Type 054A frigate | |
---|---|
Type 054A frigate Yiyang (569) | |
Class overview | |
Builders: |
Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Huangpu Shipyard |
Operators: | People's Liberation Army Navy |
Preceded by: | Type 054 frigate |
Succeeded by: | Type 054B frigate |
Cost: | ¥ 1.58 billion |
Planned: | 20 |
Active: | 16 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Frigate |
Displacement: | 4,053 tonnes (full)(CCTV report), 3,600 tonnes (standard) |
Length: | 134.1 m (440 ft)(CCTV report) |
Beam: | 16 m (52 ft) (CCTV report) |
Propulsion: | CODAD, 4 x Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC diesels, 5700 kW (7600+ hp @ 1084 rpm) each |
Speed: | 27 kn estimated |
Range: | 8025 nautical miles estimated |
Complement: | 165 |
Sensors and processing systems: |
Type 382 Radar (Upgraded from Type 381 Radar "Sea Eagle S/C") 3D air/surface search radar |
Electronic warfare & decoys: |
Type 922-1 radar warning receiver HZ-100 ECM & ELINT system Kashtan-3 missile jamming system |
Armament: |
1 x32-cell VLS HQ-16 SAM / anti submarine rocket launcher 2 x 4 C-803 anti-ship / land attack cruise missiles 1 x PJ26 76 mm dual purpose gun 2 x Type 730 7-barrel 30 mm CIWS guns 2 x 3 324mm YU-7 ASW torpedo launchers 2 x 6 Type 87 240mm anti-submarine rocket launcher (36 rockets carried) 2 x 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 codename Jiangkai II) frigate is a Chinese multi-role warship class, the first of which entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy in 2007. The class is planned to comprise 20 vessels. As of 2014[update], 16 were in service, one was fitting out, and three were under construction. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate, using the same hull but with improved sensors and weapons.
The Type 054A was first revealed while under construction at the Guangzhou-based Huangpu Shipyard in 2005.
Improvements[]
The Type 054A carries HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles and various anti submarine rockets in a VLS system. The HQ-16 provides area air defence from all engagement angles up to a range of 50 km, a considerable improvement over the HQ-7 carried on the Type 054 which have inferior range and limited engagement angles. Contrary to HQ-9 VLS on Type 052C destroyer which adopts a cold launch method, HQ-16 appears to adopt a hot launch method instead, with the same design principle of US Mk 41 VLS: a shared common exhaust system is sited between the two rows of rectangular launching tubes.The VLS system is also capable of firing anti-submarine missile.[1]
The 4 AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS) of the Type 054 were replaced with 2 Type 730 CIWS on the Type 054A. The autonomous Type 730 provides improved reaction time against close-in threats.[2]
The 100 mm main gun on earlier Type 054 class is replaced by H/PJ26 stealthy 76 mm dual purpose gun mount, which is a Chinese development of Russian AK-176. The adoption of smaller caliber gun is the result of the need of higher rate of fire for air defense, including sea-skimming anti-ship missiles. H/PJ26 utilizes advanced synthetic material such as fiber glass to a much greater degree than the original AK-176, resulting in over 30% of weight reduction to 11.5 ton of H/PJ26, as opposed to the 16.8+ tons of AK-176.
Another improvement of Type 054A over the original Type 054 (as well other older ships in the People's Liberation Army Navy) is its information systems (IS) for maintenance and inventory control, which automatically provides information to shore based facilities or supply ships on the parts in need, to the last detail, so that parts in need can be provided more quickly. The resulting down time due to maintenance & repair is reduced to a fraction of what it is for older vessels without this IS system. The Chinese have termed this IS for maintenance and inventory control another force multiplier because it increased availability for deployment by reducing downtime.
The Type 054A retains its predecessor's stealth features, including sloped hull design, radar absorbent materials, and a clean profile.[3]
An improved variant, sometimes called the Type 054A+, launched from Huangpu Shipyard in 2009.[4]
Operations[]
Type 054A frigate made first operational deployment to Gulf of Aden, when FFG-570 Huangshan set sail as part of 2nd Escort Flotilla/Task Group 167 on 2 April 2009, the Escort Flotilla arrive there on 13 April 2009, and take over form 1st Escort Flotilla/Task Group 169 on 15 April 2009. Since then 11 type 054A have deployed to Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations.
In the lead-up to the Libyan civil war, the FFG-530 Xuzhou was deployed from anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden to help evacuate Chinese nationals from Libya.
