Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Type 054A frigate

The Type 054A is a class of guided-missile frigate from the People's Republic of China. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate; compared to its predecessor, the Type 054A has medium-range air defense capability in the form of Type 382 radar and vertically launched (VLS) HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 13 min
Length
2,972 w
Citations
338
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Huanggang (577) in 2020
Class overview
Builders
Operators People's Liberation Army Navy
Preceded byType 054 frigate
Succeeded byType 054B frigate
SubclassesTughril class (Pakistan) 818 class patrol cutter (China Coast Guard)
CostUS$348 million (est. 2015)
Built2005–present
In commission2008–present1
Planned50
Active422
General characteristics
TypeFrigate
Displacement3,963 tonnes (full)3
Length134 m (440 ft)3
Beam16 m (52 ft)3
Draught5 m (16 ft)
PropulsionCODAD, 4 × SEMT Pielstick 16 PA 6V 280 STC diesels, 20.7 MW (28,200 hp) total, 2 shafts3
Speed27 knots (50 km/h)3
Range3,800 nautical miles (4,400 mi; 7,000 km) estimated at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)3
Sensors &
processing systems
  • Type 382 Radar
  • Type 344 Radar (Mineral-ME Band Stand) target acquisition and SSM fire control radar
  • 4 × MR-90 Front Dome SAM fire control radars
  • MR-36A surface search radar, I-band
  • Type 347G 76 mm gun fire control radar
  • 2 × Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band
  • MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system
  • H/SJG-206 towed array sonar
  • ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system
  • HN-900 Data link (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
  • SNTI-240 SATCOM
  • AKD5000S Ku band SATCOM
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried
  • Type 054A: Harbin Z-9C or Kamov Ka-28 'Helix'9
  • Type 054AG: Harbin Z-20 family helicopter including Z-20F anti-submarine version and the Z-20J naval utility version7
Aviation facilitieshangar

The Type 054A (NATO/OSD Jiangkai II) is a class of guided-missile frigate from the People's Republic of China. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate;9 compared to its predecessor, the Type 054A has medium-range air defense capability in the form of Type 382 radar and vertically launched (VLS) HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles.11

The first ship (Xuzhou) of the new Type 054A was laid down in 2005 and entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in January 2008;3 the class was a key component of the PLAN's surface fleet by the late 2010s.121314 Production was ongoing in 2023, with 30 ships in service by mid 2019, while the next batch of 10 ships commissioned from 2022 onwards, and a final batch of 10 ships to a new Type 054AG variant are currently being introduced into service from 2024,1516 although this last batch was interrupted by two units being built to the follow-on (and larger) Type 054B frigate design.17

Design

Type 726-4 decoy launchers of the Type 054A frigate Handan (579) source ↗
The Type 87 Anti Submarine Rocket (ASROC) Launchers of the Type 054A frigate Wuhu (539) source ↗

The Type 054 was heavily influenced by the La Fayette-class frigate from France, and so reflected the strategic and operational requirements of that country. The development of the Type 054A may have been driven by China's need to address high-intensity armed conflict.18

The Type 054A uses the same stealthy hull form as the Type 054.9 The forward launcher for HQ-7 short-range SAM19 is replaced with a 32-cell vertical launching system3 for medium-range HHQ-16 SAMs and Yu-8 antisubmarine rockets.9 The smaller main gun and Type 730 close-in weapon system (CIWS) are also installed.3

The radar suite makes use of technology reverse engineered from Russian systems; the affected Chinese systems may include the H/LJQ-382 air search radar (from the Fregat MAE-3) and the H/LJQ-366 fire control radar (from the Mineral ME).20219 The HHQ-16 target illuminators may also be derived from the Russian MR-90.22219

Ships starting with the 17th unit (Huanggang) were constructed with enhanced anti-submarine warfare capability - adding variable depth and towed array sonar - and the Type 1130 CIWS instead of the Type 730.923 These ships have been unofficially referred to as Type 054A+, Type 054A2, or modified Jiangkai II.9

In 2015, Gabe Collins estimated that each ship cost US$348 million.12

Operational history

The YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers on the Wuhu (539) source ↗

