Public Component

For the People’s Liberation Army Navy, as part of the 14th Five Year Plan, the PLAN rapid expansion over the next half decade sees no signs of halting. For the duration of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the new PLAN building plan consists of upscaling the existing platforms of the PLAN for additional future proofing.

For the sake of clarity, the Chinese Coast Guard and Polar Institute builds will be included in the 14th Five-Year-Plan naval building program.

The first immediately obvious change will be a reduction in construction of light naval combatants in favour of more large main line combatants, as the Type 056 production line comes to a close. The first article on the list will be the Type 055 Large Destroyer, of which a total order of 16 ships will be followed through in its entirety during the duration of the Build program, upon which the production will shift to the Type 055A. The goal is for 2 ships to be laid down every year. The 2nd batch Type 055 will feature no changes from the 1st production run.

The Type 052DL production line will continue past the 25th unit, as the workhorse destroyer of the PLAN will be constructed at the same constant rate of 3 units laid down every year, for an additional (and final) order of 12 units to be in the water by 2025. These 12 units will see modifications as the ship is lengthened by an additional 5m, while the aircraft hangar gets an additional 1.5m of clearance to facilitate the operations of the Z-18F helicopter. These destroyers will be dubbed the Type 052DG.

Going forward, it is clear that the general Type 052 hull has approached the limits to which it can be used. In order to future-proof its general combatants, a larger hull more similar to that of the Western AEGIS destroyers would be required, while integration of more advanced propulsion method like IEP and a larger hangar to operate ASW or AEW helicopters has become a requirement within the PLAN top brass. The Type 057 is the answer to this question, as the destroyer type is set to be a next generation platform upon which new upgrades and classes will be built upon. Utilizing IEP and a more efficient gas turbine layout, the Type 057 essentially packs the Type 055’s capabilities (bar the flag facilities) within a shortened ship, armed with 96 CCL UVLS in a 9,500 tons max displacement platform. The first 3 ships of the class will be laid down in 2025 as Type 052DG production winds down.

Stepping down another notch to the frigate category, the PLAN hope to continue the procurement of the proven Type 054A platform. An additional 20 units have been ordered to be constructed within the 14th Five Year Plan, bringing the total number of ships of the type up to 51, replacing the old Type 053 frigates and relegating them to second line duty. These final 20 units of the class, dubbed the Type 054AG will be lengthened by 3m, with a single 8 cell CCL UVLS strike length module added midship in place of the SSM launchers and 3x 8 cell CCL UVLS 7m depth variant front for additional flexibility.

Going forward however, the Type 054 is an old platform, and with IEP being the name of the game for future combatant in the PLAN, a new and larger, more easily upgradable frigate will be required. The new next generation frigate, the Type 054B will be a competitive design, outstripping all frigates of its weight-class that the West currently operates. Coming in at 6,500 tons displacement, the new larger hull allows for 32 UVLS cells, 9m variant forward, and a 16 UVLS cell, 9m variant midship. A large hangar capable of operating a single Z-18F or 2 Z-20F alongside a larger flight deck will also feature. The Type 055B will feature a twin-faced AESA dual band (S and X) radar, alongside an L band navigational and 3D search radar. The first batch of 2 ships will be laid down in 2023 as the production of the Type 054AG winds down, increasing to 6 ships in 2025.

In terms of amphibious vessels, the Type 075 will continue its production to fulfill the initial 8 ship order, upon which the Type 076 will take its place on the dockyards. The final 5 Type 075 and the first 3 Type 076 will be launched and in the water by the end of the Five Year Building Program. In addition, further Type 071 units will be built, with no changes from the baseline ships, at a rate of 1 ship per year, with 5 ships in the water at the conclusion of the plan.

Secret Component

The following information are not made available to the public

The submarine building program also lies as a part of the Five Year Building Plan, however their secretive nature means that little information is revealed to the public about this component of the plan. Over the next half decade, a significant ramping up in submarine construction will be seen, alongside a significant capability upgrade for existing units. Upgrades to lengthen existing submarines and add AIP modules on current in service diesel electric submarines will continue, with all Song-class and Yuan-class SSKs to be refitted in this manner and equipped with AIP modules.

In terms of new hulls, the Russo-Chinese collaboration for diesel-electric submarines will finally yield fruit, as the Type 034 and Type 036 SSKs. The Type 034 will be a smaller, AIP equipped 1,800 tons displacement vessel designed for operations in littoral areas and a long cruising range, designed for mass production. Up to 50 units may be procured eventually, with 4 per year being laid down in the final 2 years of the Five Year Building Plan. The Type 036 will also be equipped with AIP, though being far larger at 5,600 tons, it will be the largest conventional attack submarine in service. Designed to be equipped with 8 VLS for YJ-12 supersonic cruiser missile, the Type 036 will have extraordinarily long range, forming the bulk of the future PLAN submarine force, with up to 30 units planned for procurement, 3 being laid down every year for the final 2 years of the Five Year Building Plan. Both the Type 034 and Type 036 will mate the most advanced Russian silencing technologies and the Chinese cutting edge AIP and sensors to provide a lethal conventional platform.

For nuclear submarines, the plan will see the continuation of the building plan for the Type 09V and the Type 09VI, with 6 Type 09V and 5 Type 09VI being in the water by the end of the Five Year Plan. With the addition of the new submarine assembly hall at Bohai, an estimated 3-4 nuclear submarines could be launched every year as the PLAN catches up to the US Navy nuclear submarine fleet. In addition, 4 licensed built Yasen-class SSGN will also be constructed at Bohai, alongside the final Type 09IIIB SSGN unit.

The carrier construction program resumes , with the Type 003 to be launched in late 2022, and commissioned by the end of the Five Year Plan in 2025, the first supercarrier in Chinese service. The first Type 004 nuclear-powered supercarrier will be laid down in Jiangnan in 2023, following the launch of the Type 004, with its sister ship being launched in Dalian at the same time, following the upgrades to the shipyard’s nuclear processing facilities and wet basins. By the end of the Five Year Plan, the PLAN will have had 3 conventionally powered carriers, with 2 nuclear supercarriers about to be launched.