Shipbucket

Menghean Navy Ship Classification System

By this point, some of you might be wondering about the unusual abbreviations in the ship images (DChS-613, YD-450, HO-324) and the occasional references to "large/medium/small anti-submarine patrol ships." This special post serves as a one-stop explanation of these codes.

For the first two-thirds of the 20th century, the various forms of the Menghean Navy used the same ship classifications and definitions as the rest of the world: battleship, heavy cruiser, light cruiser, destroyer, and so on. These definitions were cemented at the Selkiö Naval Conference of 1923, at which Menghe signed on to the standard worldwide definitions of capital ships and heavy and light cruisers.

In 1970, anticipating a more organized and future-oriented shipbuilding program, the Menghean People's Navy formally adopted a new ship classification scheme which forms the basis for the scheme used today. In this scheme, ships are defined firstly around their primary role, and secondly around their size and auxiliary capabilities. For example, the DCh_ category of surface combatants are dedicated anti-submarine warships with only self-defense capability in the surface-to-air and ship-to-ship roles, but come in large, medium, small, and coastal varieties. These contrast with the H_ series of surface combatants, which are all-purpose multirole escort ships designed to respond to a variety of threats. At times, these incompatible designations can generate confusion. On 1 April 2022, for example, the Menghean Navy operated 44 destroyers, but only 29 were main-force escort ships (HJ) analogous to Western DDGs, 3 were escort ships (H) of an older type, and 12 were guided missile destroyers (GY) specializing in surface-to-surface warfare.

To add to the confusion, the Menghean Navy occasionally revised its ship classification rules between 1970 and the present day. The largest revision entered into effect on 1 January 1995. Its main change was to shift the tiers of the anti-submarine patrol ships. This is because by 1994 the Menghean Navy had retired nearly all of its original DChS types, and the new DChD Chanjok Jachido displaced roughly three times as much as the previous ship class to bear the DChD designation while also carrying four times as many helicopters and a medium-range surface-to-air missile system. The reshuffle resulted in the following changes:

• All small anti-submarine patrol ships (DChS) still in service are reclassified as coastal anti-submarine patrol ships (DChY).
• All medium anti-submarine patrol ships (DChJ) still in service are reclassified as small anti-submarine patrol ships (DChS).
• All large anti-submarine patrol ships (DChD) still in service are reclassified as medium anti-submarine patrol ships (DChJ), with the exception of Chanjok Jachido and her upcoming sister ships, which retain the title of large anti-submarine patrol ship.

As part of the same revision, all ships were assigned permanent hull numbers. Before 1995, warships bearing names were only given temporary hull numbers, and these hull numbers periodically changed in an effort to frustrate foreign intelligence. Thus, between these two changes, DChJ Juksun becomes DChS-637 Juksun.

The bulleted list below describes the different types, as defined in the most recent version of the Menghean Navy Norms of Ship Classification.

MH: Aircraft carriers (hanggong moham) are self-explanatory and largely correspond to the CV and CVN types respectively.

• MH: Aircraft carrier (hanggong moham). Sometimes translated more literally as "aircraft mothership," the MH prefix is reserved for aircraft carriers which rely on a conventional (fossil fuel) power plant. Both Menghean postwar aircraft carrier classes are powered by oil-fired boilers driving steam turbines.
• MHW: Nuclear aircraft carrier (wonjaryŏk hanggong moham). Aircraft carrier powered by one or more nuclear reactors.

S: Cruisers (sunyangham) are a relic from the pre-1970 classification system. In the Menghean People's Navy and post-revolutionary Menghean Navy, this hull classification was only ever applied to the two Unmunsan-class cruisers, PSW-era relics which operated as fleet flagships until as late as 2005.

• SCh: Super-heavy cruiser (choe-junghyŏng sunyangham). Heavy cruiser with 250mm guns and onboard command facilities.

G: Destroyers (guchugham) take the literal, etymological meaning of their Menghean name: ships that pursue and sweep away other surface ships. Rather than operating as escorts in a battlegroup, these ships would operate in a surface action group and sortie to engage or repel enemy surface craft and landing ships. In 1995, only the G and GY types existed, but the GYJ and GYD types were added in the 2000s to designate littoral combat ships with a similar surface-pursuer role. Note that the Y in GY denotes yudotan (missile) while the Y in GYJ denotes yŏnan (coastal).

