Type 054A frigate

Huanggang (577) in 2020
Class overview
Builders	Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Huangpu Shipyard
Operators	People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded by	Type 054 frigate
Succeeded by	Type 054B frigate
Subclasses	Tughril class (Pakistan)
Cost	US$348 million (est. 2015)
Built	2005–present
In commission	2008–present [1]
Planned	50 [2]
Active	40
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Displacement	3,963 tonnes (full) [3]
Length	134 m (440 ft) [3]
Beam	16 m (52 ft) [3]
Draught	5 m (16 ft)
Propulsion	CODAD, 4 × SEMT Peilstick 16 PA 6V 280 STC diesels, 20.7 MW (28,200 hp) total, 2 shafts [3]
Speed	27 knots [3]
Range	3,800 nautical miles (4,400 mi; 7,000 km) estimated at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) [3]
Sensors and processing systems	Type 382 Radar Type 344 Radar (Mineral-ME Band Stand) target acquisition and SSM fire control radar 4 × 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 H/AKJ-16 VLS [4] HQ-16 SAM Yu-8 anti submarine rocket launcher 2 × 4 YJ-83 anti-ship 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 (NATO/OSD Jiangkai II) is a class of guided-missile frigate from the People's Republic of China. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate; ^[5] compared to its predecessor, the Type 054A has medium-range air defense capability in the form of Type 382 radar and vertically launched (VLS) HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles. ^[6]

The first ship (Xuzhou) of the new Type 054A was laid down in 2005 and entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in January 2008; ^[3] the class was a key component of the PLAN's surface fleet by the late 2010s. ^{[7] [8] [9]} Production was ongoing in 2023, with 30 ships in service by mid 2019, while the next batch of 10 ships commissioned from 2022 onwards, and a final batch of 10 ships under development, ^{[10] [11]} although this last batch may be built to the follow-on Type 054B (Jiangkai III) design. ^[12]

Design

The Type 054 was heavily influenced by the La Fayette-class frigate from France, and so reflected the strategic and operational requirements of that country. The development of the Type 054A may have been driven by China's need to address high-intensity armed conflict. ^[13]

The Type 054A uses the same stealthy hull form as the Type 054. ^[5] The forward launcher for HQ-7 short-range SAM ^[14] is replaced with a 32-cell vertical launching system ^[3] for medium-range HHQ-16 SAMs and Yu-8 antisubmarine rockets. ^[5] The smaller main gun and Type 730 close-in weapon system (CIWS) are also installed. ^[3]

The radar suite makes use of technology reverse engineered from Russian systems; the affected Chinese systems may include the H/LJQ-382 air search radar (from the Fregat MAE-3) and the H/LJQ-366 fire control radar (from the Mineral ME). ^{[15] [16] [5]} The HHQ-16 target illuminators may also be derived from the Russian MR-90. ^{[17] [16] [5]}

Ships starting with the 17th unit (Huanggang) were constructed with enhanced anti-submarine warfare capability - adding variable depth and towed array sonar - and the Type 1130 CIWS instead of the Type 730. ^{[5] [18]} These ships have been unofficially referred to as Type 054A+, Type 054A2, or modified Jiangkai II. ^[5]

In 2015, Gabe Collins estimated that each ship cost US$348 million. ^[7]

Operational history

Type 054As have regularly deployed beyond China's regional waters. ^[8]

Ships have participated in anti-piracy naval patrols off of Somalia. The first was Huangshan, which deployed as part of China's second rotation in April 2019. From there, the ships have been detached to respond to regional crises. Frigates evacuated Chinese citizens from Libya in 2011 - making Xuzhou the first PLAN ship to enter the Mediterranean Sea - and Yemen in 2015. Another joined an international effort to secure Syria's chemical weapons in 2014. ^[8]

Frigates also participated in the first Chinese naval exercises with the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean in 2015 and the Baltic Sea in 2017. ^[8]

Exports

In January 2013, it was confirmed that China offered three Type 054As to the Royal Thai Navy for US$1 billion. ^[19] Ultimately, Thailand selected a derivative of the South Korean Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. ^[20]

Pakistan ordered four Type 054A variants from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in 2017-2018 as the Type 054A/P, or Tughril class. The first entered service on 8 November 2021, and all four were commissioned by mid 2022. ^[21]

