The Bangladesh Navy is focusing on acquiring guided missile destroyers from China to ensure greater power projection capabilities over its area of operations.
Such an acquisition is indicative over its relentless drive since 2009 to expand the operational capabilities of its fleet once considered a coastal force.
Evidence suggests the Bangladesh Navy has a long way to go before it can adequately perform operations well beyond the Bay of Bengal with critical shortages in replenishment capabilities, helicopters, surface warships such as frigates and self-defence capabilities such as area defence AD systems aboard frigates.
One way to remedy the shortcomings in the Navy has been to increasingly build minor platforms such as littoral warfare vessels, landing craft, patrol craft and auxiliaries indigenously at its numerous shipyards while simultaneously purchase refurbished warships from China.
On September 2019 the Bangladesh Navy signed a deal with Poly Tech Inc for two additional Type 053H3 guided missile frigates. At least one of the two frigates might be used to replace the aged Type 053H1 commissioned in November 1989. Hulls 521 (Jiaxing) and 528 (Mianyang) are expected to be transferred to the Bangladesh Navy in 2020 after undergoing a refit.
Two Type 052B or Guangzhou class multirole destroyers are likely to be transferred by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to the auspices of the Bangladesh Navy.
The 168 (Guangzhou) is currently undergoing refit whilst 169 (Wuhan) is presently active with the South Sea Fleet (SSF) of the PLAN.
Built by Jiangnan and both launched in 2002 and commissioned by 2004 the Guangzhou class represent a step forward in Chinese warship building. The class are the first to be capable of undertaking area air defence.
Type 052B is built with considerable Russian technology including the Russian-made 9M38 Buk-M1-2 air defence missile system, an extremely effective air defence system with a range of 38 km. Most military analysts expect the Guangzhou class to be similar to the Russian Sovremenny class destroyer in terms of general performance.
The displacement of the Type 052B is about 5850 tons standard and 6500 tons full load. The ship features a “low point” design and combines this with radar absorbing paint to reduce radar signature. The ship’s funnel incorporates cooling devices to reduce infrared signatures. The stern flight deck can host a Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter.
The Type 052Bs incorporate an extensive array of weapons systems. She is equipped with two missile launchers, one forward and one aft on the ship. These launchers can launch the SA-N-12 Grizzly Surface-to-Air Missile. Each launcher has two dedicated MR-90 Front Dome fire control radars and carries a total of 48 missiles. The primary mission of Type 052B is providing area air defense for the fleet, so anti-shipping mission is secondary, which is handled by 4 quad YJ-83 Anti-Ship Cruise Missile launchers located amidships. For guns she has a 100mm cannon in ‘A’ position and this was also the first PLAN vessel to be equipped with a Close-In Weapons System. For sub-surface threats, she is armed with 2 triple 324mm Yu-7 Anti-Submarine torpedo tubes and two Type 75 twelve-barrel 240mm antisubmarine rocket launchers. The Type 052B is equipped with four 18-barrel Type 724 chaff launchers for part of its self-defense suite. No 169 was used a testbed for domestic gas turbine propulsion system, with one of the original DN80 gas turbine replaced by domestic Chinese produced QC-280, and experienced showed that domestic Chinese engine has performed satisfactorily.
The Type 052B uses either a Fregat-MAE-5 (Top Plate) 3D search radar or a Type 382 Radar (Upgraded version from Type 381 Radar “Sea Eagle S/C”) 3D air/surface search radar, mounted at the top of the forward mast. Four MR90 Front-Dome radars provide fire control for the SA-N-12 missiles. A Type 344 fire control radar controls the main gun. A bandstand radar provides fire control for the YJ-83 ASCM missile.
The latest photos suggest the Guanzhou class had most of its Russian origin sensors and weapons removed. This includes the removal of even the Chinese-made Type 210 100 mm dual purpose gun.
The two single rail SA-N-12 launcher has also been removed with expected replacement to be HHQ-16 (mixed with Y-8 anti-sub missile (rocket boosted torpedo) of at least 48 cells (matching that of Shenzhen and Sovremenny refits) in VLS arrangement. Theoretically there is room for 64 cells with land attack capability and ant-ship missile capability if the original 16 YJ-83 missile box launchers have room beneath the deck to expand the VLS system. The 16 YJ-83 box launchers can also be replaced with 8 YJ-12 supersonic missile box launchers if the VLS is not added.
Moreover the radar and other sensors are being replaced with those fitted on the Type 054A’s to enable operation of the HHQ-16 SAM system.
Two Tyoe 1130 30mm CIWS can also be added in lieu of the rocket launcher systems behind the main gun. A FL-3000 (HHQ-10) can be added to replace the two existing Type 730 if funds are availed.
At just barely 16 years of age the warships could provide another 20 to 25 years of service with sufficient mid-life upgrade programmes.
Technical specifications
Unit cost: around US$400 million per ship by 2004’s price
Ships: Guangzhou (168) and Wuhan (169) as of 2006
Propulsion: 2 x Zorya-Mashproekt DN80 gas-turbines, 2 x MTU Friedrichshafen 12V 1163TB83 diesels
Length: 155 m
Beam: 17 m
Draught: 6 m
Displacement: 6,500 metric tons at full load
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 280 (40 officers)
Combat Data System: ZKJ-7 information processing system designed by the 709th Institute (reported speed: 100 Mbit/s)
Data link: HN-900 (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
Communication: SNTI-240 SATCOM
Armament
- 16 x YJ-83 SSM
- 48 x SA-N-12 SAM in 4 x 12 magazine
- 1 x 100 mm gun
- 2 x 30 mm Type 730 CIWS
- 2 x Triple 324 mm ASW torpedo tubes
- 2 x Type 75, 12-barrel 240 mm antisubmarine rocket launchers (range 1200 m, 34 kg warhead)
- 4 x 18-barrel Type 726-4 decoy/chaff launchers
Aviation: 1 x Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter
