Chinese Navy began designing a new class of long-range frigates equipped with anti-ship guided missiles.
This design was originally thought to be based on the Russian Project 56 (Kotlin class) ships, with four single launchers for P-15 (SSN-2A Styx) missiles in place of the torpedo tubes. According to Russian sources the design base was the Project 41 (Tallinn class). The major redesign, claimed by the Chinese as being intended to improve the seakeeping characteristics of the Kotlin class, was due to the differences between Tallinn and the smaller Kotlin (meaning the Chinese just copied the Tallinn design, instead of improving the Kotlin themselves). ASW capability is restricted to depth charges and two rocket launchers forward. Construction started in 1968. Sea trials were begun in 1971. 17 were built. One sunk in 1988, 5 are still active.
Luda IA is the second group of Luda class ships armed with 57 mm instead od 37 mm AA guns, HY-2 Silkworm anti-ship missiles, and equipment for under way replenishment. Many earlier ships were brought up to this standard.
Before the Tienanmen square incident, there were plans to upgrade them with British marconi radars, seacat SAM missles (similar to the Royal navy Type 42s) and US phalanx CIWS -the Luda type 051S. These were all cancelled. Instead, in 1989, two ships of the Jinan class (Luda II) appeared after extensive modernization. The stern’s 130 mm and 57 mm guns had been removed and replaced by a helicopter deck and hangar for two Zhi-9 helicopters. These are Chinese-built derivatives of the French Dauphin.
Prior to that, a third batch of Luda class ships was ordered in 1985. These comprise the two boats of the radically improved Luda III class (named so because they were first sighted later, in 91 and 95) . They effectively represent a packaging of license-built Western weapons and sensors in a cheap Chinese-built hull, probably with exports in mind. Reports suggested at that time that a total of 16 ships were planned, with the older Luda class to be brought up to Luda II standards as the new ships became available. The construction standards of the Chinese-built hulls were unacceptably low while the problems of integrating Western systems into non-traditional hulls proved more complex than anticipated. So, they were superceeded by newer destroyer designs (the flawed Type 052 Luhu class and the Luhai class).
Meanwhile, as a stopgap for the Luhu issue, the PLAN has performed mid-life upgrades on several of its Luda class destroyers. Some ships have been upgraded with a new C3I, SAM, automatic AA guns, and new anti-ship missiles.The upgraded ships are referred to as the Type 051DT or Luda IV. At least 2 ships, have been upgraded to this standard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_051_destroyer
@Fairline Thanks!
@Patine I sure will, I just have to make the time for it. I just have a heap of half done stuff I promised, including the Tomcat and the Gepard. stuff.Post a picture of what you want.
-update-
Luda class II, III, IV upgrades.
, put them into collections on full size units files, so we can easily download, sort and store them. Most have the name/type on the unit, but I recall that in some cases, that information was just on the post. Thank you for all the great unit art that you create.
