Type 054B frigate

The Type 054B frigate is a Chinese multi-role warship class announced in 2013 by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The 5000 tonne vessels will feature enhanced anti-submarine capabilities, and will feature an all electric propulsion system. The propulsion system of ship is developed by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation No. 712 Institute.^[1][2]

Improvements

The ship's independently developed integrated electric propulsion system will have a single-axis propulsion power of 20 MW,^[1] which is developed by a joint design team headed by the 712th Institute. The general designer of the IEP system centered on the double winding generator is academician professor Ma Wei-Ming (马伟明).^[3]

The 054B features a smooth and clean hull shape when compared with the 054A, with a long deck, a helicopter hangar behind the superstructure, a higher inclined bow, and boards designed to reduce waves from flooding the deck. The ship's horizontal profile resembles a V shape, with a length-to-beam ratio estimated at approximately 8:1.^[2]

With the increased hull size, the 054B will have more space to install weapons systems, with a focus on increasing anti-submarine capabilities and survivability, and strengthening operational efficiency. The ship's missile systems will feature long-range supersonic C805 anti-ship missiles, and Changying-3 anti-submarine missiles with a 60km maximum range. The ship's air defence will feature either HHQ-16C or HHQ-16D series missiles, and a FL-3000N close-range defence anti-missile system.^[2]

The ship will be equipped with conventional Type 81 RBU and 324mm light anti-submarine torpedoes to protect against submarine torpedo attack. A Ka-28 or Z-9 anti-submarine helicopter will be kept on board.^[2]

Ships of Class

Type 053B is unlikely to be constructed in large numbers like Type 054A frigates in the near future because its drawback in ASW capability resulted from the number of helicopter it can carry: only a single helicopter of either Kamov Ka-28 'Helix' or Harbin Z-9C. However, both helicopters have inherent weakness to perform the optimum ASW missions. Ka-28 can only carry a single light ASW torpedo, which cannot guarantee the destruction of the target, which usually requires two weapons instead of one. The design of Ka-28 makes it nearly impossible to incorporate additional weapons because the single torpedo is stored in a bomb bay, which also restricted the length of the weapon, so more capable ASW weapons such as CY series ASW missiles cannot be carried. Z-9, on the other hand, although can carry two torpedoes and more capable ASW missiles because payload is mounted on pylons, is a light helicopter, so ASW sensors cannot be carried when carrying max load of weapons. Therefore, it requires two helicopters to be carried to have an effective ASW capability for the ship, one equipped with the complete sensor set for detection, and the other equipped with full load of weapons for attack.^[4] As a result, Type 053B carrying a single helicopter would not be as effective as Type 057 frigate, which differs from Type 053B only in that Type 057 is designed to carry two helicopters.^[3] However, some Chinese internet sources have claimed that the introduction of an ASW version of Harbin Z-20, will enable Type 053B frigate to enter series production because Z-20 is large enough to have both the sensors and weapons needed on a single platform like the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk.

