| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | |
| Operators |  People's Liberation Army Navy |
| Preceded by | Type 054A frigate |
| Active | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Frigate |
| Displacement | 5,500 to 6,000 tons (full)[1] |
| Length | 147–150 m (482–492 ft)[1] |
| Beam | 17–18 m (56–59 ft)[1][better source needed] |
| Propulsion | CODAD, 4 × CS16V27 diesels, 29.12 MW (39,050 hp) total, 2 shafts[2] |
| Speed | 28 knots[2] |
| Range | 5,000 nautical miles (5,800 mi; 9,300 km)[2] |
| Armament | |
| Aircraft carried | 1xZ-20 helicopter |
| Aviation facilities | Helipad |
TheType 054B (NATO/OSDJiangkai III)[3] is aclass ofguided missile frigate under construction for thePeople's Republic of China. It is a development of theType 054A frigate, and is around 16 m (52 ft) longer and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) wider than its predecessor.[4][better source needed]
In the 2010s, Chinese military observers speculated a successor design toType 054A frigate, designated Type 054B or Type 057. In the early 2020s, more confident intelligence suggested the successor to Type 054A would be the Type 054B. The first two hulls were laid down in 2022 at the Hudong shipyard and the Huangpu shipyard in Shanghai and launched in 2023.[5]The first frigate,Luohe was commissioned on 22 January 2025 at Qingdao.[6][7]
The second ship in its class, Qinzhou, was secretly commissioned, with its existence confirmed on April 12, 2025[8]
The Type 054B is longer and wider than the Type 054A. The bow is enclosed. A dual-face rotating phased array radar is mounted on the top of the forward integrated mast.[9] The stern has a panel for variable depth sonar and ports for deploying towed sonars and decoys.
Armament includes a 100mmH/PJ-87 main gun, a 32-cellvertical launching system (VLS), aType 1130 11-barrel 30mmclose in weapon system, and aHQ-10 air defense missile launcher.[9][10]
The helicopter pad is large enough to accommodate theHarbin Z-20.[9]
| Pennant number | Name | Namesake | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 545[6] | 漯河 /Luohe[6] | City ofLuohe | Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard[6] | August 26, 2023[4][8] | January 22, 2025[6] | North Sea Fleet[6] | Active |
| 555[11] | 钦州 /Qinzhou[11] | City ofQinzhou | Huangpu Shipyard[6] | October 29, 2023[5][8] | Announced April 12, 2025, official commission date unknown[8][12] | South Sea Fleet[8][12] | Active |