Type 054As have regularly deployed beyond China's regional waters.13

Ships have participated in anti-piracy naval patrols off Somalia. The first was Huangshan, which deployed as part of China's second rotation in April 2019. From there, the ships have been detached to respond to regional crises. Frigates evacuated Chinese citizens from Libya in 2011 - making Xuzhou the first PLAN ship to enter the Mediterranean Sea - and Yemen in 2015. Another joined an international effort to secure Syria's chemical weapons in 2014.13

Frigates also participated in the first Chinese naval exercises with the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean in 2015 and the Baltic Sea in 2017.13

Export

Thailand

In January 2013, it was confirmed that China offered three Type 054As to the Royal Thai Navy for US$1 billion.24 Ultimately, Thailand selected a derivative of the South Korean Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.25

Pakistan

Pakistan ordered four Type 054A variants from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in 2017-2018 as the Type 054A/P, or Tughril class. The first entered service on 8 November 2021, and all four were commissioned by mid 2022.26

Ships of class

Pennant number Name Namesake Builder Launched Commissioned Fleet Status
Type 054A
52927 舟山 / Zhoushan27 City of Zhoushan Hudong-Zhonghua16 21 December 200616 3 January 200816 East Sea Fleet16 Active16
53028 徐州 / Xuzhou28 City of Xuzhou Huangpu Shipyard16 30 September 200616 27 January 200829 East Sea Fleet29 Active29
57028 黄山 / Huangshan28 City of Huangshan Huangpu Shipyard16 18 March 200716 15 May 200816 South Sea Fleet16 Active30
56828 衡阳 / Hengyang28 City of Hengyang Hudong-Zhonghua16 23 May 200716 30 June 200816 South Sea Fleet16 Active16
5712831 运城 / Yuncheng2831 City of Yuncheng Huangpu Shipyard16 8 February 200916 December 200916 South Sea Fleet16 Active1631
56928 玉林 / Yulin28 City of Yulin, Guangxi Hudong-Zhonghua16 28 April 200916 1 February 201016 South Sea Fleet16 Active32
54828 益阳 / Yiyang28 City of Yiyang Huangpu Shipyard16 17 November 200916 26 October 201016 East Sea Fleet16 Active16
5492833 常州 / Changzhou2833 City of Changzhou Hudong-Zhonghua16 18 May 201016 30 May 201116 East Sea Fleet16 Active1633
5382834 烟台 / Yantai2834 City of Yantai Huangpu Shipyard16 August 201016 June 201116 North Sea Fleet34 Active34
5462834 盐城 / Yancheng2834 City of Yancheng Hudong-Zhonghua16 27 April 201116 5 June 201216 North Sea Fleet34 Active35
57228 衡水 / Hengshui28 City of Hengshui Huangpu Shipyard16 201116 9 July 201216 South Sea Fleet16 Active1636
54728 临沂 / Linyi28 City of Linyi Huangpu Shipyard16 December 201116 22 December 201216 North Sea Fleet16 Active37
57328 柳州 / Liuzhou28 City of Liuzhou Hudong-Zhonghua16 10 December 201116 26 December 201216 South Sea Fleet38 Active16
57528 岳阳 / Yueyang28 City of Yueyang Huangpu Shipyard16 19 May 201216 3 May 201316 South Sea Fleet16 Active16
55028 潍坊 / Weifang28 City of Weifang Hudong-Zhonghua16 9 July 201216 22 June 201338 North Sea Fleet38 Active37
57428 三亚 / Sanya City of Sanya Hudong-Zhonghua16 30 November 201216 13 December 201316 South Sea Fleet16 Active16
Type 054A+ (stretched)
57739 黄冈 / Huanggang39 City of Huanggang Hudong-Zhonghua16 28 April 201316 16 January 201539 East Sea Fleet39 Active39
5762840 大庆 / Daqing40 City of Daqing Huangpu Shipyard40 8 October 201316 16 January 201516 North Sea Fleet16 Active16
