Quote:
Originally Posted by Llarry
Let me use two Royal Australian Navy ships as an illustration
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I found an even better illustration of the differences in surface warships: The Chinese Navy.
The PLA Navy's largest surface combatant is called a destroyer, but NATO and the U.S. consider it to be a cruiser. Eight Type 055 missile cruisers have been completed so far and eight more are under construction. They displace 12-13,000 tons full load and are powered by gas turbines. They are armed with a 130mm gun and several smaller guns for self-defense. The missile battery is impressive: 112 individual missile tubes for vertical launch. They operate two helicopters and have a crew of over 300.
The latest Chinese missile destroyer is the type 052D. 25 are in service and 11 more are building. It displaces 7,500 tons and has a combination gas turbine/Diesel propulsion system. The armament includes a 130mm gun and 64 missile launch cells. It accommodates a single helicopter.
The type 054A missile frigate displaces just under 4,000 tons and is powered by Diesels. The gun is a 76mm model and the ship has 32 missile cells and operates a single helicopter.
The type 056 corvette, of which there are 50 in service, displaces 1,500 tons and is also Diesel-powered. It has the same 76mm gun and has short-range missiles only. It has a helicopter deck, but no hangar.
The photos are in order from large to small.