Type 051 destroyer

The Type 051 destroyer (NATO/OSD Luda-class destroyer)After the former Chinese city of Lüda. was a class of guided missile destroyers based on the hull of the Soviet deployed by China. It was the first guided missile destroyer fielded by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), and the first designed and built in China. 17 were built from 1970 to 1990; it was not until the 21st century that China would again build a class in such large numbers.Cole: page 24

NATO/OSD broadly grouped variants from refits and newer construction under the Luda I, Luda II,Jane's Warship Recognition Guide: page 74 Luda III,Jane's Warship Recognition Guide: page 76 and Luda IV classes.

History The PLAN began designing a warship armed with guided missiles in 1960 based on the , with features from the , but the Sino-Soviet split stopped work. Work resumed in 1965Forecast International: page 4 with nine ships being ordered.Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005: p. 127 Construction started in 1968, with trials beginning in 1971. The ships nominally entered service in the early 1970s, but few were fully operational before 1985; workmanship was poor due to the Cultural Revolution.

Construction of the second batch began in 1977,Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010: p. 139 with the last commissioning in 1991.Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010: p. 140 The second batch may have been ordered due to the Cultural Revolution disrupting development of a successor class. These ships may be designated Type 051D.

The PLAN initiated an abortive modernization program for the first batch in 1982. The ships would be reconstructed with British weapons and sensors acquired from British Aerospace. The Falklands War made the prospective upgrades less impressive and cost effective, and the project was cancelled in 1984. A 1986 upgrade project using American power plants, weapons, sensors, and computers was cancelled after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

Jinan, the first of the class, became a trials ship in 1987; a helicopter hangar and flight deck replaced the rear armament. This configuration was referred to as Luda II.

The last two ships, Zhanjiang and Zhuhai, were upgraded with foreign – mainly French – systems, possibly being designated as Type 051G, and referred to as Luda III.Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005: page 128 They became test beds and many of the systems were later employed on the Type 052 and Type 051B destroyers. Both ships were decommissioned on 3 September 2020, being the last of their class to retire from service.

Twelve ships of the class – Jinan, Yinchuan, Nanjing, Nanchang, Chongqing, Xining, Zhanijiang, Zhuhai, Hefei, Zunyi, Dalian, and Xi'an – have been preserved as museum ships.

Variants Type 051 The Type 051 was the initial design using Soviet or Soviet-derived systems.

The anti-ship missiles were P-15 Termit derivatives (HY-1,Bussert and Elleman: The Luda's Gun and Missile Systems and possibly later HY-2) in two triple-launchers. Guns were two twin gun mounts (SM-2-1 derivatives), and four twin anti-aircraft guns.

Anti-submarine equipment were Soviet hull-mounted Pegas 2 and Tamir-2 sonars, depth charges, and FQF-2500 rocket launchers (Soviet RBU-1200 derivatives).Bussert and Elleman: The Luda's Antisubmarine Warfare Capability

The Type 051 was according to NATO part of the Luda I class.

Type 051D

The Type 051D was from the second batch. It had changes to electronics and was equipped for underway replenishment.

The Type 051D was according to NATO part of the Luda I class.

Type 051DT

The Type 051DT was a modernized Type 051D. Kaifeng and Dalian were modernized to somewhat different designs.

Kaifeng initially received the Thomson-CSF Tavitac combat data system, the Type 393 surface search radar, and HQ-7 (Crotale derivative) surface-to-air missiles (SAM); the missiles replaced "X" turret. In 1999, YJ-8 missiles replaced the HY-series, and electronic warfare systems were upgraded.

Dalian received a similar modernization as Kaifeng. A notable difference was Dalian used the ZKJ-1 combat data system, which was also used on the Type 051Z.

They were later equipped with YJ-83 anti-ship missiles.

The Type 051DT was according to NATO part of the Luda III class, and later the Luda IV class.

Type 051Z The Type 051Z was a command variant with the ZKJ-1 combat data system. Anti-aircraft warfare capabilities were improved by replacing the 37 mm guns with Soviet guns, and fitting modern Type 381A 3D radar.

One Type 051D, Hefei, was converted to a Type 051Z.

The Type 051Z was according to NATO part of the Luda I class.

Helicopter destroyer variant

Jinan was a helicopter destroyer. The gun turrets aft of the aft missile launcher were replaced by a hangar and flight deck for two Harbin Z-9C helicopters.

