A new variant of the Type 054A guided missile frigate has entered service with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, characterized by a main gun of a larger caliber and an extended flight deck to host a new-type anti-submarine helicopter, official Chinese media reported on Monday.
The Linfen, with the hull number 543, is a new generation of the Type 054A guided missile frigate independently developed and built by China, the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) reported.
Compared with the original version of the Type 054A, the Linfen has a longer flight deck and an expanded hangar, making it more adaptable to new types of shipborne helicopters, which makes up for the shortcomings in terms of aviation anti-submarine capabilities, CCTV reported.
Some other upgrades are related to the shipborne weapon systems. Gong Chao, a crew member of the Linfen, said in the CCTV report that the new version of the Type 054A, fitted with a main gun of a larger caliber, delivers greater firepower, an extended strike range and higher hitting precision, which has significantly enhanced its anti-surface warfare capabilities.
It also features a more integrated shipborne weapon system, superior maritime stealth performance, a wider radar detection range, higher positioning accuracy, as well as stronger operational capabilities in complex electromagnetic environments, Gong said.
The overall combat capabilities of the Linfen have been boosted compared with the original version of the Type 054A, according to the CCTV report.
The CCTV report footage showed that two Type 054A frigates were moored side-by-side at a naval port. One of them is the Linfen, with the hull number 543, while the other has the hull number 580, without its ship name unveiled in the report. Both ships seem to be the new variant of the Type 054A, equipped with 100mm main guns that are similar in appearance to the one used by the Type 054B frigate, the PLA Navy’s new-generation frigate after the Type 054A.
China is continuing to upgrade and build new Type 054A frigates despite the development of the more advanced Type 054B frigate, and Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Monday that the Type 054B has a significantly larger displacement than the Type 054A, which leads to a longer range. It is also characterized by outstanding stealth capabilities. But this does not mean that the Type 054A is set to be replaced by the Type 054B very soon. He noted that the Type 054A and the Type 054B can complement each other in coastal and far seas missions.
With an extended flight deck, the new version of the Type 054A frigate could carry the larger Z-20 helicopter, which has a larger combat radius than the smaller Z-9 helicopter carried by the previous versions of the Type 054A, Zhang said, noting that the Z-20 helicopter can detect and launch attacks on hostile submarines farther away from naval task forces.
The larger main gun can boost the new Type 054A’s multirole capabilities, for example, capabilities in close-range maritime combat and land attack. The upgraded radar systems, on the other hand, contribute to the vessel’s air defense capabilities, Zhang said.
