Russian Type 22350 frigate
Let me talk about the nice things first. The Mao Xiong Type 22350 frigate is one of the strongest frigates in the world. Although it only has a full load displacement of 4,500 tons, it is not the same as China's The 054A frigate is quite similar, but its weapon configuration is quite powerful. It adopts a four-sided phased array radar system, is equipped with a 48-unit vertical launch system, and is equipped with a 130mm naval gun. It has powerful air defense, anti-submarine and anti-submarine capabilities, and its firepower configuration is even more powerful than the 052D destroyer at Rabbit's home.
The service of the 22350-class frigate has solved the urgent need of the Mao Xiong Navy, but sadly, this 4,500-ton frigate is also the largest surface ship built by Mao Xiong since the Soviet Union. At present, the main ships of Mao Xiong are still old guys from the Soviet era, including 1 "Kuznetsov" aircraft carrier (I don't know if it will ever see the light of day again), 2 nuclear-powered "Kirov" cruisers (1 in Refitted), 2 Glorious-class destroyers, and 11 modern and Dreadnought-class destroyers. These big guys are all old guys left over from the Soviet Union.
Although the Mao Xiong Navy is miserable, the Type 22350 frigate is still very distinctive. In addition to its powerful firepower, its appearance has also changed from the rough style of Lao Maozi. There is no longer a mess of electronic systems on the deck. and weapon system, but adopts a novel and simple stealth design, a closed mast, a powerful phased array radar system, etc. I have to say that 22350 is a very beautiful and domineering warship!
Super powerful weapon system
The biggest feature of the Type 22350 "Admiral Gorshkov" class frigate is that its firepower is extremely powerful, even far exceeding that in Europe. It is a 6,000-ton destroyer and frigate. Its weapon configuration includes:
Anti-ship and ground-attack missiles: 16-unit UKSK vertical launch system, which can launch "Club" anti-ship missiles or caliber cruise missiles. This vertical-launched system has undergone actual combat testing and can launch caliber missiles to accurately hit Syrian targets 1,500 kilometers away. It is a quite mature vertical-launched equipment. Mao Xiong also successfully test-fired the hypersonic "Zircon" anti-ship missile on its first ship "Admiral Gorshkov" last year. The top speed of Mach 8 will be its trump card against Yingjiang naval ships.
Each launch barrel can be equipped with a 48N6 series long-range air defense missile, or a 9M96E1/E2 series medium-range air defense missile, or a short-range 9M100 short-range air defense missile, which can achieve 1 pit and 4 bombs. Fire interception at multiple levels from far, medium and near to improve interception efficiency. In addition, the hangar is also equipped with two Kashtan artillery-in-one heavy-duty close-in defense weapon systems, equipped with two AO-18KD 30mm cannons and eight 9M340E anti-aircraft missiles. The effective defense distance is about 4km and the height is about 3km. As a final A line of defense stops fish that slip through the net.
Navy gun: A 130mm A-192M naval gun with 45 rounds per minute. Only Russia is equipped with such a fierce naval gun on a 4,500-ton frigate.
Anti-submarine helicopter: 1 Ka-27/32 anti-submarine helicopter, mainly performing anti-submarine patrol missions.
Anti-submarine torpedo: Equipped with four 533mm torpedo tubes, it can use torpedoes and RPK-9 anti-submarine missiles loaded with torpedoes.
The weapon configuration of the Type 22350 frigate is completely built according to the standards of a destroyer. Currently, no frigate from any other country can reach such a level of firepower. Due to the decline in economic strength and manufacturing level, the Mao Xiong Navy can only be keen on For this kind of "small boat pulling a big cannon" is used to earn face for oneself, and they can live a life of make do.
Advanced shipboard electronic equipment
If powerful firepower is the biggest feature of this frigate, then electronic equipment is the biggest improvement of the 22350 frigate. The Mao Xiong finally abandoned the Soviet Union's silly, black and thick shape. The overall ship adopts a stealth design, the deck is novel and simple, and the enclosed mast finally has the style of a modern ship.
