Transfer of used Type 053H3 Jiangwei II frigates to Bangladesh almost ready

One of the Type 053H3 frigates bound for the BN. This one already have its hull number painted. Photo c/o Jane's Defence Weekly.

China appears to be getting ready to transfer two decommissioned Type 053H3 Jiangwei II-class frigates formerly used by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to the Bangladesh Navy (BN).

The two ships, the former Lianyungang (522) and Putian (523), are believed to have completed overhaul works at Shenjia Shipyard in Shanghai, with the hull numbers already painted on the ships. The ships also appear to retain most of its previous weapons and sensors systems including the anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile launchers.

The ships are expected to be named BNS Umar Farooq (F 16) and either BNS Abu Ubaida or BNS Khalid Bin Walid (F 19) once they are commissioned with the BN. Hand-over is expected to happen by November 2019 according to Bangladeshi defense pages.

Bangladesh and China agreed on the sale of the two retired frigates, the former Lianyungang (522) and Putian (523) in 2017 to enhance the BN’s capabilities. The ships were commissioned to the PLAN on January 1998 and June 1999, respectively, and were retired only recently as more new Type 054A frigates come online to replace them.



[1] Jane’s Defence Weekly
[2] Defence Technology of Bangladesh Defense Page
[3] Bangladesh Defence and Security Analysis