Chinese frigate Xuchang

The Xuchang in 2024
History
China
Name	Xuchang
Namesake	Xuchang (许昌)
Builder	Huangpu, Shanghai
Launched	30 May 2016
Commissioned	23 June 2017
Identification	Pennant number: 536
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 054A frigate
Displacement	4,053 tonnes (full)
Length	134.1 m (440 ft)
Beam	16 m (52 ft)
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	Type 382 Radar Type 344 Radar (Mineral-ME Band Stand) OTH target acquisition and SSM fire control radar 4 × Type 345 Radar(MR-90 Front Dome) SAM fire control radars MR-36A surface search radar, I-band Type 347G 76 mm gun fire control radar 2 × Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system H/SJG-206 towed array sonar ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system HN-900 Data link (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded) SNTI-240 SATCOM AKD5000S Ku band SATCOM
Electronic warfare & decoys	Type 922-1 radar warning receiver HZ-100 ECM & ELINT system Kashtan-3 missile jamming system
Armament	1 × 32-cell VLS HQ-16 SAM Yu-8 anti submarine rocket launcher 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

Xuchang (536) is a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 23 June 2017.

Development and design

Main article: Type 054A frigate

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. ^[1]

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. ^[2]

Construction

Xuchang was launched on 30 May 2016 at the Huangpu Shipyard in Shanghai. Commissioned on 23 June 2017. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Operational history

In 2019, Xuchang took part in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

On June 3, 2019, the ship had a four-day stopover in Sydney Harbour, Australia on the return trip as part of a three-ship taskforce along with the Type 071 amphibious transport dock Kunlun Shan and the Type 903 replenishment ship Luomahu . ^{[6] [7] [8]} According to then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the naval visit was invited by the Australian Government, but the neither the New South Wales government nor the Australian public were informed ahead of the taskforce's arrival, which triggered a media frenzy among the conservative Australian media and politicians on the backdrop of rising geopolitical tension in Sino-Australian relations. ^{[9] [10]}
Xuchang is currently deployed in the red sea due to the Red Sea crisis. ^[11]

References

1. 舰载武器SHIPBORNE WEAPONS 2013 AUGUST ISSUE
2. "Chinese Navy". Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
3. ""许昌舰"在广州下水". 许昌日报社. 30 May 2016.^{[ dead link ‍]}
4. "海军"许昌舰"正式入列". 许昌日报社. 26 June 2017.^{[ dead link ‍]}
5. "China's 24th Type 054A Frigate Commissioned with PLAN South Sea Fleet". www.navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
6. "The 31st Chinese naval escort taskforce visits Australia". www.navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
7. Hollingsworth, Julia (2019-06-03). "Chinese warships arrive in Sydney Harbor on Australian stopover". CNN . Retrieved 2023-03-09.
8. "Chinese warships in Sydney: a show of strength for Beijing?". South China Morning Post . 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
9. Foster, Ally (2019-06-05). "Important detail we missed in the arrival of Chinese warships to Sydney". News.com.au . Retrieved 2023-12-29.
10. Jennings, Peter (2019-06-08). "The many ways in which China is pushing us around … without resistance". Australian Strategic Policy Institute . Retrieved 2023-12-29.
11. "Chinese Fleet Heads to Red Sea amid Rising Tensions". english.aawsat.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.