Type 054A frigate

Huanggang (577) in 2020
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded byType 054 frigate
Succeeded byType 054B frigate
SubclassesTughril class (Pakistan) Type 818 Cutter (China Coast Guard)
CostUS$348 million (est. 2015)
Built2005–present
In commission2008–present
Planned50[citation needed]
Active46
General characteristics
TypeFrigate
Displacement3,963 tonnes (full)
Length134 m (440 ft)
Beam16 m (52 ft)
Draught5 m (16 ft)
PropulsionCODAD, 4 × SEMT Pielstick 16 PA 6V 280 STC diesels, 20.7 MW (28,200 hp) total, 2 shafts
Speed27 knots (50 km/h)
Range3,800 nautical miles (4,400 mi; 7,000 km) estimated at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Sensors &
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
Armament
Aircraft carried
  • Type 054A: Harbin Z-9C or Kamov Ka-28 'Helix'
  • Type 054AG: Harbin Z-20 family helicopter including Z-20F anti-submarine version and the Z-20J naval utility version
Aviation facilitieshangar

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; 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.

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; the class was a key component of the PLAN's surface fleet by the late 2010s. 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 to a new Type 054AG variant are currently being introduced into service from 2024, although this last batch was interrupted by two units being built to the follow-on (and larger) Type 054B frigate design.

Design

Type 726-4 decoy launchers of the Type 054A frigate Handan (579)
The Type 87 Anti Submarine Rocket (ASROC) Launchers of the Type 054A frigate Wuhu (539)

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.

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

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). The HHQ-16 target illuminators may also be derived from the Russian MR-90.

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. These ships have been unofficially referred to as Type 054A+, Type 054A2, or modified Jiangkai II.

In 2015, Gabe Collins estimated that each ship cost US$348 million.

Operational history

The YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers on the Wuhu (539)

Type 054As have regularly deployed beyond China's regional waters.

Ships have participated in anti-piracy naval patrols off 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.

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

Export

Thailand

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

Pakistan

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.

