China has commissioned a new frigate Qujing (hull number 508) at a naval port in Sanya, a port city in China’s island province Hainan. The Type 056A frigate Qujing has a displacement of over 1,300 tons.
Next to four YJ-83 anti-ship missiles (two launchers with two missiles each) and a 76-millimeter main gun, the ASW variant is also equipped with two 324 millimeter triple torpedo launchers, as well as variable depth and towed sonars. The ship’s flight deck also allows operation of a Harbin Z-9 military helicopter, specifically equipped for ASW missions.
Last week, the PLAN launched the 25th 4,000-ton Type 054A Jiangkai II-class guided-missile frigate at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.
Inducting a guided-missile frigate into its ranks will boost the CCG (chinese coast guard) power projection capabilities due to the ship’s range and speed (the ship has a standard range of about 3,800 nautical miles—7,037 kilometers–at a speed of 18 knots; the ship’s maximum un-refueled radius is 12,000 kilometers or 8,000 miles), as well as its size—at 4,000 tons it is substantially larger than most other CCG cutters currently in service, with some exceptions.
SOURCES- China Military News, The Diplomat
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