Ships of class

Pennant number	Name	Namesake	Builder	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status
530 [22]	徐州 / Xuzhou [22]	City of Xuzhou	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	30 September 2006 [11]	27 January 2008 [23]	East Sea Fleet [23]	Active [23]
529 [24]	舟山 / Zhoushan [24]	City of Zhoushan	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	21 December 2006 [11]	3 January 2008 [11]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
570 [22]	黄山 / Huangshan [22]	City of Huangshan	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	18 March 2007 [11]	15 May 2008 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [25]
568 [22]	衡阳 / Hengyang [22]	City of Hengyang	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	23 May 2007 [11]	30 June 2008 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
571 [22] [26]	运城 / Yuncheng [22] [26]	City of Yuncheng	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	8 February 2009 [11]	December 2009 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11] [26]
569 [22]	玉林 / Yulin [22]	City of Yulin, Guangxi	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	28 April 2009 [11]	1 February 2010 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [27]
548 [22]	益阳 / Yiyang [22]	City of Yiyang	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	17 November 2009 [11]	26 October 2010 [11]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
549 [22] [28]	常州 / Changzhou [22] [28]	City of Changzhou	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	18 May 2010 [11]	30 May 2011 [11]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11] [28]
538 [22] [29]	烟台 / Yantai [22] [29]	City of Yantai	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	August 2010 [11]	June 2011 [11]	North Sea Fleet [29]	Active [29]
546 [22] [29]	盐城 / Yancheng [22] [29]	City of Yancheng	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	27 April 2011 [11]	5 June 2012 [11]	North Sea Fleet [29]	Active [30]
572 [22]	衡水 / Hengshui [22]	City of Hengshui	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	2011 [11]	9 July 2012 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11] [31]
573 [22]	柳州 / Liuzhou [22]	City of Liuzhou	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	10 December 2011 [11]	26 December 2012 [11]	South Sea Fleet [32]	Active [11]
547 [22]	临沂 / Linyi [22]	City of Linyi	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	December 2011 [11]	22 December 2012 [11]	North Sea Fleet [11]	Active [33]
575 [22]	岳阳 / Yueyang [22]	City of Yueyang	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	19 May 2012 [11]	3 May 2013 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
550 [22]	潍坊 / Weifang [22]	City of Weifang	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	9 July 2012 [11]	22 June 2013 [32]	North Sea Fleet [32]	Active [33]
574 [22]	三亚 / Sanya	City of Sanya	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	30 November 2012 [11]	13 December 2013 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
Type 054a+ (stretched)
577 [34]	黄冈 / Huanggang [34]	City of Huanggang	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	28 April 2013 [11]	16 January 2015 [34]	East Sea Fleet [34]	Active [34]
576 [22] [35]	大庆 / Daqing [35]	City of Daqing	Huangpu Shipyard [35]	8 October 2013 [11]	16 January 2015 [11]	North Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
578 [36]	扬州 / Yangzhou [36]	City of Yangzhou	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	30 September 2013 [11]	21 September 2015 [11]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
579 [36]	邯郸 / Handan [36]	City of Handan	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	26 July 2014 [11]	16 August 2015 [11]	North Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
532 [37]	荆州 / Jingzhou [37]	City of Jingzhou	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	22 January 2015 [11]	5 January 2016 [11]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
531 [38]	湘潭 / Xiangtan [38]	City of Xiangtan	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	19 March 2015 [11]	24 February 2016 [11]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
515 [39]	滨州 / Binzhou [39]	City of Binzhou	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	13 December 2015 [11]	29 December 2016 [39]	East Sea Fleet [39]	Active [39]
536 [40]	许昌 / Xuchang [40]	City of Xuchang	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	30 May 2016 [11]	23 June 2017 [40]	South Sea Fleet [40]	Active [40]
539 [41]	芜湖 / Wuhu [41]	City of Wuhu	Hudong-Zhonghua [41]	8 June 2016 [41]	29 June 2017 [41]	North Sea Fleet [41]	Active [41]
598 [1]	日照 / Rizhao [1]	City of Rizhao	Huangpu Shipyard [1]	1 April 2017 [1]	12 January 2018 [1]	North Sea Fleet [1]	Active [1]
599	安阳 / Anyang	City of Anyang	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	28 March 2017	12 April 2018 [42]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
500 [43]	咸宁 / Xianning [43]	City of Xianning	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	22 September 2017 [11]	28 August 2018 [11]	South Sea Fleet [11]	Active [3]
601 [44]	南通 / Nantong [44]	City of Nantong	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	16 December 2017	23 January 2019 [11]	East Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
542 [45]	枣庄 / Zaozhuang [45]	City of Zaozhuang	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	30 June 2018 [11]	22 February 2019 [11]	North Sea Fleet [11]	Active [11]
522 [11]	资阳 / Ziyang [11]	City of Ziyang	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	12 July 2021 [11]	May 2022 [11]	East Sea Fleet [12]	Active [11]
534 [11]	鹤壁 / Hebi [11]	City of Hebi	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	1 August 2021 [11]	December 2022 [11]	East Sea Fleet [12]	Active [11]
540 [11]	西昌市 / Xichang [11]	City of Xichang	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	November 2021 [11]	2023 [11]	South Sea Fleet [12]	Active [11]
537 [11]	宜兴 / Yixing [11]	City of Yixing	Hudong-Zhonghua [11]	23 December 2021 [11]	January 2023 [11]	East Sea Fleet [12]	Active [11]
551 [11]	巴彦淖尔市 / Bayannao'er [11]	City of Bayannao'er	Huangpu Shipyard [11]	23 December 2021 [11]	December 2022 [11]	South Sea Fleet [12]	Active [11]

