Type 010 class minesweeper
Encyclopedia
The Type 010 class minesweeper is the Chinese version of the Soviet T-43 class oceangoing minesweeper
. The origin of this class rooted from the need to solve the typical problem of minesweepers: due to the special need of the mine countermeasure requirement, minesweeper is most expensive type of warships to acquire and operate in terms of tonnage. In order to reduce the operational and life cycle cost, the People's Liberation Army Navy
has adopted the same practice of the Royal Navy
: using the minesweepers as patrol boat
s, and the heavy patrolling duties thus has significantly reduced the overall cost of minesweepers.
To beef up the armament needed for the long range heavy patrol duties, Chinese added more weapons to their Type 010 class minesweeper, resulting in a more heavily armed version than the original Soviet T-43 class: 4 extra Chinese Type 61 25 mm guns (II x 2) and a single Type 90K 85 mm gun were added, while 8 Chinese 14.5 mm heavy machine gun
s (II x 4) replaced the less powerful 12.7 mm machine gun
s of the original T-43 class. In addition, living accommodations was also upgraded to have some limited crew comfort improvement for the long patrol duties. This class proved itself as a good class of patrol boat
s in the 1974 naval battle fought between South Vietnam and China in South China Sea, being the largest Chinese naval unit fought in the battle, taking on the South Vietnamese frigates 8 times of its size, and successfully sinking one South Vietnamese frigate and damaging the other two. Although both of the Type 010 class suffered damages, some badly, all were rapidly repaired and back on patrol with a few months. Two boats fought the battle were # 389 & # 396, and # 396 was heavily damaged in the battle and was forced to beach itself but was since then repaired after the battle and was back in action. The repair cost of # 396 was the most costly among all Chinese combatants in the naval engagement.
In addition to the increased armament, the Chinese version is slightly larger than their Soviet counterparts and instead of the 58 meters length of the original Soviet T-43 class minesweeper, the Chinese Type 010 class minesweeper is 60 meters long. The Chinese Type 010 class minesweeper also has greater displacement: 590 tons instead of the 570 ton of the original Soviet T-43 class minesweeper. In order to man the extra weaponry, the numbers of total complement is increased from the original 65 - 70 of the Soviet T-43 class minesweeper to 80. Both of Type 010 and T-43 class minesweepers can be used as minelayers and submarine chasers, but the T-43 class cannot be used for patrol roles. The several units of the original T-43 class minesweepers transferred from former-Soviet Union
have all being retired from active service, placed into reserve fleets subordinated to naval militia for weapon training, while some of the Type 010 class minesweeper remain active despite their age and obsolescence.
T43 class minesweeper
The T43 class were a group of minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy and Soviet allies in the 1950s and 1960s. The Soviet designation was Project 254.-Design:...
. The origin of this class rooted from the need to solve the typical problem of minesweepers: due to the special need of the mine countermeasure requirement, minesweeper is most expensive type of warships to acquire and operate in terms of tonnage. In order to reduce the operational and life cycle cost, the People's Liberation Army Navy
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
has adopted the same practice of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
: using the minesweepers as patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s, and the heavy patrolling duties thus has significantly reduced the overall cost of minesweepers.
To beef up the armament needed for the long range heavy patrol duties, Chinese added more weapons to their Type 010 class minesweeper, resulting in a more heavily armed version than the original Soviet T-43 class: 4 extra Chinese Type 61 25 mm guns (II x 2) and a single Type 90K 85 mm gun were added, while 8 Chinese 14.5 mm heavy machine gun
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
s (II x 4) replaced the less powerful 12.7 mm machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s of the original T-43 class. In addition, living accommodations was also upgraded to have some limited crew comfort improvement for the long patrol duties. This class proved itself as a good class of patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s in the 1974 naval battle fought between South Vietnam and China in South China Sea, being the largest Chinese naval unit fought in the battle, taking on the South Vietnamese frigates 8 times of its size, and successfully sinking one South Vietnamese frigate and damaging the other two. Although both of the Type 010 class suffered damages, some badly, all were rapidly repaired and back on patrol with a few months. Two boats fought the battle were # 389 & # 396, and # 396 was heavily damaged in the battle and was forced to beach itself but was since then repaired after the battle and was back in action. The repair cost of # 396 was the most costly among all Chinese combatants in the naval engagement.
In addition to the increased armament, the Chinese version is slightly larger than their Soviet counterparts and instead of the 58 meters length of the original Soviet T-43 class minesweeper, the Chinese Type 010 class minesweeper is 60 meters long. The Chinese Type 010 class minesweeper also has greater displacement: 590 tons instead of the 570 ton of the original Soviet T-43 class minesweeper. In order to man the extra weaponry, the numbers of total complement is increased from the original 65 - 70 of the Soviet T-43 class minesweeper to 80. Both of Type 010 and T-43 class minesweepers can be used as minelayers and submarine chasers, but the T-43 class cannot be used for patrol roles. The several units of the original T-43 class minesweepers transferred from former-Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
have all being retired from active service, placed into reserve fleets subordinated to naval militia for weapon training, while some of the Type 010 class minesweeper remain active despite their age and obsolescence.
- Displacement: 570 / 590 t for T-43 class /Type 010 class
- Length: 58 / 60 m for T-43 class /Type 010 class
- Beam: 8.6 m
- Draft: 2.3 m
- Speed: 14 kt
- Range: 3,200 nm @ 10 kt
- Propulsion: 2 shafts
- T-43 class: 2 Soviet Type 9D diesel engines @ 2,000 hp
- Type 010 class: 2 Chinese version of Type 9D-8 diesel engine @ 2,200 hp
- Complement: 65 - 70 / 80 for T-43 class / Type 010 class (both classes include 10 officers)
- Armament: Common for both: 4 37 mm guns (II x 2) and 2 BMB-2 ASWAnti-submarine warfareAnti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
mortarsMortar (weapon)A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
with 20 depth chargeDepth chargeA depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s- T-43 class: 8 12.7 mm machine gunMachine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s (II x 4) and 12 mines - Type 010 class: 4 25mm guns (II x 2), 16 mines, 1 Type 90K 85mm gun, and 8 14.5 mm machine gunMachine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s (II x 4)
- T-43 class: 8 12.7 mm machine gun
- Radar: 1 Soviet Fine Curve / Chinese Type 756 I-band navigational radar for T-43 class / Type 010 class
- Sonar: 1 Tamir-II hull mounted high frequency active sonar