China’s People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has commissioned its first Type 054B guided-missile frigate, the CNS “Luohe.”
Built by state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, the Luohe was delivered to the North Sea Fleet in a commissioning ceremony held in Shandong province.
The Type 054B is the PLAN’s largest frigate class, with a size nearly that of the country’s older destroyers, according to China’s shipbuilding industry senior hardware researcher, Xiao Liang.
“Its large size allows for carrying more munitions and fuel, and also means this new class has bigger potential for further upgrade,” said Xiao, adding that the ship’s larger air-service zone enables it to carry the Harbin Z-20 medium-lift utility chopper for enhanced detection, tracking, and engaging enemy submarines.
NATO and the US refer to Type 054B-class frigates as the “Jiangkai III,” with a second ship currently under construction.
This newly commissioned guided-missile frigate comes after the launch of the PLAN’s first amphibious assault 40,000-ton ship earlier this month.
The Luohe
The latest Type 054B class builds on the capabilities and features of the navy’s existing Type 054A ships, as it will be deployed for both anti-submarine missions and fleet air defense.
While specific technical details have not been officially disclosed, the lead ship reportedly features an approximately 5,000-metric-tonnes (11 million pounds) displacement.
Luohe is said to be 147 meters (482 feet) long with an overall beam of 18 meters (59 feet), based on satellite imagery data gathered by Janes.
As for munitions, photos published by the PLA showed a 32-cell vertical launching system, eight anti-ship missiles, a 100-millimeter main gun, and several close-in weapon systems.
The Luohe also appeared to be equipped with indigenous systems instead of Russian-origin equipment, PLAN analyst Alex Luck told The War Zone.
Among the new things he identified are a sensor array that included a two-sided, rotating electronically scanned array radar and an electronic warfare system.
He also mentioned the possibility of the frigate using an enhanced version of the Chinese-made HQ-16 medium-range surface-to-air missile compatible with the new sensors.
“Either way, in sensor fit, the ship notably moves away from the Russian tech base used to develop hardware such as the Type 382 and 366 radars and the MR-90 illuminators fitted to Type 054A,” said Luck.
