Type 053H3
Operators
Class beforeType 053H2G
Class afterType 054
SubclassesZulfiquar-class frigate (Pakistan Navy)
Total ships planned10
Total ships completed10
Total ships active
  • 8 (PLAN Surface Force)
  • 2 (Bangladesh Navy)
Type 053H3 frigate
Frigate
Displacement2,250 tons standard, 2,393 tons full load
Length112 m (367 ft 5 in)
Beam12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
Draught4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
  • CODAD, 2 shaft,
  • 2 x 18E390VA diesel at 23,600 hp (17,600 kW)
  • 2 x MTU diesel at 8,715 hp (6,499 kW)
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)[1]
Range5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 15 to 16 knots (28 to 30 km/h)
Endurance21
Complement168 (with 30 officers)
Sensors
Ew
  • Data link: HN-900 (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
  • Communication: SNTI-240 SATCOM
  • Combat Data System: ZKJ-3C
  • RWD-8 (Jug Pair) intercept
  • Type 981-3 EW Jammer
  • SR-210 Radar warning receiver
  • Type 651A IFF
  • 2 × Type 946/PJ-46 15-barrel decoy rocket launchers
Armament
  • 8 × YJ-83 SSM in 2 x 4-cell box launchers
  • 1 × 8-cell HQ-7 surface-to-air missile system (replaced with 1 x 8-cell HQ-10 on PLA ships)
  • 1 × H/PJ-33B dual 100 mm gun (automatic)
  • 4 × Type 76A dual 37 mm AA guns (replaced with 2 x Type 630 30mm guns on PLA ships)
  • 2 × 6-tube Type 3200 ASW rocket launchers (36 rockets)
  • 2 × DC racks & launcher[2]
AircraftHarbin Z-9C
Aircraft facilitiesHangar

The Type 053H3 (NATO reporting name: Jiangwei II) is a class of Chinese frigates that entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in the 1990s and 2000s. The class comprised ten vessels, all of which remain in active service including two which have been sold to the Bangladesh Navy.[3][4][5] They were a follow-on of the Type 053H2G frigate class. The Zulfiquar-class frigate used by the Pakistan Navy was based on the Type 053H3.[6]

History

In the 1980s, the PLAN ordered Shanghai-based Hudong Shipyard (now Hudong–Zhonghua Shipyard) to build a replacement for the Type 053K air defence frigate. The new class was based on the Type 053H2 frigate and designated Type 053H2G. Development was carried out under Project 055.[citation needed]

The Type 053H2G was slightly larger than the Type 053H2, and equipped with HQ-61B surface-to-air missiles (SAM). The HQ-61 proved unsatisfactory and the class was quickly superseded by the Type 053H3, which was an improved Type 053H2G equipped with HQ-7 SAMs. The HQ-7 was a Chinese-produced version of the French R330 Sea Crotale. Ten Type 053H3s were produced between 1996 and 2005.[citation needed]

The most obvious visual distinction between Type 053H2 & H3 are: The Type 053H3's have HQ-7 instead of HQ-61B SAMs, 8 C-802 anti-ship missiles instead of 6, and aft AAA mounts elevated compared to the 053H2. The Type 053H3 class was briefly equipped with HQ-61B SAM system before being replaced by HQ-7 during upgrade. Some sources claim that the upgraded version is also called Type 057.[citation needed]

Transfers to Bangladesh

The earliest two units, Jiaxing and Lianyungang, were selected in 2020 for sale to Bangladesh. However, Putian was subsequently substituted for Jiaxing. Both ships were recommissioned in the Bangladesh Navy in November 2020 and renamed as shown below.[citation needed]

Mid-life upgrade

A limited, mid-life upgrade was observed for the 053H3 starting in 2015. Visible difference include the replacement of the ESM/EW suite/radars to similar systems from the Type 054, replacement of the HQ-7 with the HHQ-10 short range air defense missile and replacement of the 4 × Type 76A 37 mm guns with a new 2 × Type 630 30 mm CIWS similar to the Gryazev-Shipunov AO-18K.[citation needed]

Ships of class

NumberPennant NumberNameNamesakeBuilderLaunchedCommissionedFleetStatus
1521嘉兴 / JiaxingCity of JiaxingHudong, Shanghai[3]10 August 1997 [3]August 1998 [3]East Sea FleetActive
2522连云港 / LianyungangCity of LianyungangHudong, Shanghai [3]8 August 1997 [3]January 1999 [3]East Sea FleetSold to the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Umar Farooq (F-16).[4][5]
3523莆田 / PutianCity of PutianHudong, Shanghai [3]10 August 1998 [3]December 1999 [3]East Sea FleetSold to the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Abu Ubaidah (F-19)
4524三明 / Chinese frigate SanmingCity of SanmingHudong, Shanghai [3]December 199825 December 1999 [3]East Sea FleetActive.
5564宜昌 / Chinese frigate YichangCity of YichangHuangpu, Guangzhou[3]October 1998 [3]December 1999 [3]North Sea Fleet[citation needed]Active / Relegated to training role
6565葫芦岛/ Chinese frigate HuludaoCity of HuludaoHuangpu, GuangzhouApril 1999 [3]July 2000[3]North Sea FleetActive / Relegated to training role [7]
7566怀化 / Chinese frigate HuaihuaCity of HuaihuaHudong, Shanghai [3]January 2001 [3]2 June 2002 [3]East Sea FleetActive.
8567襄阳 / Chinese frigate XiangyangCity of XiangyangHuangpu, GuangzhouAugust 2001 [3]September 2002 [3]East Sea FleetActive. Ex-Xiangfan, renamed in June 2011.
9528绵阳 / Chinese frigate MianyangCity of MianyangHuangpu, Guangzhou30 May 2004October 2004 [3]North Sea FleetActive.
10527洛阳 / Chinese frigate LuoyangCity of LuoyangHudong, Shanghai1 August 2004January 2005 [3]North Sea FleetActive.

See also

Equivalent frigates of the same era

References

  1. ^ "Jiangwei frigates- People's Liberation Army Navy". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Type 053H3 / Jiangwei II Class Frigates". Naval Technology. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  3. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships, 2023-24 Edition, ISBN 978-0-7106-3428 3, page 145.
  4. ^ Dominguez, Gabriel (20 December 2019). "China hands over two ex-PLAN frigates to Bangladesh Navy". Jane's Defence Weekly. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  5. ^ Wang, Shichun (20 December 2019). "Bangladesh Navy receives two Chinese frigates". China Military. Huang, Panyue (ed.). Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Sword / F-22P Class Frigates". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
  7. ^ Originally Yulin, with South Sea Fleet; renamed to Sanya in 2008, then changed to Huludao in April 2013 and transferred to the North Sea Fleet.