Type 037-II class missile boat

The Type 037-II (NATO codename: Houjian class) is a missile equipped corvette built by Huangpu Shipyard of Guangzhou for the People's Liberation Army Navy. A total of six vessels were delivered to the PLA Navy, with one lost in an accident in 2006. They form the main naval defence force currently protecting Hong Kong.

Development and deployment

The original design was from the US one-off H-3 group, which designed a 245-ton boat, equipped with Harpoon SSM OTO 76mm guns, gas turbine engines and waterjet propulsion. These equipments were however, too complicated for China, and a major redesign began, fitting the boat with C-801 SSM, diesel engines and propellers instead. The OTO 76mm gun was retained in the revised design, called EH-3D (1988) and later 520T (1996), but failed to materialised after the 1989 incident.

The first vessel was built in 1990, as a technology demonstrator as well as proof-of-concept vessel, and fired its first missile (C-801) in the 1995 exercise. 3 more vessels were built in 1995/96. Due to technology difficulties, particularly on the license produced SEMT diesel engines, high price, and over sophisticated design in PLAN standard, the production was terminated. A fifth vessel, bort no. 774, was built in 2001, as another proof of concept vessel for the modified SEMT engines with new turbochargers and the Russian-license produced 76 mm guns.

4 vessels were built for rotation, with 2 vessels being deployed to Hong Kong each time. The fifth vessel was involved in navigation accident twice. In the first time (2001) it was nearly sunk after crash with a fast ferry servicing the Hong Kong-Guangzhou route. It was on pre-delivery test at that time. In June 2006, it crashed again, with a Chinese freighter, and sunk immediately. 13 servicemen were missing in the accident. The vessel was later afloat again and sent to the shipyard for repair.

This class is sometimes also referred as Huang class.

hips

*770 Yangjiang
*771 Shunde
*772 Nanhai
*773 Panyu
*774 Lianjiang
*775 Xinhui

pecifications

*Displacement: 520 ton
*Length: 65.4 m
*Beam: 8.4 m
*Draft: 2.4 m
*Speed: 32 kt
*Range: 1,800 nm @ 18 kt
*Propulsion: 2xSEMT-Pielstick 12 PA6 280 diesel engines @ 1,584 hp with 3 shafts
*Complement: 75
*Armament:
**Anti-ship missiles: 6 C-801/802/803
**Guns: 2 Type 76A 37 mm (II x 1) and 2 AK-630
*Radars:
**Surface search radar: 1 Type 348
**Navigational radar: 1 I-band Type 765
**Fire control radar: 1 Type 347G

External links

* [http://www.sinodefence.com/navy/littoral/houjian.asp Type 037-II missile corvette at sinodefence.com]