Gallery

• 
  Aft-deck of frigate Yiyang (548). 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 Hengshui (572)
• 
  The YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers on the Wuhu (539)
• 
  The Type 87 Anti Submarine Rocket (ASROC) Launchers of the Wuhu (539)
• 
  Type 726-4 decoy launchers of Handan (579)
• 
  Weapon control station of Chinese Navy Ship Hengshui (572)
• 
  HQ-16 VLS SAM launchers on Xuzhou (530)
• 
  The meeting room facility onboard Yulin (569)

See also

• List of naval ship classes in service

References

Citations

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3. Jane's Fighting Ships (2015): page 144
4. Joe, Rick (25 December 2020). "Hints of Chinese Naval Procurement Plans in the 2020s". The Diplomat.
5. Wertheim, Eric (June 2020). "China's Multipurpose FFG". Proceedings. 146 (6). U.S. Naval Institute. 0041798X.
6. Schwartz (2015): page 28
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8. Willett (2019): page 24
9. Willett (2019): page 26
10. Tate, Andrew (10 August 2021). "China launches 32nd Type 054A frigate for PLAN" . Retrieved 10 February 2022.
11. Jane's Fighting Ships, 2023-24 Edition, ISBN 978-0-7106-3428 3, page 146.
12. Jane's Fighting Ships, 2024-25 Edition.
13. Collins et al. (2014): page 2
14. Jane's Fighting Ships (2015): page 142
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16. Kirchberger (2015): page 208
17. Kirchberger (2015): page 191
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35. Tate, Andrew (31 August 2014). "China adding towed sonars to Type 054A, Type 056 vessels". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
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41. Tate, Andrew (30 June 2017). "Chinese navy commissions 25th Jiangkai II-class frigate". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
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Bibliography

• Collins, Gabe; Clemens, Morgan; Gunnes, Kristen (2014). "The Type 054/054A Frigate Series: China's All-Purpose Surface Combatant". SITC Policy Briefs, 2014. SITC Research Briefs (10). Retrieved 10 February 2022.
• Kirchberger, Sarah (2015). Assessing China's Naval Power: Technological Innovation, Economic Constraints, and Strategic Implications. Global Power Shift. Springer. ISBN   978-3-662-47127-2.
• Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2015). Jane's Fighting Ships 2015-2016. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0-7106-3143-5.
• Schwartz, Paul (August 2015). Russia's Contribution to China's Surface Warfare Capabilities: Feeding the Dragon. Global Power Shift. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-4422-5879-2.
• Willett, Lee (18 April 2019). "China's Jiangkai Frigate Roll-out Delivers Global Reach". Armada International. No. 2 (Apr/May 2019 ed.). pp. 22–24, 26.

External links

• Chinese Defense Today page
• Chinese Navy