CNS Suining (551)

Guided-Missile Corvette Warship [ 2017 ]

Given good range and balanced firepower, CNS Suining 551 is an active player in the South Sea Fleet for China.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/24/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense; Public Release.

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CNS Suining (551) is a modern guided-missile corvette belonging to the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and part of the sizeable Type 056A-class (NATO: Jiangdao I-class) of surface combatants. The 1,500-ton warship was commissioned in 2017 and currently makes up just one small cog of the potent South Sea Fleet in active service. The Type 056A-class ships are more focused on Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) measures and based in the Type 056 design which succeeded the older Type 053H-class frigates in same role.

The ship has a running length of 300 feet and a beam of 36.5 feet with a draught down to 13 feet. The shallow draught is of note for it allows the ship to engage in Close-to-Shore operations, whether operating independently or as part of the main fighting fleet. The propulsion scheme is centered on a pair of SEMT-Pielstick PA6-STC diesel motors driving the hull to speeds out to 25 knots and a range out to 3,500 nautical miles.

Aboard is a complement of about 78 personnel. The ship carries the Type 360 series air- / surface-search radar as well as the Type 346G series fire control radar. Sonar appears as both a hull-mounted and towed array. Armament is led by a single 76mm AK-176 turreted deck gun, 2 x Twin-cell YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers, 1 x Eight-cell FL-3000N Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher, 2 x 30mm H/PJ-17 autocannons, and 2 x 324mm triple torpedo tubes. All told, the warship can counter the threat posed by most any at-sea adversary. Over the rear of the hull is a helipad-hangar deck area for servicing a single medium-lift navy helicopter.

The profile of the warship exudes modern styling and inherent stealth features. The hull line runs unbroken from bow to stern with the hull superstructure well-contoured with slab sides. The bridge section is set aft and over the deck gun seated on the forecastle. The mast works are integrated to the bridge superstructure while the smoke funnels, over midships, are of a low-profile, enclosed design. The aft superstructure houses the hangar facilities and seats various radars, systems, and sensors. The rear of the ship is cut down to provide unfettered landing avenues for rotorcraft.

CNS Suining forms a critical component to Chinese naval actions in and around the South China Sea where its range, speed, and firepower are a notable deterrent to Western actions. However, the platform remains largely untested in a wartime setting despite its impressive capabilities on paper. Nevertheless, the Type 056A is just one of some 70 or so corvette warships available to the service and one of the newer hulls available to the growing, modernizing Chinese surface fleet.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding - China
Shipbuilder(s)

China
Operators

2017
Commissioned

China
National Origin

Commissioned, Active
Project Status

78
Complement

Type 056A (Jiangdao I-class)
Hull Class

72
Number-in-Class

CNS Suining (551)
Ships-in-Class

Offshore Operation
Activities conducted near shorelines in support of allied activities.

SHALLOW DRAUGHT
Vessel's hull design is such that it can operate in close-to-shore / shallow water environments.

PRIMARY TURRET(S)
Main armament is housed in primary turret(s) arrangement offering enhanced protection.

ANTI-AIRCRAFT
Onboard systems alert and protect the vessel from airborne, low-flying airborne threats through ballistic and / or missile weaponry.

OVER-THE-HORIZON
An Over-the-Horizon operational capability is granted to the vessel, typically through launched fixed-wing / rotary-wing aircraft.

MISSILE ARMAMENT
The vessel supports the launching of missiles against airborne, waterborne, or land-based targets at range; typical of modern designs.

TORPEDOES
Ability to launch torpedoes against ocean-going targets.

300.0 feet
(91.44 meters)
Length

36.5 feet
(11.13 meters)
Beam

13.0 feet
(3.96 meters)
Draught

1,500
tons
Displacement

2 x SEMT-Pielstick PA6-STC diesel motors driving 2 x Shafts astern.
Propulsion

25.0 knots
(28.8 mph)
Surface Speed

3,476 nm
(4,000 miles | 6,437 km)
Range

1 knot = 1.15 mph; 1 nm = 1.15 mile; 1 nm = 1.85 km

1 x 76mm AK-176 turreted deck gun.
2 x Twin-cell YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers.
1 x 8-cell FL-3000N Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher.
2 x 324mm triple -torpedo tubes.
2 x 30mm H/PJ-17 autocannons.

1 x Medium-lift navy helicopter supported from the stern-based helipad / hangar-deck area.

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Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense; Public Release.

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