Type 054A-class (Jiangkai II)
Chinese frigate, introduced in 2008, displaces 3,963 tons and uses CODAD propulsion.
| Subtype | Frigate |
| Displacement | 3963 tons |
| Width | 16.0 m (52.5 ft) |
| Length | 134.0 m (439.6 ft) |
| Propulsion | CODAD, 4 × SEMT Pielstick 16 PA 6V 280 STC diesels, 20.7 MW (28,200 hp) total, 2 shafts |
| Range | 3800 km at 18 knots |
| Maximum speed | 27 knots |
- 1 × 32-cell H/AKJ-16 VLS
- HQ-16 SAM
- Yu-8 anti submarine rocket launcher
- 2 × 4 YJ-83 anti-ship missiles
- 1 × H/PJ-26 76 mm naval 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
- 1 Kamov Ka-28 'Helix' or Harbin Z-9C
Description
The Type 054A (NATO reporting name Jiangkai II) is a class of guided-missile frigate operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). It is a development of the Type 054 class and incorporates design influences from the French La Fayette class. The first unit, Xuzhou, was laid down in 2005 and entered service in January 2008. Construction has been carried out at the Hudong-Zhonghua and Huangpu shipyards, with production continuing through 2023.
The class utilizes the stealthy hull form of the preceding Type 054. Primary design changes include the installation of a vertical launching system (VLS) for HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles and Yu-8 anti-submarine rockets, replacing the short-range launcher used on the original Type 054. The sensor suite utilizes technology derived from Russian systems, including the Type 382 air search radar and the Type 344 and Type 366 fire control radars. Beginning with the 17th unit, Huanggang, the design was modified to include variable depth and towed array sonars for anti-submarine warfare. These modified vessels, sometimes referred to as Type 054A+, also feature the Type 1130 close-in weapon system. For aviation operations, the class is equipped with a hangar and flight deck for a single Kamov Ka-28 or Harbin Z-9 helicopter.
The PLAN has deployed Type 054A frigates for missions beyond Chinese regional waters, including anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia. In 2011, Xuzhou became the first PLAN ship to enter the Mediterranean Sea during an operation to evacuate citizens from Libya. The class performed similar evacuation duties in Yemen in 2015 and participated in the international mission to secure Syrian chemical weapons in 2014. Operational history also includes joint naval exercises with the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean in 2015 and the Baltic Sea in 2017.
Variants of the design are operated by other services and nations. The Pakistan Navy ordered four vessels designated as the Type 054A/P or Tughril class, all of which were commissioned by mid-2022. The China Coast Guard operates the 818 class patrol cutter, which is based on the Type 054A hull and propulsion system. Although China offered the Type 054A to the Royal Thai Navy in 2013, Thailand selected a different design. In the PLAN, the class is expected to be succeeded by the Type 054B frigate.