The Type 054A frigate (known to NATO as "Jiangkai-II") is a critical surface component of the modern Chinese navy service (the "People's Liberation Army Navy", or PLAN). A total of thirty ships make up this fighting force which serve as improved extensions of the earlier Type 054 ("Jiangkai-I") vessels (just two commissioned). One of the available warships of the Type 054A standard is CNS Yulin (569), commissioned in 2010, which serves an active role as part of the South Sea Fleet.
The warship is classified as a Guided-MIssile Frigate making her relatively compact and capable of offshore and blue water work, either independently or as part of the main fighting fleet. Its displacement reaches 4,055 tonnes under full load while the length is 440 feet with a beam measuring 52 feet.
Aboard is crew of 165 personnel and a modest air wing is maintained, supporting a Kamov Ka-28 "Helix" or Harbin Z-9C helicopter equipped for the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) role - the vehicle is launched and retrieved from the stern helipad. A full-service hangar facility is also included, allowing a second helicopter to be housed indoors.
Propulsion is from a COmbined Diesel-And-Diesel (CODAD) arrangement intended for fuel efficiency. The scheme involves 4 x Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC marine diesels outputting 7,600 horsepower to 2 x Shafts under stern. This gives the vessel a maximum ocean-going speed of 27 knots and a range out to 8,025 nautical miles.
The armament arrangement features both projectile- and missile-based solutions to counter all modern threats in the air, on the sea, or under water. Over the forecastle is a single turret housing a 76mm PJ26 "Dual-Purpose" deck gun. 2 x Type 730 or Type 1130 weapons serve in the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) role as a last-line-of-defense. Twin triple torpedo tubes of 324mm caliber was also installed which can hunt both surface and undersea targets. The bread-and-butter of the ship, however, is its 32-cell Vertical Launching System (VLS) supporting the HQ-16 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) or Yu-8 Anti-Submarine ROCket families. Beyond this are two C-803 quadruple missile launchers capable of anti-ship or land-attack actions.
Rounding out the suite are 12 x Type 87 240mm ASROC launchers with 36 reloads carriered and twin Type 726-4 18-tube decoy rocket launchers.
Onboard systems include the Type 382 radar set, the Type 344 radar for target acquisition and fire control over-the-horizon, quad arrangement involving the Type 345 series fire control radar, the MR-36A surface-search radar, and twin Racal RM-1290 navigational radars. The hull houses a medium frequency MGK-335 active/passive sonar array and the vessel can deploy its H/SJG-206 towed sonar array as needed. Protected SATellite COMmunications (SATCOM) are tightly integrated into the ships framework. The Type 922-1 serves as its Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) while the Kashtan-3 is the missile jamming equipment fit.
The ship's profile is typical of modern warships: the forecastle is relatively unobstructed save for the turreted deck gun. Aft of this emplacement is the VLS. The bridge superstructure is seated aft of the VLS with a commanding view over the bow. The main mast is of the enclosed type and seats a myriad fo sensors, processing systems, and communications arrays. The secondary mast is just aft and integrated into a low-profile smoke funnel. The superstructure terminates as the helicopter hangar aft - which then leads to the helipad proper. Slab-sides are featured at the hull / superstructure line, creating an unbroken surface adding a basic "stealth" quality to the ship.
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Pennant Numbers 515, 530, 536, 538, 539, 546, CNS Linyi (547), 548, 549, 550, 568, CNS Yulin (569), 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, CNS Yueyang (575), 576, 577, 578 and 579. Type 054A, Type 054A+ and Type 054B are part of the same class.
China
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.
✓Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.
✓Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
✓Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.
✓Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.
Length
440.0 ft 134.11 m
Beam
52.0 ft 15.85 m
Displacement
4,470 tons
Installed Power:
CODAD (COmbined Diesel-And-Diesel) arrangement: 4 x Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC marine diesels developing 7,600 horsepower to 2 x Shafts astern.
Surface Speed
27.0 kts (31.1 mph)
Range
8,025 nm (9,235 mi | 14,862 km)
kts = knots | mph = miles-per-hour | nm = nautical miles | mi = miles | km = kilometers
1 kts = 1.15 mph | 1 nm = 1.15 mi | 1 nm = 1.85 km
1 x 76mm PJ26 Dual-Purpose (DP) turreted deck gun.
1 x 32-cell Vertical Launching System (VLS) supporting HQ-16 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) and Yu-8 Anti-Submarine ROCkets (ASROCs).
8 x C-803 anti-ship OR cruise missiles in twin quadruple launchers.
2 x 30mm Type 730/Type 1130 Gatling-style Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWSs).
6 x 324mm Yu-7 torpedo launchers in twin triple-tubed installations.
12 x 240mm Type 87 ASROC launchers (36 rocket reloads).
2 x 18-Tube Type 726 decoy launchers.
Supported Types
(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
1 x Kamov Ka-28 "Helix" OR Harbin Z-9C Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopter operated from the stern helipad.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.
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Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense; Public Release.
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