57841 扬州 / Yangzhou41 City of Yangzhou Hudong-Zhonghua16 30 September 201316 21 September 201516 East Sea Fleet16 Active16
57941 邯郸 / Handan41 City of Handan Huangpu Shipyard16 26 July 201416 16 August 201516 North Sea Fleet16 Active16
53242 荆州 / Jingzhou42 City of Jingzhou Hudong-Zhonghua16 22 January 201516 5 January 201616 East Sea Fleet16 Active16
53143 湘潭 / Xiangtan43 City of Xiangtan Huangpu Shipyard16 19 March 201516 24 February 201616 East Sea Fleet16 Active16
51544 滨州 / Binzhou44 City of Binzhou Hudong-Zhonghua16 13 December 201516 29 December 201644 East Sea Fleet44 Active44
53645 许昌 / Xuchang45 City of Xuchang Huangpu Shipyard16 30 May 201616 23 June 201745 South Sea Fleet45 Active45
53946 芜湖 / Wuhu46 City of Wuhu Hudong-Zhonghua46 8 June 201646 29 June 201746 North Sea Fleet46 Active46
5981 日照 / Rizhao1 City of Rizhao Huangpu Shipyard1 1 April 20171 12 January 20181 North Sea Fleet1 Active1
599 安阳 / Anyang City of Anyang Hudong-Zhonghua16 28 March 2017 12 April 201847 East Sea Fleet16 Active16
50048 咸宁 / Xianning48 City of Xianning Huangpu Shipyard16 22 September 201716 28 August 201816 South Sea Fleet16 Active3
60149 南通 / Nantong49 City of Nantong Hudong-Zhonghua16 16 December 2017 23 January 201916 East Sea Fleet16 Active16
54250 枣庄 / Zaozhuang50 City of Zaozhuang Huangpu Shipyard16 30 June 201816 22 February 201916 North Sea Fleet16 Active16
52216 资阳 / Ziyang16 City of Ziyang Huangpu Shipyard16 12 July 202116 27 May 202216 East Sea Fleet17 Active16
53416 鹤壁 / Hebi16 City of Hebi Hudong-Zhonghua16 1 August 202116 December 202216 East Sea Fleet17 Active16
55116 巴彦淖尔市 / Bayannao'er16 City of Bayannao'er Huangpu Shipyard16 23 December 202116 December 202216 South Sea Fleet17 Active16
54016 西昌 / Xichang16 City of Xichang Huangpu Shipyard16 November 202116 202316 South Sea Fleet17 Active16
53716 宜兴 / Yixing16 City of Yixing Hudong-Zhonghua16 23 December 202116 January 202316 East Sea Fleet17 Active16
51651 淮北 / Huaibei5152 City of Huaibei51 Huangpu Shipyard 11 August 2022 July 202316 East Sea Fleet52 Active51
52353 红河 / Honghe53 City of Honghe Hudong-Zhonghua East Sea Fleet Active53
552 郴州 / Chenzhou54 City of Chenzhou Huangpu Shipyard South Sea Fleet54 Active54
553 大理 / Dali54 City of Dali Huangpu Shipyard South Sea Fleet54 Active54
55455 通辽 / Tongliao55 City of Tongliao55 Huangpu Shipyard South Sea Fleet Active55
Type 054AG 2 (stretched and with 100 mm gun)
543256 臨汾 / Linfen 256 City of Linfen 2024 Active256
580256 鄂尔多斯 / Ordos 2 City of Ordos 2024 Active256
  • Aft-deck of frigate Yiyang (548) with PLAN and USN personnel, and a Harbin Z-9 helicopter
    Aft-deck of frigate Yiyang (548) with PLAN and USN personnel, and a Harbin Z-9 helicopter
  • H/PJ-26 76mm main gun onboard Hengshui (572)
    H/PJ-26 76mm main gun onboard Hengshui (572)
  • Weapon control station of Chinese Navy Ship Hengshui (572)
    Weapon control station of Chinese Navy Ship Hengshui (572)
  • HQ-16 VLS SAM launchers on Xuzhou (530)
    HQ-16 VLS SAM launchers on Xuzhou (530)
  • The meeting room facility onboard Yulin (569)
    The meeting room facility onboard Yulin (569)
  • China Coast Guard Type 818 class patrol cutter Baita (2304)
    China Coast Guard Type 818 class patrol cutter Baita (2304)
See also

See also

Equivalent frigates of the same era

References

References

Citations
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Bibliography
External links