• G: Destroyer (guchugham). Large, fast surface combatant armed with guns (usually 130mm) and torpedoes and specializing in surface-to-surface warfare.
• GY: Missile Destroyer (yudotan guchugham). Large, fast surface combatant armed with anti-ship missiles in addition to guns (usually 130mm).
• GYJ: Medium coastal destroyer (junghyŏng yŏnan guchugham). Compared with the GYS type which preceded it, the GYJ type is slower, but puts a heavier emphasis on shore bombardment, in all cases carrying a 130mm gun.
• GYS: Small coastal destroyer (sohyŏng yŏnan guchugham). Surface combatant specializing in engaging enemy missile boats and corvettes in littoral waters near friendly ports, with a secondary shore bombardment role.

H: Escorts (howiham) are surface combatants designed to protect a carrier battle group, surface action group, convoy, or other high-value target against enemy attack. They are armed and equipped for a balanced mix of anti-air warfare and anti-submarine warfare. New classes commissioned since 1995 also carry anti-ship missiles in the rare event that an enemy surface target should come within range, though unlike G-type destroyers, they do not specialize in anti-surface warfare, typically carrying subsonic AShMs only, and in fewer numbers. Sometimes also translated as "guard ships."

• H: Escort ships (howiham). The original H-type ships, which at their inception (as the Yobu-class destroyers) had no anti-ship missiles and no helicopter hangar. They have minimal command facilities, enough to coordinate the movement of a destroyer squadron (2-3 other ships) or direct the other ships in a convoy.
• HJ: Main force escort ships (juryŏk howiham). Analogous in appearance and role to a DDG, with high-end radar and sonar and a large number of VLS cells. They have somewhat more generous command facilities, again allowing them to direct 2-3 other surface combatants and the ships in a convoy. In a carrier battle group, HJ-type ships are typically positioned closer to the center, and they excel at a wider range of capabilities, hence "main force."
• HO: Outer layer escort ships (oechung howiham). Analogous in appearance and role to an FFG, these ships are designed to sit on the outer screen of an escorted formation, positioned ahead of an enemy threat axis. This role imposes competing demands: the HO type must be cheaper than an HJ, so that more can be produced and so that each loss hurts less, but it must also be able to defend itself against enemy attack, as it is the most likely ship in the formation to come under attack. Ships of this type often have a search radar high above the waterline and advanced sonar equipment.

--more to be added later--

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Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Hongrang-class rescue ship



The Hongrang-class rescue ships were built for the Menghean Maritime Rescue Service, a civilian agency under the Ministry of Public Security, and tasked with conducting search-and-rescue and firefighting operations. Previously, the Maritime Rescue Service had mainly operated civilian tugboats and motorboats, but in 1997 work began on Hongrang-1, the first of seven large, purpose-built rescue ships. The equipment of the Hongrang-class included two speedboats, two water cannons, and a hangar for a GH-28D helicopter. Under the charter of the Maritime Rescue Service, they were forbidden from carrying any armament apart from a small-arms locker, though in wartime they could be called upon to rescue survivors from downed aircraft and sunken ships. They were also forbidden from making arrests and engaging in police work, though under Menghe's authoritarian government they were known to detain suspicious persons and hand them over to the Maritime Border Security Force. This image shows Hongrang-1 as she appeared in 2002, after being repainted in the new official color scheme of the Maritime Rescue Service.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Plan 1781 intelligence ship



Main article: https://iiwiki.us/wiki/Plan_1781_intelligence_ship

The Plan 1781 class intelligence ships were ordered as part of a broader Navy initiative to increase Menghe's blue-water capabilities. Unlike previous intelligence-gathering ships, which mostly operated in the South and East Menghe Seas, these new ships were designed to monitor naval exercises around the Casaterran subcontinent, stopping at bases in Kolodoria and Idacua to take on fuel and supplies. As such, they were built with a much greater range and endurance than their predecessors, or for that matter many other spy ships. This includes CONREP stations for accepting fuel and moving supplies from underway replenishment ships.