Ships of class

Pennant numberNameNamesakeBuilderLaunchedCommissionedFleetStatus
Type 054A
529 舟山 / Zhoushan City of Zhoushan Hudong-Zhonghua 21 December 2006 3 January 2008 East Sea Fleet Active
530 徐州 / Xuzhou City of Xuzhou Huangpu Shipyard 30 September 2006 27 January 2008 East Sea Fleet Active
570 黄山 / Huangshan City of Huangshan Huangpu Shipyard 18 March 2007 15 May 2008 South Sea Fleet Active
568 衡阳 / Hengyang City of Hengyang Hudong-Zhonghua 23 May 2007 30 June 2008 South Sea Fleet Active
571 运城 / Yuncheng City of Yuncheng Huangpu Shipyard 8 February 2009 December 2009 South Sea Fleet Active
569 玉林 / Yulin City of Yulin, Guangxi Hudong-Zhonghua 28 April 2009 1 February 2010 South Sea Fleet Active
548 益阳 / Yiyang City of Yiyang Huangpu Shipyard 17 November 2009 26 October 2010 East Sea Fleet Active
549 常州 / Changzhou City of Changzhou Hudong-Zhonghua 18 May 2010 30 May 2011 East Sea Fleet Active
538 烟台 / Yantai City of Yantai Huangpu Shipyard August 2010 June 2011 North Sea Fleet Active
546 盐城 / Yancheng City of Yancheng Hudong-Zhonghua 27 April 2011 5 June 2012 North Sea Fleet Active
572 衡水 / Hengshui City of Hengshui Huangpu Shipyard 2011 9 July 2012 South Sea Fleet Active
547 临沂 / Linyi City of Linyi Huangpu Shipyard December 2011 22 December 2012 North Sea Fleet Active
573 柳州 / Liuzhou City of Liuzhou Hudong-Zhonghua 10 December 2011 26 December 2012 South Sea Fleet Active
575 岳阳 / Yueyang City of Yueyang Huangpu Shipyard 19 May 2012 3 May 2013 South Sea Fleet Active
550 潍坊 / Weifang City of Weifang Hudong-Zhonghua 9 July 2012 22 June 2013 North Sea Fleet Active
574 三亚 / Sanya City of Sanya Hudong-Zhonghua 30 November 2012 13 December 2013 South Sea Fleet Active
Type 054A+ (stretched)
577 黄冈 / Huanggang City of Huanggang Hudong-Zhonghua 28 April 2013 16 January 2015 East Sea Fleet Active
576 大庆 / Daqing City of Daqing Huangpu Shipyard 8 October 2013 16 January 2015 North Sea Fleet Active
578 扬州 / Yangzhou City of Yangzhou Hudong-Zhonghua 30 September 2013 21 September 2015 East Sea Fleet Active
579 邯郸 / Handan City of Handan Huangpu Shipyard 26 July 2014 16 August 2015 North Sea Fleet Active
532 荆州 / Jingzhou City of Jingzhou Hudong-Zhonghua 22 January 2015 5 January 2016 East Sea Fleet Active
531 湘潭 / Xiangtan City of Xiangtan Huangpu Shipyard 19 March 2015 24 February 2016 East Sea Fleet Active
515 滨州 / Binzhou City of Binzhou Hudong-Zhonghua 13 December 2015 29 December 2016 East Sea Fleet Active
536 许昌 / Xuchang City of Xuchang Huangpu Shipyard 30 May 2016 23 June 2017 South Sea Fleet Active
539 芜湖 / Wuhu City of Wuhu Hudong-Zhonghua 8 June 2016 29 June 2017 North Sea Fleet Active
598 日照 / Rizhao City of Rizhao Huangpu Shipyard 1 April 2017 12 January 2018 North Sea Fleet Active
599 安阳 / Anyang City of Anyang Hudong-Zhonghua 28 March 2017 12 April 2018 East Sea Fleet Active
500 咸宁 / Xianning City of Xianning Huangpu Shipyard 22 September 2017 28 August 2018 South Sea Fleet Active
601 南通 / Nantong City of Nantong Hudong-Zhonghua 16 December 2017 23 January 2019 East Sea Fleet Active
542 枣庄 / Zaozhuang City of Zaozhuang Huangpu Shipyard 30 June 2018 22 February 2019 North Sea Fleet Active
522 资阳 / Ziyang City of Ziyang Huangpu Shipyard 12 July 2021 27 May 2022 East Sea Fleet Active
534 鹤壁 / Hebi City of Hebi Hudong-Zhonghua 1 August 2021 December 2022 East Sea Fleet Active
551 巴彦淖尔市 / Bayannao'er City of Bayannao'er Huangpu Shipyard 23 December 2021 December 2022 South Sea Fleet Active
540 西昌 / Xichang City of Xichang Huangpu Shipyard November 2021 2023 South Sea Fleet Active
537 宜兴 / Yixing City of Yixing Hudong-Zhonghua 23 December 2021 January 2023 East Sea Fleet Active
516 淮北 / Huaibei City of Huaibei Huangpu Shipyard 11 August 2022 July 2023 East Sea Fleet Active
523 红河 / Honghe City of Honghe Hudong-Zhonghua East Sea Fleet Active
552 郴州 / Chenzhou City of Chenzhou Huangpu Shipyard South Sea Fleet Active
553 大理 / Dali City of Dali Huangpu Shipyard South Sea Fleet Active
554 通辽 / Tongliao City of Tongliao Huangpu Shipyard South Sea Fleet Active
Type 054AG (stretched and with 100 mm gun)
543 臨汾 / Linfen City of Linfen 2024 Active
580 鄂尔多斯 / Ordos City of Ordos 2024 Active

See also

Equivalent frigates of the same era

References

Citations
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Bibliography