CNS Type 054A (Jiangkai II)

History

The modern Chinese Navy (Peoples Liberation Army) currently has about 25 ships of the Type 054A frigate class. The class, dubbed "Jiangkai II" by NATO, was commissioned in 2008.

This group replaces the Type 054 frigate pair introduced in 2005 and also includes the Type 054A+ and Type 054B subclasses.

The Type 054A is an improvement over the previous Type 054 ships, as anti-aircraft capabilities have been expanded and more powerful weapons and handling systems have been installed. The Chinese continued to develop their warships as they learned, bringing their capabilities closer to the West.

These dedicated warships are considered "multi-mission" platforms and do not have a single role in the Chinese navy - they can operate independently or as needed as part of a larger, more far-reaching naval operation, thanks to their large number of Systems and weapons.

The associated Type 054A+ is seen as an improvement over the Type 054A design, these ships feature the 17th Type 054A warships, including new CIWS and improved sonar capabilities. More advanced versions are planned with the imminent arrival of the Type 054B subclass.

The Type 054A ship had a displacement of 4,465 tons, an overall length of 440 feet, and a beam length of 52 feet. There are 165 crew members on board. A Kamov Ka-28 "Spiral" or Harbin Z-9C naval helicopter can be launched and recovered from the aft flight deck.

A full-service hangar facility is also included in the ship's design plans.

Externally, the warship takes advantage of proven stealth characteristics by keeping overhangs to a minimum and using radar-absorbing materials in its structure. The main mast is pyramid-shaped and the chimney has a flat appearance. The deck lines running along the sides of the hull are fused together as part of the superstructure, a modern physical feature of Western camouflaged warships. The bridge superstructure is usually located forward-facing and has a battery on the deck.

The superstructure is filled with command and control hardware, including radar and sensors, as well as point defense systems.

This class is equipped with the powerful Type 382 3D air/ground search radar suite and Type 344 radar. Four Type 345 radars serve the Fire Control Center (FC). 2 x Racal RM-1290 units for navigation.

There is an integrated active/passive sonar system on the MGK-335 unit, and a towed array in the H/SJG-206 unit - a common feature of modern frigates. Several systems were also installed as part of the ship's electronic warfare (EW) package.

The weapon consists of a 32-cell Vertical Launch System (VLS) housing the HQ-16 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM). There are 2 C-803 anti-ship/land attack cruise missile quad launchers and 2 240mm Type 87 anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) launchers. The ship is armed with two 324mm Yu-7 triple torpedo tubes and two 18-round Type 726-4 decoy launchers. More conventional weapons include PJ26 series 76mm deck guns and 2 x Type 730 30mm close-in weapons systems (CIWS) (7 barrels).

Also of note, the airborne helicopters also add over-the-horizon (OtH) capabilities to warships, extending their range and allowing these systems to deploy their own anti-ship/anti-submarine weaponry. If desired, these rotor elements can also be used for maritime reconnaissance and search and rescue (SAR) missions.

Type 054A is in active service in the three major fleets of the Chinese Navy: the Baltic Fleet, the North Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet, and has already played an important role in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and its surrounding areas. Its export value is currently being considered, Malaysia is committed to buying the model and is getting some interest from the Russian Navy.

South Korea beats Chinese designs in sales to Thailand.

Specification

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