In addition to an array of radio antennas in the HF, VHF, and UHF range, the Plan 1781 ships are fitted with the HR-280 long-range surface search radar, two large domes covering powerful missile and aircraft tracking radar dishes, and a hangar for a GH-28M utility helicopter, which is typically fitted with SIGINT or ELINT pods on its pylons. A radar-aimed twin 35mm turret forward and two stabilized, remotely-aimed 12.7mm HMGs aft provide a measure of defense against helicopters and small boats, though without a dedicated air search radar, these ships have only a limited ability to protect themselves against fast jets and missiles.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Muran-class corvette



Main article: https://iiwiki.us/wiki/Muran-class_corvette

As "small anti-submarine patrol ships," the Muran-class corvettes were designed to accomplish three primary missions: defending naval bases against undersea threats, escorting surface ships in contested littoral areas, and laying and clearing mines. These needs culminated in a relatively compact and inexpensive vessel with a low top speed and a short cruising range but a reasonably powerful hull sonar and anti-submarine weapons suite. Two significant innovations distinguish it from the preceding Sŏwicho class. First, a helipad (sans hangar) allows shore-based GH-28 helicopters to refuel and rearm aboard the ship, and can also support drone operations. Second, the space on the quarterdeck and under the hangar allows for the transport of mission modules in 20' ISO containers. Module sets for submarine detection, mine clearance, and anti-shipping operations exist, and the rails for mounting the containers can also be used for minelaying. The Murans are the first Menghean warships to enter service with a containerized modular mission system; the Hwangsa-class training ships are designed to support the same container family.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Yŏngjŏnggang-class replenishment ship



Main article: https://iiwiki.us/wiki/Y%C5%8Fngj%C5%8F ... hment_ship

The Yŏngjŏnggang class were Menghe's first truly multipurpose underway replenishment ships, capable of transferring break bulk cargo in addition to fuel. Their mast configuration, with a solid CONREP station forward and a liquid (diesel, bunker fuel, and water) CONREP station aft, dictated the arrangement of solid and liquid CONREP receiving stations on other Menghean warships. A hangar for two GH-28 utility helicopters allows VERTREP transfer of personnel and cargo, and two rigid-hulled utility boats provide an additional capability to move passengers and supplies from ship to ship or from ship to shore. Self-defense capability consists of two Bulkkot CIWS mounts, one forward and one aft. With a top speed of 20 knots, these ships struggled to keep up with carrier battle groups, and their modest capacity also limited their usefulness; with the introduction of the larger and faster Anchungang class, they were mostly relegated to auxiliary roles, like accompanying training and intelligence ships on long-distance voyages or supporting medium-range amphibious operations when called upon to do so.



BHB-467 Taebangang (Taivan River) was the first of a four-ship follow-up batch ordered in 2010. The ships of the Taebangang subclass can be distinguished from the first four Yŏngjŏnggangs by their main and aft masts, which are solid structures as opposed to the earlier pyramid frames. These new masts sport newer sensors and electronics, including an electronic warfare suite consisting of the JJ-8 ESM radome and the JJ-7 ECM radome. Baram-2 chaff and flare launchers flank the forward superstructure on extended platforms. Here you can also see new markings under the CONREP masts; these were added in a 2012 revision of the Navy's marking regulations. Taebangang and her sister Saehangang were both named for rivers in ethnic minority regions (the Taivan Gol and Seyhan Gol respectively), and therefore their names are painted in horizontally-oriented Dzhungar script.



Beginning in 2013, the four original Yŏngjŏnggang-class ships underwent minor sensor upgrades during their regular scheduled maintenance periods. Their navigation radars were replaced by newer models, namely the Samsan UD90K COTS nav radar and the SGR-757 LPI nav radar. They also received IFF interrogator antennas and Yŏjŏm FSO laser-based communication links. Their aft TACAN antennas were upgraded as well. Markings under the solid and liquid CONREP masts, added in 2012, tell the receiving ship which cargo types each mast can provide.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Anchungang-class fast combat support ship



Main article: https://iiwiki.us/wiki/Anchungang-class ... pport_ship

Previously entered in the Modern Auxiliary Challenge, where it was awarded 4th place. The image here has been updated and modified in the year since then. If the old version (no large Han characters on the side, no 76mm gun forward) displays for you, refresh your cache.

