PLAN Shunde (771) |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Type 037-II NATO codename: Houjian class |
| Succeeded by: | - |
| Completed: | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | fast attack craft |
| Displacement: | 520 tonnes |
| Propulsion: | 2xSEMT-Pielstick 12 PA6 280 diesel engines @ 1,584 hp with 3 shafts |
| Speed: | 30+ knots |
| Range: | 1,800 nm @ 18 kt |
| Complement: | 75 |
The Type 037-II (NATO codename: Houjian class) is a missile equipped corvette built by Huangpu Shipyard of Guangzhou for the People's Liberation Army Navy. A total of six vessels were delivered to the PLA Navy, with one lost in an accident in 2006. They form the main naval defence force currently protecting Hong Kong.
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The original design was from the US one-off H-3 group, which designed a 245-ton boat, equipped with Harpoon SSM OTO 76mm guns, gas turbine engines and waterjet propulsion. These equipments were however, too complicated for China, and a major redesign began, fitting the boat with C-801 SSM, diesel engines and propellers instead. The OTO 76mm gun was retained in the revised design, called EH-3D (1988) and later 520T (1996), but failed to materialised after the 1989 incident.
The first vessel was built in 1990, as a technology demonstrator as well as proof-of-concept vessel, and fired its first missile (C-801) in the 1995 exercise. 3 more vessels were built in 1995/96. Due to technology difficulties, particularly on the license produced SEMT diesel engines, high price, and over sophisticated design in PLAN standard, the production was terminated. A fifth vessel, bort no. 774, was built in 2001, as another proof of concept vessel for the modified SEMT engines with new turbochargers and the Russian-license produced 76 mm gun (AK-176).
4 vessels were built for rotation, with 2 vessels being deployed to Hong Kong each time. The fifth vessel was involved in navigation accident twice. In the first time (2001) it was nearly sunk after crash with a fast ferry servicing the Hong Kong-Guangzhou route. It was on pre-delivery test at that time. In June 2006, it crashed again, with a Chinese freighter, and sunk immediately. 13 servicemen were missing in the accident. The vessel was later afloat again and sent to the shipyard for repair.
This class is sometimes also referred as Huang class.