References

Ship classes of the People's Liberation Army Navy (List of active ships) Submarines (list) Nuclear ballistic missile Type 096 Tang class* Type 094 Jin class Type 092 Xia class Nuclear attack Type 095 ??? class* Type 093/G Shang class Type 091 Han class Conventional ballistic missile Type 032 Qing class Modified Project 629 Golf class: Type 6631/031+ Conventional attack Type 039A/AG/B/C Yuan class Type 039/039G Song class ES5C+/D+/E+/F+ and Type 035+/035A+/035G+/035B+/035ET+/035G Ming class Modified Project 633 Romeo class: ES5A+/B+ and Type 6633+/033+/033G+/033G1+ Wuhan class+ Project 636 Kilo II class Project 877EKM Kilo I class Principal surface combatants Aircraft carriers Chinese aircraft carrier programme Liaoning (16) Destroyers Type 055 class* Type 052D class Type 052C Luyang II (Lanzhou) class Type 052B Luyang I (Guangzhou) class Type 052 Luhu class Type 051C Luzhou class Type 051B Luhai class Type 051DT Luda IV class Type 051G1/G2 Luda III class Type 051 Luda II class Type 051 Luda I class Project 956EM Sovremenny II class Project 956 Sovremenny I class Anshan class+ Frigates Type 054B class* Type 054A Jiangkai II class Type 054 Jiangkai I (Ma'anshan) class Type 053H3 Jiangwei II class Type 053H2G Jiangwei I class Type 053H1G Jianghu V class Type 053H1Q Jianghu IV class Type 053H2 Jianghu III class Type 053H1 Jianghu II class Type 053H Jianghu I class Coastal warfare vessels Corvettes Type 056 Jiangdao class Missile boats Type 022 Houbei class Type 037-II Houjian class Type 037-IG Houxin class Type 021 Houdong class Type 021 Huangfeng (Soviet Osa-I) class Type 021 Hola class C 14 China Cat class Type 024 Heku/Hegu/Houku/Hougu class Torpedo boats Type 025 Huchuan class P4 class Gunboats Type 062-I Shanghai III class Type 062 Shanghai II class Type 062 Shanghai I class Type 206 Huludao class Shantou class+ Beihai class+ Huangpu class+ Yulin class+ Submarine chasers Type 037-IS Haiqing class Type 037-I Haijiu class Type 062-I Haizhui class Type 037 Hainan class Project 122bis Kronshtadt class Amphibious warfare vessels Landing helicopter dock Type 075 LHD* Landing platforms Type 071 Yuzhao class amphibious transport dock Landing ships Type 072 Yukan class LST Type 072-II Yuting I class LST Type 072-III Yuting II class LST Type 072A LST Type 079 Yuliang class LSM+ Type 079II Yuliang class LSM Type 074 Yuhai (Wuhu-A) class LSM Type 074A Yubei class LSM Type 073-I Yudao class LSM+ Type 073-II LSM+ Type 073-IIY LSM Type 073-III LSM Type 073 IV Yunshu class LSM Air-cushioned Landing Craft Type 726Yuyi class LCAC Type 722-II Jinsha II class LCAC Type 722-I Jinsha I class LCAC Type 716-II Dagu B class LCAC Type 716-I Dagu A class LCAC+ Type 724 LCAC Type 711 LCAC+ Songling LCAC+ Project 1232.2 Zubr class LCAC* Landing craft Type 271 Yupen class LCU+ Type 271II LCU+ Type 271IID LCU+ Type 271III LCU Type 271IIIA LCU Type 067 Yunnan class LCU Type 363/363A/55 LCM+ Type 066/066K/066A Yuzhai class LCM+ Type 068/069 Yuch'in class LCM Auxiliary vessels Buoy tenders Type 066 Type 744 Yannan class Type 911I Type 985 Type 994 Type 999 Type 999G Type 999HG Cable layers Type 890 Youzheng class Type 911II Type 991I Type 991II Youdian class Degaussing / deperming ships Type 911 Type 912 Type 912I Type 912III Yanbai class Type 912IIIA Type 912IIIAH Type 915+ Type 916+ Type 918+ Type 601+ Sea Fish 16 class+ Yan Fang class+ Yerka class+ Icebreakers Type 071 Yanha class icebreaker Type 071A Type 071G Type 210 Yanbing class Ammunition ships Yantai class General stores issue ships Type 904 Dayun class Type 904A Type 081 Red Flag class Cargo ships Danlin class Dandao class Galati class Qiongsha class Replenishment ships Type 903 Fuchi class Type 903A Type 905 Fuqing class Type 908 Fusu (Nancang) class Tankers Fulin class Shengli class Fuzhou class Jinyou class Leizhou class Weather ships Type 614I Type 614II Hydrographic survey ships Type 068/069 Yuch'in class Type 625C Type 635 A/B/C Yanlai class Type 635II Type 636 Type 636A Type 646 Kan Yang class Type 988 Oceanographic research ships Xiangyanghong 5 Type 614III Type 625A/B Type 645 Ocean surveillance ships Type 6610 Shuguang class Type 595 Type 639 Spy ships Type 813 Type 814A Dadi class Type 815 Type 815G Tracking ships Yuan Wang 1+ Yuan Wang 2+ Yuan Wang 3 Yuan Wang 4+ Yuan Wang 5 Yuan Wang 6 Yuan Wang 21 Yuan Wang 22 Sonar trials ships Beidiao 993 Torpedo trials ships Type 906 Type 907A Torpedo retrievers Type 917 torpedo retriever Weapon trials ships Type 909 Wuhu-B class Type 909A Target ships Chinese target ship Experiment 216 Training ships Type 679 Daxing class Type 0891A Shichang class Troopships Beidiao 990 Qiongsha class Barracks ships Xu Xiake Hospital ships Qiongsha class Zhuanghe Type 920 hospital ship Rescue and salvage ships Type 917 Type 922 Type 922II Dalang class Type 922III Dalang II class Type 922IIIA Dalang II class Repair ships Type 648 Submarine rescue ships Type 930 Hudong class Type 946 Dazhou class Type 946A Dadong class Submarine tenders Type 925 Dajiang class Type 926 Dive tenders Type 904I Type 904II Tugs Type 802 Gromovoy class Type 830 Type 837 Hujiu class Type 852 Roslavl class Tuozhong class Daozha class Submersibles Jiaolong class submersible Osprey class submersible Type 7103 DSRV Sea Pole class bathyscaphe Harmony class bathyscaphe Mobile diving bell QSZ-II submersible Diver propulsion vehicles QX-50 QY-18 QY-40 QJY-001 Unmanned underwater vehicles 8A4 ROUV RECON-IV ROUV 7B8 ROUV Goldfish class ROUV HR-01 ROUV HR-02 ROUV JH-01 ROUV SJT-5 ROUV SJT-10 ROUV SJT-40 ROUV Seahorse ROUV Sea Dragon-I ROUV Sea Dragon-II ROUV Arctic class ARV Explorer AUV WZODA AUV CR-01 AUV CR-01A AUV CR-02 AUV Intelligent Water class AUV Submerged Dragon 1 AUV Petrel I HUG Petrel II HUG Mine warfare vessels Minelayers Type 918 Wolei class minelayer Minehunters Type 081 Wochi class minehunter/minesweeper Type 081A Type 082 Wosao class minehunter/minesweeper Type 082II Wozang class minehunter/minesweeper Minesweepers Type 057K Lianyun class minesweeper+ Type 010 oceangoing minesweeper Type 6605 oceangoing minesweeper+ Type 6610 oceangoing minesweeper+ Type 05 oceangoing minesweeper T-43 class oceangoing minesweeper+ Type 058 minesweeper+ Type 7102 minesweeper+ Type 062 Fushun class coastal minesweeper+ Minesweeping drone Type 529 mine hunting/sweeping boat/drone Type 312 Futi class minesweeper / minesweeping drone * = Under construction or procurement + = Retired