Modern Chinese destroyer breaks down in the Indian Ocean

[VH]

A PLAN destroyer, 173 Changsha , of Type 052D , broke down in the Indian Ocean on the way to the Sino-Russian naval exercise "Joint Sea 2017". She is one of China's latest destroyers

Another destroyer, the 174 Hefei, of the same class has replaced it.

Destroyer 173 Changsha , frigate 571 Yuncheng of Type 054A and tanker-tanker 964 Luomahu of Type 903A constituted the Chinese fleet which left the port of Sanya on Sunday June 18th . However the 173 Changsha "disappeared" from official communications and her sistership 174 Hefei replaced it to lead the other two ships to the joint exercise in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

 

[VH]

More:

"...According to a source close to the naval sector in China, the 173 Changsha initially planned has suffered a breakdown of its transmission systems when crossing the Indian Ocean. The Type 052D destroyer would have lost all its motive power and would have been floating since.

The incident took place "before June 26", one week after the departure of the flotilla from the port of Sanya.

According to the same source, the heads of a production unit of the CSIC group, which manufactures the components of these systems, and the military representatives seconded to this entity were summoned to Beijing for an emergency meeting."

http://www.eastpendulum.com/destroyer-type-052d-panne-locean-indien

 

[FighterJock]

That is not good, hope they managed to get her back in port. I cannot see the Chinese leaving a destroyer floating in the Indian Ocean for any length of time.

 

[TomS]

Gotta ask, how do you lose the entire propulsion plant at one time? Those ships have two shafts and two unconnected drive trains. Bad fuel is about the only thing I can imagine that would take it all out at once.

 

[VH]

This PLAN ship was one of their new build modern destroyers. Hence her accompanying this showcase flotilla to Russia. According to analysis included in the book "Chinese Naval Shipbuilding" by Andrew Erickson, power including both propulsion and the powering of onboard systems remains the Achilles heel of Chinese warships. This incident seems to support that contention.

 

[TomS]

Thanks for mentioning that book. Looks like a worthwhile read.