Type 053 frigate

In the 1950s, the Soviets provided China with four kits for Riga-class frigates and four completed Gnevny-class destroyers.[1] These entered PLAN service as the Type 01 Chengdu-class[2] and the Type 07 Anshan-class respectively.[3] The Riga kits were assembled by the Huangpu Shipyard in Guangzhou, and the Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai,[4] from 1955 to 1958. These ships formed the PLAN's backbone in the 1950s and 1960s.

Following the Sino-Soviet split and the withdrawal of Soviet aid, the Wuhan-based No. 701 Institute began reverse-engineering the Type 01 in 1962. The result was the Type 065.[5] It was based on the Riga hull with the flush deck replaced by a long forecastle. This modification was needed to accommodate a large medium-speed diesel powerplant; the civilian diesel was a substitute for the Riga's compact high-pressure steam turbine powerplant that the Chinese were unable to replicate. The first Type 065, 529 Haikou, was laid down at Huangpu in August 1964 and commissioned by August 1966.

From 1965 to 1967, the No. 701 Institute designed the Type 053K (Kong for air-defence), an air-defence variant of the Type 065. This met a PLAN requirement for air-defence ships to accompany the surface-warfare Type 051 destroyers. The Type 053K was originally intended to have three screws powered by a combined gas-turbine and diesel engine, with a speed of 38 knots. However, technical constraints forced the Chinese to settle for a diesel engine, powering two screws for a maximum speed of 30 knots.

The Type 053Ks were armed with HQ-61 surface-to-air missiles, launched from two twin-armed launchers; these did not enter service until the mid-1980s. The 100 mm. gun armament was also delayed. This class received NATO reporting name as Jiangdong class.

Only two Type 053Ks were completed, possibly due to unsatisfactory performance and the long development time for their intended armament. 531 Yingtan was laid down in 1970 and commissioned in 1977, and followed by 532. Both ships were withdrawn from service in 1992, with one scrapped in 1994 and the other preserved as a museum ship.[6][7][8]

Zigong 558 was armed with four SY-1 anti-ship missiles

The PLAN retired many older frigates in the 1970s, and the No. 701 Institute developed the Type 053H (Hai for anti-ship) as a replacement. The initial design was armed with four SY-1 anti-ship missiles in two twin-missile box launchers, two single 100 mm. guns, six twin 37mm guns, depth charges and short-range ASW rockets. The Type 053H received the NATO codename Jianghu-I. The first was constructed by the Hudong Shipyard and entered service in the mid-1970s. At least a dozen were built and entered service with the PLAN East Sea Fleet.[9]

The Type 053H was improved in four successive subclasses, receiving NATO codenames Jianghu-II through Jianghu-V. The Type 053Hs were succeeded by the PLAN's first multirole frigates, the Type 053H2G and Type 053H3 frigates.[10]

Type 053H2 frigate BNS Abu Bakar at Bay of Bengal

The Type 053H2, NATO codename Jianghu-III, is an improved version of Type 053H1 class frigates. Hudong Shipyard built seven hulls for the People's Liberation Army Navy (three ships) and Royal Thai Navy (four ships) between 1985 and 1992. In 2013,two of PLAN Type 053H2 frigates were transferred to Bangladesh Navy. Basically, Type 053H2 is an anti-surface warfare (ASuW) frigate for the littoral environment featuring a sophisticated combat management system and enhanced electronic warfare and countermeasures capabilities.[11]

The Chinese sold the Type 053H, and derivatives, to foreign navies. One used Type 053H1 and two Type 053H2 was sold to the Bangladesh Navy, with two used Type 053Hs going to the Egyptian Navy. Sonars for these ships are Echo Type 5, a development of EH-5 sonar used on Jianghu-III's, adopting LSIC technology. The stabilizers did not work, and ships that had air conditioning could only use them sparingly to save the generators.Earlty 100 mm. gun of the class was hand-loaded and did not have working fire-control radar.Later PLAN add Type 343 fire control radar for gun.They mounted obsolete Chinese copies of the Soviet P-15 Termit anti-ship missile.