The Menghean Navy ordered four Anchungang-class fast combat support ships in 2013, planning to replace the Yŏngjŏnggang-class replenishment ships as the standard multipurpose auxiliary ship of Menghean carrier battle groups. Compared to their predecessors, the Anchungangs have a greatly increased cargo capacity, more CONREP stations for transferring solid and liquid cargo, a higher top speed of 25 knots, and hangars for the GH-36G Mulsuri utility helicopter, which has a heavier capacity and a higher top speed than the GH-28. It also has a more formidable self-defense armament, with 32 YDG-64 or YDG-66 short-range SAMs, a 76mm gun, four Baram-2 chaff and flare projectors, and two Manhwagyŏng-H torpedo countermeasure projectors. In 2016 the Navy requested an option for four more Anchungangs as a follow-on group to support anti-submarine battle groups, but the Ministry of National Defense placed this order on indefinite hold in 2017. Following the events of 2022, it appears unlikely that any more Anchungangs will be approved in the foreseeable future, given their considerable expense.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Plan 311 patrol cutter



In 1996, the Menghean Maritime Border Security Force ordered five custom-built patrol cutters for the Hadong Flotilla, which at that point only operated fast patrol craft. Designated "small patrol cutters," the Plan 311 vessels had greater endurance and seakeeping, as well as onboard space for boarding parties, customs officials, and detained individuals. As the Hadong Flotilla's area of operation did not abut any foreign countries' exclusive economic zones, the Plan 311 cutters were only armed with a twin 23mm anti-air gun in an open-topped, manually-aimed mount forward of the bridge; this weapon could be used against armed smugglers and criminals and to fire warning shots where necessary, but otherwise these ships eschewed any pretensions of auxiliary military capability. Five were commissioned between 1997 and 2000. The example above shows the rare 1995-1997 marking scheme, with 海洋國境保安 (Maritime Border Security) printed on the side.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Plan 1542 patrol cutter



Formally a medium patrol ship, the Plan 1542 patrol cutter was ordered in the late 1990s as a replacement for the aging Muran-class frigates which had been relegated to policing duties in 1989. It had greater endurance, more space to accommodate boarding parties and detainees, and a lower operating cost, owing to its more modern machinery. Armament consisted of two twin 23mm AA guns, manually aimed with no director and primarily for use against surface targets. Just four were ordered and delivered, with subsequent orders fulfilled by newer ship types. In comparison with the Plan 311 small patrol cutter above, note that the hull markings were simplified in 1997, with "Maritime Border Security" shortened to "Maritime Security." English-language text was only added later.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

Plan 1591 patrol cutter



In 1994, Dongchŏn Iron and Steel Company submitted an unsolicited proposal for a light frigate specializing in anti-submarine warfare. Dongchŏn Iron and Steel had acquired the old Dongchŏn Naval Yard in the state-owned enterprise consolidations of the early 1990s, and after poaching design staff from other downsizing shipyards, it hoped to secure a foothold as one of Menghe's major warship suppliers. Dongchŏn's frigate design was relatively conservative, using only proven, existing systems--except for the hull sonar and towed array, which would have to be developed by another design agency. It bore more than a passing resemblance to the first set of prototypes for the Ansa-class frigate. The Menghean Ministry of National Defense did formally evaluate the design, but it did not approve any orders, citing budgetary constraints and the existence of a towed-array refit program for the Mugunghwa-class corvettes.



Hoping to make something of their spent efforts, Dongchŏn's engineers went to the Maritime Border Security Force, which by 1996 was seeking three new large patrol ships to supplement the two refitted Ginam-class frigates. This resulted in a vessel designated Plan 1591, which omits the hull sonar, the towed array, the ASW rocket projector, the torpedo tubes, the long-range air-search radar, the AShM launch boxes, and half of the CIWS armament, leaving only the 76mm gun and two GBM-30/6 rotary cannons, all directed by the same fire-control radar. Bolt-on positions for YDH-24 launch boxes are retained, but launch boxes were never fitted. Only three of these ships were ordered, but DISCO later received future contracts from the Maritime Border Security Force and its successor organizations, and it was able to retain its shipbuilding arm.

_________________
Currently posting my latest ship art on my Menghean Navy AU thread, but most of my stuff is on iiWiki.

A bad peace is preferable to a terrible war.

I've been browsing through this thread and your IIWiki page - I have to say, this is one of the most thoroughly fleshed-out AUs I've ever seen. It's clear that you've put a tremendous amount of time and energy into this. The cross-sectional views of the various ships and submarines are particularly impressive. I'm also looking forward to seeing the aircraft carriers rendered in Shipbucket style if and when that occurs.

Keep up the great work!