Type 053H3 frigate

The Type 053H3 (NATO codename Jiangwei II) were Chinese frigates that entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in the 1990s and 2000s. The class comprised 10 vessels, all of which remain in active service. Three of them are sold to the Bangladesh Navy.[3] They were a follow-on of the Type 053H2G Jiangwei I class. The Zulfiquar-class frigate used by the Pakistan Navy was based on the Type 053H3.[4]

BNS Abu Ubaidah (F-19) of Bangladesh Navy previously known as Jiaxing in PLAN service
Class overview
Name: Type 053H3
Operators:
Preceded by: Type 053H2G
Succeeded by:

Type 054-class frigate in People's Liberation Army Navy

F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate in Pakistan Navy
Planned: 10
Completed: 10
Active: 10
General characteristics
Type: Frigate
Displacement: 2,250 tons standard, 2,393 tons full load
Length: 112 m (367 ft 5 in)
Beam: 12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
Draught: 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:
  • CODAD, 2 shaft,
  • 2 x 18E390VA diesel at 23,600 hp (17,600 kW)
  • 2 x MTU diesel at 8,715 hp (6,499 kW)
Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)[1]
Range: 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 15 to 16 knots (28 to 30 km/h)
Complement: 168 (with 30 officers)
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
  • Data link: HN-900 (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
  • Communication: SNTI-240 SATCOM
  • Combat Data System: ZKJ-3C
  • RWD-8 (Jug Pair) intercept
  • Type 981-3 EW Jammer
  • SR-210 Radar warning receiver
  • Type 651A IFF
  • 2 × Type 946/PJ-46 15-barrel decoy rocket launchers
Armament:
Aircraft carried: Harbin Z-9C
Aviation facilities: Hangar

History

In the 1980s, the PLAN ordered Shanghai-based Hudong Shipyard (now Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard) to build a replacement for the Type 053K air defence frigate. The new class was based on the Type 053H2 frigate and designated Type 053H2G. Development was carried out under Project 055.

The Type 053H2G was slightly larger than the Type 053H2, and equipped with HQ-61B surface-to-air missiles (SAM). However, the HQ-61 proved unsatisfactory and the class was quickly superseded by the Type 053H3 which was an improved Type 053H2G equipped with HQ-7 SAMs. The HQ-7 was a Chinese-produced version of the French R330 Sea Crotale. Ten Type 053H3s were produced between 1996 and 2005.

The most obvious visual distinction between Jiangwei I & II are: The Jiangwei II's have HQ-7 instead of HQ-61B SAMs, 8 C-802 anti-ship missiles instead of 6, and aft AAA mounts elevated compared to the Jiangwei I. The Jiangwei II class was briefly equipped with HQ-61B SAM system before being replaced by HQ-7 during upgrade, and some sources claim that the upgraded version is also called Type 057.

Mid-Life Upgrade

A limited, mid-life upgrade was observed for the 053H3 starting in 2015. Visible difference include the replacement of the ESM/EW suite/radars to similar systems from the Type 054, replacement of the HQ-7 with the HHQ-10 short range air defense missile and replacement of the 4 x Type 76A 37mm guns with a new 2 x 30mm CIWS similar to the Gryazev-Shipunov AO-18K.

Ships in class
Number Pennant Number Name Builder Launched Commissioned Fleet Status
1 522 连云港 / Lianyungang Hudong October 1997 January 1998 East Sea Fleet Sold to Bangladesh Navy as BNS Umar Farooq (F-16).[3]
2 521 嘉兴 / Jiaxing Hudong June 1998 June 1999 East Sea Fleet Sold to Bangladesh Navy as BNS Abu Ubaidah (F-19).[3]
3 523 蒲田 / Putian Hudong December 1999 East Sea Fleet Sold to Bangladesh Navy as BNS Khalid Bin Walid (F-20).[3]
4 564 宜昌 / Yichang Guangzhou December 1999 North Sea Fleet Active.
5 565 葫芦岛/ Huludao Guangzhou July 2000 South Sea Fleet Active. Ex-Yulin, Renamed to Sanya in 2008, then changed to current name in April 2013 and transferred to North Sea Fleet.
6 524 三明 / Sanming December 1998 December 2000 East Sea Fleet Active.
7 567 襄阳 / Xiangyang Guangzhou May 2002 East Sea Fleet Active. Ex-Xiangfan, Renamed in June 2011.
8 566 怀化 / Huaihua Guangzhou June 2002 East Sea Fleet Active.
9 527 洛阳 / Luoyang Hudong August 2004 September 2005 North Sea Fleet Active.
10 528 绵阳 / Mianyang Huangpu May 2004 April 2005 North Sea Fleet Active.

See also

References
  2. "Type 053H3 / Jiangwei II Class Frigates". Naval Technology.
  3. "China hands over two ex-PLAN frigates to Bangladeshi Navy". Jane's Defence Weekly. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  4. "Sword / F-22P Class Frigates, Pakistan." naval-technology.com Retrieved 2011-05-10.
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