Type 010 class minesweeper

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 boats, 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 guns (II x 4) replaced the less powerful 12.7 mm machine guns 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 boats 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.

*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 ASW mortars with 20 depth charges
**T-43 class: 8 12.7 mm machine guns (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 guns (II x 4)
*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