Type 053H3 frigate

The Jiangwei-class frigate is a continued development of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s 053-series ships. These ships are the first multi-role frigates in PLAN capable of fleet air defense, anti-shipping, and anti-submarine warfare with helicopter capability.

History

In the 1980s, the PLAN needed a replacement air-defense frigate for the Type 053K (Jiangdong-class). Hudong Shipyard (now Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard) was tasked to build an improved version of the Type 053H2 (Jianghu-III) frigate with air defense capability. The new ship, Type 053H2G, received the NATO designation Jiangwei-class.

The 053H2G Jiangwei class frigate is slightly larger than the 053H2 Jianghu class frigate, equipped with the [http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/navalmissile/hq61.asp HQ61B SAM] system for air defense. A total of four Type 053H2G ships were built between 1988 and 1991. Some sources claim that they've been upgraded with the Crotale (or Chinese copy HQ-7) SAM system, and the modernized version received the designation of Type 055. However this might be a confusion with the original Type 053H2G development project number, which was "Project 055". [http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/china/surface.htm]

Due to the unsatisfactory performance of the HQ61 SAM, the PLAN ordered an improved version, the 053H3 (Jiangwei-II) to be equipped with the French-made Thomson-CSF R-330 Sea Crotale SAM. China's 2nd Space Academy (now China Academy of Defense Technology) copied the Crotale for domestic production as the [http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/navalmissile/hq7naval.asp HQ-7 SAM] . A total of 10 Type 053H3 ships were built between 1996 and 2005.

The 053H3 is the last of the 053-series ships to enter service with the PLAN, as the PLAN shifts toward newer hulls like the Type 054 frigate (Jiangkai I(II)-class). However this was not the end of the 053H3, as the Pakistani Navy signed a purchase agreement for 4 F-22P Frigates in 2005 valued at $600-750 million dollars. The F-22P is an export variant of the 053H3 Frigate, the first 3 will be built in China, while the last will be built by Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) in Pakistan.

Versions

* Type 053H2G (Jiangwei I): Armed with 6 x C-802 anti-ship missiles, and a 6-cell HQ-61B SAM system. Some reports indicate that the HQ-61B have been replaced by the HQ-7 SAM through modernization-upgrade program, and it is claimed that the modernized version is sometimes named Type 055.

* Type 053H3 (Jiangwei II): Improved 053H2G with the rear anti-aircraft artillery mount elevated. Armed with 8 x C-802 anti-ship missiles, and HQ-7 SAM. The most obvious visual distinction between Jiangwei I & II is that the aft AAA mounts are elevated in Jiangwei II. Jiangwei II class was briefly equipped with HQ-61B SAM system before being replaced by HQ-7 during upgrade, and some sources claim that the upgraded version is also called Type 057.

General characteristics

053H3 (Jiangwei II)

* Displacement - 2,250 tons standard, 2,393 tons full load
* Length - 112 m
* Beam - 12.4 m
* Draught - 4.3 m
* Propulsions - 2 shaft, 2 x 18E390VA diesel @ 14,000 hp (17.6 kW) & 2x MTU diesel @ 8,840 hp (6.5 kW)
* Speed - convert|16|kn|km/h|0 cruising, 26 to convert|27|kn|km/h|0 max
* Range - convert|5000|mi|km|-3 at 15 to convert|16|kn|km/h|0
* Complement - 168 (with 30 officers)
* Radar
** Type 360 Radar (SR60) Surface Search, E/F band
** Type 517H-1 (Knife Rest) 2D long-range air search, A-band
** Type 345 Radar (MR35) HQ-7 Surface-to-air missile and 100 mm gun fire-control, J-band
** Type 352 Radar (Square Tie) surface search and SSM fire control, I-band
** 2 x Type 347G/EFR-1 (Rice Lamp) dual 37 mm AA gun fire control, I-band
** 2 x Racal RM-1290 Navigation radar, I-band
* EW/ECM
** 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 x Type 946/PJ-46 15-barrel decoy rocket launchers
* Aviation
** Helicopter deck for single Z-9C helicopter
* Armament
** 8 x YJ-83 SSM in 2 x 4-cel box launchers
** 1 x 8-cell HQ-7 Surface-to-air missile system
** 1 x PJ33A dual 100 mm gun (automatic)
** 4 x Type 76A dual-37 mm AA guns
** 2 x 6-tube Type 3200 ASW rocket launchers (36 rockets)
** 2 x DC racks & launcher

hips

053H2G (Jiangwei I)

* 539 Anqing
* 540 Huainan
* 541 Huaibei
* 542 Tongling

053H3 (Jiangwei II)

* 521 Jiaxing
* 522 Lianyungang
* 523 Putian
* 524 Sanming
* 564 Yichang
* 565 Yulin
* 566 Yuxi
* 567 Xiangfan
* 527 Luoyang
* 528 Mianyang

External links

* [http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/surface/jiangwei.asp Sino Defense Today]