Type 054A frigate

The Type 054A (NATO codename Jiangkai II) frigate is a class of Chinese multi-role frigates, the first of which entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in 2007. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate, using the same hull but with improved sensors and weapons.

Type 054A frigate 575 Yueyang
Class overview
Builders:
Operators:

 People's Liberation Army Navy

 Pakistan Navy
Preceded by: Type 054 frigate
Cost: ¥ 1.4 billion (US$212 million)[1]
In commission: 2008–present[2]
Planned: 50[3]
Completed: 31
Active: 31[4]
General characteristics
Type: Frigate
Displacement: 4,053 tonnes (full) (CCTV report)
Length: 134.1 m (440 ft) (CCTV report)
Beam: 16 m (52 ft) (CCTV report)
Propulsion: CODAD, 4 × Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC diesels, 5700 kW (7600+ hp @ 1084 rpm) each
Speed: 27 knots estimated
Range: 8,025 nautical miles (9,235 mi; 14,862 km) estimated
Complement: 165
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Armament:
  • 1 × 32-cell VLS
  • 2 × 4 C-803 anti-ship / land attack cruise missiles
  • 1 × PJ26 76 mm dual purpose gun
  • 2 × Type 730 7-barrel 30 mm CIWS guns or Type 1130
  • 2 × 3 324mm Yu-7 ASW torpedo launchers
  • 2 × 6 Type 87 240mm anti-submarine rocket launcher (36 rockets carried)
  • 2 × Type 726-4 18-tube decoy rocket launchers
Aircraft carried: 1 Kamov Ka-28 'Helix' or Harbin Z-9C
Aviation facilities: hangar

The Type 054A was first revealed while under construction at the Guangzhou-based Huangpu Shipyard in 2005.

Improvements over Type 054

The Type 054A carries HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles and anti-submarine missiles in a vertical launching system (VLS) system. The HQ-16 has a range of up to 50 km, with superior range and engagement angles to the Type 054's HQ-7. The Type 054A's VLS uses a hot launch method; a shared common exhaust system is sited between the two rows of rectangular launching tubes.[5]

The four AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS) of the Type 054 were replaced with two Type 730 CIWS on the Type 054A. The autonomous Type 730 provides improved reaction time against close-in threats.[6]

The Type 054A retains its predecessor's stealth features, including sloped hull design, radar absorbent materials, and a clean profile.[7]

Type 054A+

An improved variant beginning with the 17th unit[8] launched from Huangpu Shipyard in 2009[9] has the seven-barrelled Type 730 CIWS replaced by the more capable 11-barrelled Type 1130, and is unofficially referred as Type 54A+.[10] Another reported improvement over the original Type 054A includes the incorporation of variable depth sonar and towed array sonar.[11]

Operations

Type 054A frigate made its first operational deployment to the Gulf of Aden, when 570 Huangshan set sail as part of 2nd Escort Flotilla/Task Group 167 on 2 April 2009, the Escort Flotilla arrived there on 13 April 2009, and took over form 1st Escort Flotilla/Task Group 169 on 15 April 2009. Since then, 11 Type 054A have deployed to the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations.

In the lead-up to the Libyan civil war, 530 Xuzhou was deployed from anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden to help evacuate Chinese nationals from Libya.

In January 2014, 546 Yancheng was redeployed from anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to escort Syrian chemical weapons destined for destruction.[12]

Export

According to an estimate by The Diplomat, Type 054A frigates have a per-unit cost of US$348 million.[13]

Pakistan

The Pakistan Navy ordered four Type 054A/Ps; the last two orders were announced on 1 June 2018. The ships are expected to enter service by 2021.[14] The steel-cutting ceremony for the second Type 054A/P frigate for the Pakistan Navy (PN) was held in China on 19 December 2018, marking the beginning of construction of the vessel at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. [15] On November 1, 2019, China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding held a steel cutting ceremony for the Pakistan Navy’s third and fourth Type 054A/P frigates. The induction of these vessels could significantly enhance the service’s anti-air warfare capabilities.[16] The keel-laying ceremony for the second ship was held on March 23, 2019 at Hudong Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.[17] The first Type 054A/P for Pakistan was launched on August 22nd 2020.[18]The second one was launched on January 29th 2021.[19]

