The Ship Model Forum

A number of the arguments made in this thread are that the Chinese should not buy such an "old" ship. They say that the Slava class are somehow obsolete as to what the Chinese can build. However, there is not a lot of evidence to support this. The 1980s era warship is, structurally at least on par if not superior to anything the Chinese are producing now. Sure the RCS is greater than modern ships, but the Slava-class CG is far superior in armament, survivability, and modernization potential than anything in the Chinese Navy.

The Chinese have displayed that when they cannot build comparable warships, they will buy incomplete warships and have them finished, and if they are satisfied by the product, they will purchase more units from scratch. While they have been building a number of frigates and light destroyers, they have nothing that can match the capabilities of a Sovremenny-class DDG much less the Slava class cruiser.

With this in mind, why does anyone think that the Chinese would not pursue such a cheap solution to their huge need of ASuW capability?


The SS-N-12 or the SS-N-12M pose an equal at least or likely far greater threat to modern warships than the SS-N-22.



These missiles would pose a significant challenge to any targeted warships. What do you think? Why should the Chinese not investigate contarcting the Ukranians to finish the current 95% complete Slava-class CG with Kashtan CIWS and AAW VLS forward for a number of large, heavy hitting combatants to engage either American, Indian, or Japanese ships?




If completed, this Slava-class CG would provide the Chinese an incredibly potent surface combatant that could confidentially challenge any USN surface ship and the capital ship it is protecting. If included into the matrix of using the DF-21, its missiles could provide the killing blow to a CVN or its entire group....

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Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

If you pursue this line of thinking, why not assume that the PLAN buys the base design, modifies it to fit their equipment and needs (they seem to just copy things anyway).

The resulting PLAN production model would fit neatly with their navy.

This would solve many issues neatly and let your imagination run wild.

While I an on board with your line of reasoning, I would suggest that with the Sovremenny-class DDGs and the Kuznetsov-class CV that the PRC have shown they like to have a baseline ship FIRST, operate it, study it, and then use the lessons learned to produce their own ships. While The PRC has not produced anything on par with the Sovremennys yet, they probably will at some point. The Slava, while at this point back in Russian hands and not likely to be transferred to China, would provide the PRC with an excellent opportunity to copy such a ship.

With this in mind, I believe the PRC would indeed make a few modifications themselves if not have had the Ukranians make the mods themselves. This includes changing the helicopter hangar from the single of the Slavas to the double of the Udaloys. The SA-x missile systems on either side of the Slaval hangar are obsolete now. The PRC would probably pay for the hangar to be modified to be an above deck double helo hangar.

Instead of this:


Have this:




A modest upgrade to the sensors, 12 VLS cells for the SS-N-26 VLS in place of the forward K-630 CIWS, and a fit of 4 Kashtan CIWS (two per side in a Peter the Great arrangement) would be in order.

It's a neat mental exercise!

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Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance