China commissions Type 052D destroyer and Type 054A frigate

A Type 54A frigate and Type 52D destroyer. Photo c/o Hindustan Times.

Reports from China indicate that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) may have commissioned two new warships into service.

The ships are the Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer Guiyang (119), and Type 054A Jiangkai II-class frigate Zaozhuang (542), both of which were assigned with the PLAN’s North Sea Fleet on 22 February 2019.
The Guiyang was built by Dalian Shipbuilding International Company (DSIC) and is the 8th ship of the class. Meanwhile, the Zaozhuang was built by Huangpu Shipyard in Guangzhou, and is the 30th ship of the class.
The Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer displaces at around 7,500 tons full load, are 157 meters long, and are powered by two QC-280 gas turbine engines and two MTU 20V 956TB92 diesel engines in Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) configuration and has a maximum speed of 31 knots. It is equipped with the H/LJG-346A multifunction active phased array radar like the American AEGIS. It is armed with a H/PJ-45A 130mm naval gun, two Type 730 30mm close-in weapon systems, two 30mm remote controlled weapon system, a 64-cell Vertical Launching System (VLs) for the HHQ-9 long range surface-to-air missile and YJ-18 or YJ-83 anti-ship missiles, a separate 24-cell launcher for HHQ-10 short range surface-to-air missiles, and two triple 324mm anti-submarine torpedo launchers.
  
The Type 054A Jiangkai II-class frigate displaces at around 4,000 tons full load, are 134.1 meters long, powered by four license-copies of the SEMT Pielstick 16 PA6 STC diesel engines in Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) configuration, with a maximum speed of 27 knots. It is armed with a PJ-4 76mm naval gun, two Type 730 30mm close-in weapon systems, eight C-803 anti-ship missiles in two quadruple launchers, a 32-cell Vertical Launching System (VLs) for the HQ-16 surface-to-air missile and Yu-8 anti-submarine rockets, and two triple 324mm anti-submarine torpedo launchers.



[1] Jane’s Defence Weekly
[2] Navy Recognition
[3] Jane’s Fighting Ships