Thailand

In January 2013, it was confirmed that China offered to sell three Type 054As to the Royal Thai Navy for US$1 billion.[20] Instead, Thailand selected a derivative of the South Korean Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.[21]

Ships of Class
Pennant Number Name Builder Launched Commissioned Fleet Status
515[22] 滨州/ Binzhou[22] 29 December 2016[22] East Sea Fleet[22] Active[22]
530[23] 徐州/ Xuzhou[23] 27 January 2008[24] East Sea Fleet[24] Active[24]
536[25] 许昌/ Xuchang[25] 23 June 2017[25] South Sea Fleet[25] Active[25]
538[23][26] 烟台/ Yantai[23][26] North Sea Fleet[26] Active[26]
539[27] 芜湖/ Wuhu[27] Hudong-Zhonghua[27] 8 June 2016[27] 29 June 2017[27] North Sea Fleet[27] Active[27]
546[23][26] 盐城/ Yancheng[23][26] North Sea Fleet[26] Active[28]
547[23] 临沂/ Linyi[23] Active[29]
548[23] 益阳/ Yiyang[23]
549[23][30] 常州 / Changzhou[23][30] Active[30]
550[23] 潍坊 / Weifang[23] 2013[31] North Sea Fleet[31] Active[29]
568[23] 衡阳 / Hengyang[23]
569[23] 玉林 / Yulin[23] Active[32]
570[23] 黄山 / Huangshan[23] Active[33]
571[23][34] 运城 / Yuncheng[23][34] Active[34]
572[23] 衡水 / Hengshui[23] Active[35]
573[23] 柳州 / Liuzhou[23] 2013[31] South Sea Fleet[31] Active
574[23] 三亚 / Sanya
575[23] 岳阳 / Yueyang[23]
576[23][36] 大庆 / Daqing[36] Huangpu[36]
577[37] 黄冈 / Huanggang[37] Huangpu[37] January 2015[37] East Sea Fleet[37] Active[37]
578[38] 扬州 / Yangzhou [38] Active[38]
579[38] 邯郸 / Handan[38] Active[38]
598[2] 日照 / Rizhao[2] Huangpu[2] April 2017[2] 12 January 2018[2] North Sea Fleet[2] Active[2]
  • Aft-deck of frigate 548 Yiyang. In this image, US Navy sailors are boarding to meet prior to conducting a bilateral counter-piracy exercise. Visible on the flight deck is a Harbin Z-9 helicopter
  • H/PJ-26 76mm main gun onboard 572 Hengshui
  • The YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers on the 539 Wuhu
  • The Type 87 Anti Submarine Rocket (ASROC) Launchers of the 539 Wuhu
  • Weapon control station of Chinese Navy Ship 572 Hengshui
  • HQ-16 VLS SAM launchers on 530 Xuzhou
  • The frigate 529 Zhoushan Moored on the Huangpu River in Shanghai
  • An Chinese Navy officer introduces 538 Yantai to United States Navy officers.
  • The meeting room facility onboard 569 Yulin

Comparable ships

Ships of comparable role and size:

See also

References
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  3. "Hints of Chinese Naval Ambitions in the 2020s". The Diplomat. 25 December 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
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  9. 1st Type 054A+ launched
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  13. Gady, Franz-Stefan (29 December 2016). "China Commissions New Stealth Warship Into East Sea Fleet". The Diplomat. Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. The Binzhou is the 23rd Type 054A frigate on active duty with the PLAN and constitutes the cornerstone of China’s surface warfare capabilities. The PLAN expects to commission another four Type 054 frigates by 2018. According to a cost estimate published in The Diplomat, the per unit price is set at around $348 million.
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