The Royal Thai Navy received four new Type 053Ts (based on the then-latest Type 053H2) in the early-1990s. Each cost ฿2 billion. Two were modified with rear helicopter decks. The sonar on these ships is SJD-5A, a further development of Echo Type 5 sonars on the same class of ships sold to Egyptian and Bangladesh navies, with VLSIC replacing LSIC. The interior wiring was exposed and had to be rewired. The damage control system, notably the fire-suppression system and water-tight locks, was also poor; it was expected a hull breach would lead to rapid flooding and the loss of the ship. The Thai Navy spent considerable time and effort to correct some of the issues.[12]

The negative feedback drove improvements in the Chinese shipbuilding industry. By the mid-1990s, the Thai Navy was confident enough to order two enlarged Type 053 hulls as the F25T Naresuan-class frigates. The general designer of F25T frigate is Mr. Zhu Yingfu (朱英富).[13] The F25Ts were fitted with Western engines and armament, and their construction was supervised by technical advisers from the German ship building industry. Sonars on these F25Ts are SO-7H, which is the Chinese version of French DUBA25.[14]

In 2007, the Type 053H frigates 509 and 510 were transferred to the China Coast Guard and refitted as Ocean Patrol Vehicles 1002 and 1003. The superstructure was heavily modified. Armament was reduced to a small cannon forward and heavy machine guns; some of freed space was used to stow small patrol boats and add crew quarters.[15]

One used Type 053H1 frigate was sold to the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Osman in 1989.She was the first guided missile frigate to enter in service with the Bangladesh Navy.In 2013,two Type 053H2 frigates were transferred to Bangladesh Navy as BNS Abu Bakar and BNS Ali Haider respectively.[16]

In 2012, two Type 053H1 frigates, Anshun (FFG 554) and Jishou (FFG 557) were transferred to Myanmar Navy as UMS Mahar Bandoola (F-21) and UMS Mahar Thiha Thura (F-23) respectively.[17]

UMS Mahar Thiha Thura

On 11 July 2012, a Jianghu-V ship, 560 Dongguan, ran aground on a shoal off the coast of the Philippines. The area where the incident occurred, known as Half Moon Shoal (Hasa Hasa Shoal in the Philippines) in the Spratly Islands is 60 miles west of Rizal, Palawan.[18] By 15 July the ship had been refloated and was returning to port with no casualty and only minor damage.[19] Confrontations over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and particularly the disputed status of the Spratly Islands, have become more frequent in recent years, and caused noticeable friction at the 2012 ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh that was taking place at the same time as the incident.[19]

11 total:

• Bangladesh Navy
  • F18 Osman (053H1): ex-PLAN #556 Xiangtan, sold to Bangladesh in 1989.Decomissioned in 2020.
  • F15 Abu Bakar (053H2): ex-PLAN #535 Huangshi, sold to Bangladesh in 2013.
  • F17 Ali Haider (053H2): ex-PLAN #536 Wuhu, sold to Bangladesh in 2013.
• Myanmar Navy
  • F21 UMS Mahar Bandoola (053H1): ex-PLAN #557 Jishou, sold to Burmese in 2012.
  • F23 UMS Mahar Thiha Thura (053H1): ex-PLAN #554 Anshun, sold to Burmese in 2012.
• Egyptian Navy
  • 951 Najim al-Zafir (053HE): Decomissioned.
  • 956 Al-Nasser (053HE): Decomissioned.
• Royal Thai Navy
  • 455 HTMS Chao Phraya (053HT): Based on the Type 053H2 (Jianghu III), built for export in 1991 as 053T (T = Thailand).
  • 456 HTMS Bangpakong (053HT): Same as above
  • 457 HTMS Kraburi (053HT(H)): Improved 053HT-H design, built in 1992 for export. Helicopter deck + YJ-81 (C-801) SSM's.
  • 458 HTMS Saiburi (053HT(H)): Same as above.