One Type 051, Jinan, was converted into a "Luda II" in 1987 for trials.

Type 051G The Type 051G was an improved variant to which design the last two ships, Zhanjiang and Zhuhai, were completed. They were equipped with Type 354 3D air and surface search radar. Four twin YJ-8 launchers replaced the HY-1/HY-2 launchers. The Soviet sonar was replaced by French DUBV-23 search sonar and DUBV-43 variable depth sonar (VDS).

Zhuhai was modified in 1999. The Soviet 130 mm guns were replaced by Type 79A guns, derived from French Creusot-Loire Compact, with automated reloaders. An HQ-7 SAM launcher replaced the "X" turret, as on the Type 051DT. Zhuhai was similarly modified.

Zhanjiang and Zhuhai were equipped with the ZKG-4A and ZKG-4B combat data systems respectively.

The Type 051G was also the first Chinese ship to deploy the YU-7 lightweight torpedo, and the Italian anti-aircraft gun.

The Type 051G was according to NATO part of the Luda III class, and later the Luda IV class.

Ships of class All these ships were built at three shipyards: (1) the Luda Shipyard (since 2000 called the Dalian Shipyard) in Liaoning, (2) the Zhonghua Shipyard (now called the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard) in Shanghai, and (3) the Huangpu Shipyard, in Guangzhou. The number in the first column is the order of completion.

NumberHull no.NameBuilderLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFleetNotes Type 051 2 160 广州 / Guangzhou Dalian 28 April 1971 30 June 1974Forecast International: page 1 9 March 1978 South Sea Fleet Suffered an explosion in 1978, as a result of which she was sunk, then raised and scrapped. 3 106 西安 / Xi'an Luda September 1970 28 November 1974 29 September 2007 North Sea Fleet Preserved as museum ship. 4 161 长沙 / Changsha Dalian 28 June 1973 31 December 1978 26 August 2008 South Sea Fleet Inactive. 5 107 银川 / Yinchuan Luda 30 July 1970 31 December 1971 15 November 2007 North Sea Fleet Preserved as a museum ship. 6 162 南宁 / Nanning Dalian 27 October 1976 23 March 1979 September 2012 South Sea Fleet Inactive. 7 131 南京 / Nanjing Zhonghua 11 December 1973 6 February 1977 26 September 2012 East Sea Fleet Preserved as a museum ship. Helicopter destroyer variant 1 105 济南 / Jinan Luda 30 July 1970 31 December 1971 15 November 2007 North Sea Fleet Built as Type 051. Converted in 1987. Preserved as a museum ship in Qingdao. Type 051D 8 108 西宁 / Xining Luda 16 October 1978 29 January 1980 25 September 2013 North Sea Fleet Preserved as a museum ship. 11 163 南昌 / Nanchang Zhonghua 22 December 1979 15 November 1982 26 September 2016 South Sea Fleet Preserved as military tourist attraction in Nanchang, Jiangxi. 13 133 重庆 / Chongqing 31 October 1980 15 November 1982 26 September 2014 East Sea Fleet Preserved as military tourist attraction in Tianjin. 14 134 遵义 / Zunyi 25 November 1983 28 December 1984 16 May 2019 North Sea Fleet Preserved as a museum ship. 15 164 桂林 / Guilin Dalian 20 June 1984 10 July 1987 16 May 2019 North Sea Fleet Transferred from the South Sea Fleet. To be expended as target ship. Type 051DT 10 109 开封 / Kaifeng Luda 3 November 1979 25 December 1982 16 May 2019 North Sea Fleet Built as Type 051D. Converted in 1999. To be expended as target ship. 12 110 大连 / Dalian 20 August 1981 26 December 1984 16 May 2019 North Sea Fleet Built as Type 051D. Preserved as a museum ship. Type 051Z 9 132 合肥 / Hefei Zhonghua November 1978 18 March 1980 25 September 2013 East Sea Fleet Built as Type 051D. Preserved as a museum ship. Type 051G 16 165 湛江 / Zhanjiang Dalian 1 August 1988 30 December 1989 28 August 2020 South Sea Fleet Inactive. Will be transformed into a museum ship. 17 166 珠海/ Zhuhai 18 October 1990 21 November 1991 28 August 2020 South Sea Fleet Inactive. Will be transformed into a museum ship.

Type 051 destroyer

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