Nearly all electronic products of the 22350 frigate hit the enclosed mast. The top of the mast is equipped with a rotating radar with a 5P-27 three-dimensional array antenna. It is mainly responsible for long-range search and warning. It can be seen from a high position. Far away, this radar is also responsible for searching for low-altitude raid targets; installed below is a 4-sided 5P-20K fixed phased array radar, which can track 400 air targets and 50 water targets at the same time, and is mainly used to guide air defense The missile is used for air defense interception; the 5P-10 gun sighting radar is used to guide the 130mm naval gun for air defense or ship attack.
The large spherical radome on the top of the bridge is the 34K1 sea surface search radar, which is similar to the music station radar that most military fans are familiar with. It is mainly used as a relay guidance for anti-ship missile attacks. In addition, there is a complete set of electronic countermeasures equipment on the platforms on both sides of the main mast, and the data link receiving antenna and satellite receiving antenna are arranged above the hangar.
The electronic equipment of the 22350 frigate is much simpler and more beautiful than the large warships of the Soviet era. However, we know from the various protruding electronic equipment platforms on the mast that the Mao Xiong is on par with the West in terms of electronic equipment. The gap is obvious, and there is still a big gap between integrated masts.
Tragic power system
The 22350 frigate is powered by combined diesel turbine propulsion (CODAG). The main power is two MR90 gas turbines provided by Ukraine. There is no way, after all, in the Soviet era Power production companies are all located in Ukraine. However, the 2014 Crimean crisis and the turmoil between the armed forces in East Ukraine completely broke up the two Russian-Ukrainian brothers. Ukraine refused to deliver any more gas turbines and refused to provide technical support for the power system.
This resulted in that only the first "Admiral Gorshkov" and the second "Admiral Kasatonov" had complete and smoothly operating Ukrainian power systems; The third ship "Admiral Golovko" and the fourth ship "Admiral Isakov" under construction were stalled without engines, and the fifth and sixth ships planned to start had to be delayed indefinitely. engine.
In the end, Mao Xiong had to develop and support the gas turbine by itself. Fortunately, Mao Xiong’s new engine successfully conducted a complete test of the new engine in 2018, and it will be ready for ship installation in 2020. There are two rumors about the new engine. One is that it is a copy of the domestically produced M-90F gas turbine, while the other is that it uses a newly developed naval gas turbine by the Saturn Manufacturing Bureau (the R&D and production unit of the AL31 engine). In any case, the problem was finally solved. The problem of swelling.
Slightly sad status quo
To be fair, the Type 22350 "Admiral Gorshkov" class frigate, with its destroyer-class firepower configuration and advanced electronic equipment, has achieved It has reached the top level of active frigates. So far, the Russian Navy is one of the few surface warships equipped with a phased array radar system similar to the American "Aegis". Many people even commented that the 22350 frigate does not look like a frigate, because frigates from various countries pay more attention to seaworthiness and range. More emphasis is placed on the ability to dispatch under complex sea conditions and complex meteorological conditions, so that it can be competent in a variety of tasks, rather than such an extreme accumulation of firepower. With this in mind, it can be said that the Type 22350 frigate will definitely win against any frigate of the same tonnage in the world, and it is not an exaggeration to call it the world's number one frigate.
However, frigates from other countries are basically just odd jobs and will not be pushed to the front line to fight. However, Mao Xiong’s 22350 currently carries the title of Russia’s “first battleship”, which is relatively Embarrassed.
Second, due to financial constraints, poor production organization, and some technical problems (worker dating), a warship of only 4,500 tons actually took 12 years to build, until the first ship was launched in June 2018. The "Admiral Gorshkov" was finally put into service, and the second ship "Admiral Kasatonov" was put into service in July 2020; the original plan to build 15 ships was also reduced due to lack of money. The number of ships currently being built is 3. As for the follow-up construction plan, it depends on the attitude of international oil prices in recent years.