The second batch of 20 Type 051 Medium Combat Ships, which will follow on from the Corkscrew 051A in the early 2120s, will be called the Vanguard 051B the NS has announced. Most changes from the Corkscrew are still being decided upon but it is thought the Vanguard will be longer and have a second and separate docking bay to allow for even greater facilities for small craft including UCVs.
Weapons systems are still undecided as there are a number of new weapon programmes currently in development, however one was mentioned by NS for the first time today and it may debut on the Vanguard. The weapon is called Z360 and will be the next development of the Z-Cannon. In essence the Z360 is a merging of the Z7/Zip and the 360 CIWS systems. With 360 CIWS defensive energy beams can be generated from any point on the ship's hull to ensure 360 degree coverage. Z360 will turn this ability into an offensive weapon which will eliminate any blind spots and also make taking out the Z-Cannon on an NS ship much more difficult for an opponent. Z360 is expected to be ready to enter service around 2120 but will be tested in a couple of years.