In January 2014, the FFG-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.[5]
Ships of Class[]
Number | Pennant Number | Name | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
1 | 530 | 徐州/ Xuzhou | Huangpu | 30 September 2006 | 27 January 2008 | East Sea Fleet | Active. |
2 | 529 | 舟山/ Zhoushan | Hudong | 21 December 2006 | 3 January 2008 | East Sea Fleet | Active. |
3 | 570 | 黄山/ Huangshan | Huangpu | 18 March 2007 | 13 May 2008 | South Sea Fleet | Active. |
4 | 568 | 衡阳/ Hengyang | Hudong | 23 May 2007 | 30 June 2008 | South Sea Fleet | Ex-Chaohu, Renamed on 28 February 2012. Active. |
5 | 571 | 运城/ Yuncheng | Huangpu | 8 February 2009 | 17 January 2010 | South Sea Fleet | Active. |
6 | 569 | 玉林/ Yulin | Hudong | 28 April 2009 | 1 February 2010 | South Sea Fleet | Active. |
7 | 548 | 益阳/ Yiyang | Huangpu | 17 November 2009 | 26 October 2010 | East Sea Fleet | Active. |
8 | 549 | 常州/ Changzhou | Hudong | 21 May 2010 | 30 May 2011 | East Sea Fleet | Active. |
9 | 538 | 烟台/ Yantai | Huangpu | 24 August 2010 | 9 June 2011 | North Sea Fleet | Active. |
10 | 546 | 盐城/ Yancheng | Hudong | 27 April 2011 | 5 June 2012 | North Sea Fleet | Active. |
11 | 572 | 衡水/ Hengshui | Huangpu | 21 May 2011 | 9 July 2012 | South Sea Fleet | Active. |
12 | 573 | 柳州/ Liuzhou | Hudong | 10 December 2011 | 28 December 2012 | South Sea Fleet | Active. |
13 | 547 | 临沂/ Linyi | Huangpu | 13 December 2011 | 22 December 2012 | North Sea Fleet | Active. |
14 | 575 | 岳阳/ Yueyang | Huangpu | 9 May 2012 | 3 May 2013 | South Sea Fleet | Active. |
15 | 550 | 潍坊/ Weifang | Hudong | 9 July 2012 | 22 June 2013[6] | North Sea Fleet | Active.[7] |
16 | 574 | 三亚/ Sanya | Hudong | 30 November 2012 | 13 December 2013 | South Sea Fleet | Active. |
17 | To be determined | To be determined | Hudong | 28 April 2013 | Middle of 2014 | To be determined | Fitting out. |
18 | 576 | 黄石/ Huangshi | Huangpu | 28 September 2013 | Late of 2014 | East Sea Fleet | Fitting out |
19 | To be determined | 三门峡/ Sanmenxia | Hudong | 30 September 2013 | Late of 2014 | North Sea Fleet | Fitting out |
20 | To be determined | 黄冈/ Huanggang | Huangpu | 2015 | East Sea Fleet | In construction |
Export[]
In Feb 2013, China offered to sell Thailand 3 customized 054A frigates ("054T") for 30 billion Thai Bhat ($1 billion USD) total.[8] However, in April 2013 it was reported that South Korea had won the Royal Thai navy's frigate bid with 2 modified Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers at 13 billion Thai Baht each.[9][10]
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Type 054B frigate - follow-on class for the Type 054A
References[]
- ↑ 舰载武器SHIPBORNE WEAPONS 2013 AUGUST ISSUE
- ↑ http://mil.jschina.com.cn/huitong/Jiangkai_Jiangwei.htm
- ↑ http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/surface/type054a-jiangkai-ii.asp
- ↑ http://www.china-defense-mashup.com/pla-navys-type-054a-frigate-to-be-launched-in-guangzhou.html
- ↑ http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Chinese-warship-in-Cyprus-to-aid-Syrian-chemical-weapons-removal-337057
- ↑ http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2013/06/cctv-news-capture-of-day-15th-type54a.html
- ↑ http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2013/06/cctv-news-capture-of-day-15th-type54a.html
- ↑ http://defenseupdates.blogspot.com/2013/02/thailand-to-negotiate-purchase-of-3.html
- ↑ http://news.securemymind.com/689.html
- ↑ http://thaipublica.org/2013/08/frigate/
External links[]
The original article can be found at Type 054A frigate and the edit history here.