Jiangdao-class corvette (Type 056)

The Jiangdao-class corvette is rapidely augmenting the PLA Navy littoral warfare capabilities, especially in the South China Sea and East China Sea. This new class of small combatant augment the 60 HOUBEI-class wave-piercing catamaran missile patrol boats (PTG) (Type 022).

The corvette was deployed primarily for patrol and escort missions as well as anti-submarine operations and sea combat tasks, independent or in coordination with other forces. Its primary duty is to patrol sea areas. The South China Sea has relatively high requirements for single patrol boats because it is far from the coast and is often choppy.

Patrolling is a daily labor-intensive task, and requires a large number of soldiers. Therefore, patrol boats should be deployed in a large scale and cost less than warships. Unlike fighting, patrolling does not need too many weapons. Overall, ships designed for patrolling should have good seakeeping ability and be relatively cheap.

The Jiangdao-class corvette aimed at changing the situation of China's active-service base-defense system featuring aging military strength, single function and low combat power. The new-generation base-defense military strength commissioned in large quantities was another important platform for optimizing the equipment structure of the PLA Navy, improving the base-defense combat power as well as enhancing the PLA Navy's capability of safeguarding China's national security and territorial integrity, and defending China's maritime sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

The construction of the corvettes has come to an end in late 2019 and the upgrading of the domestic offshore combat system has been completed. The Jiangdao-class corvette is a type 1 light frigate developed by the Chinese Navy in the new century. According to overseas sources, it has a length of 89 meters, a width of 12 meters, a full-load displacement of 1,300 tons, diesel power, dual-axis propulsion, a maximum speed of 28 knots, and a cruising range of 3,500 nautical miles. The weapon and the onboard electronic system are relatively simple. The weapon includes two double-mounted YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers, one 8-unit red flag 10 ship-to-air missile launcher, and the main gun is a 76 mm gun, 2 30mm single-tube remote-control naval guns, and anti-submarine weapons are two 2-unit antisubmarine torpedo launchers. Shipborne electronic systems include air / sea search radars, optoelectronic fire control systems, electronic warfare systems, and shipborne combat systems. The bow has a helicopter take-off and landing deck, which can take off and land straight -9 anti-submarine helicopters, but there is no hangar, which limits its helicopter operation capabilities.

The corvette's weapon is relatively simple and mainly performs offshore patrol tasks. The PLA Navy had to build large warships if it is to go to the high sea, but large warship will be a waste of resources if it's only used for yard-protecing. The PLA Navy needed vessels that are suitable for carrying out fishing protection, patrol and guarding tasks at the house gate, so that it can free the large combat ships from the trivial everyday maritime services and consequently ensure the combat capacity of main high-sea-going taskforces. With complete functions, the guided missile corvette is capable of air defense, anti-submarine warfare, assault, and garrisoning. Such high cost effectiveness better caters to the rapidly increasing equipment manufacturing of the PLA Navy.

The PLA Navy`s inshore combat tasks mainly consist of daily patrol, guarding, fishing protection, and other low-intensity and low-risk tasks. It provides the basic maritime force support for the civilian and law enforcement forces of oceanic administration and fishing affair bureau in coping with the provocations by military vessels of enemy states. Light surface vessels have to be used in the early stage of islands disputes. The flexible body and comprehensive combat capability of the guided missile corvette decide that it is of the best use on islands and the surrounding waters, where it can deal with all kinds of maritime crisis flexibly and make the mobilization and deployment of large vessels more effective.

Designed not solely for islands disputes but for more extensive purposes such as maritime target assaulting, air defense and anti-submarine, the guide missile corvette is a light maritime striking weapon platform with the highest performance-price ratio and the widest applications. It can be manufactured by a number of coastal and inland shipyards on a large scale and in large quantities and supplied to the PLA Navy incessantly. Light guide missile corvette can serve as steady support for PLA Navy`s high-sea-going maneuver combat and help free the inshore fast attack forces from everyday coast defense tasks, so as to establish a new-type inshore defensive combat system.

The Jiangdao-class corvette's weapon is relatively simple and mainly performs offshore patrol tasks. The PLA Navy had to build large warships if it is to go to the high sea, but large warship will be a waste of resources if it's only used for yard-protecing. The PLA Navy needed vessels that are suitable for carrying out fishing protection, patrol and guarding tasks at the house gate, so that it can free the large combat ships from the trivial everyday maritime services and consequently ensure the combat capacity of main high-sea-going task forces. With complete functions, the guided missile corvette is capable of air defense, anti-submarine warfare, assault, and garrisoning. Such high cost-effectiveness better caters to the rapidly increasing equipment manufacturing of the PLA Navy.

The PLA Navy’s inshore combat tasks mainly consist of daily patrol, guarding, fishing protection, and other low-intensity and low-risk tasks. It provides the basic maritime force support for the civilian and law enforcement forces of oceanic administration and fishing affair bureau in coping with the provocations by military vessels of enemy states. Light surface vessels have to be used in the early stage of islands disputes. The flexible body and comprehensive combat capability of the corvette decide that it is of the best use on islands and the surrounding waters, where it can deal with all kinds of maritime crisis flexibly and make the mobilization and deployment of large vessels more effective.

Because the ship's weapons and electronic systems are relatively simple, many international sources classify it as «corvettes» (light frigates) rather than «frigates».

The first 056 frigate was started in 2011, launched in 2012, and delivered to the Navy in 2013. From a practical point of view, compared with the 037 frigate, the 056 frigate had a larger tonnage, more internal space, and can carry more supplies and materials, which is conducive to long-duty maritime operations. The crew's long-distance sea mission execution environment has been improved and efficiency has been improved. The ship was loved by the troops and became an ideal replacement for the 037 hunting submarine. Since then, the Jiangdao-class corvette has entered a period of high-speed construction. It is reported that within about 9 years from 2011 to 2019, about 70 vessels were built. On average, about 8 ships per year, and this speed can be said to be very amazing.

Along with rapid construction also developed a series of improved and modified ships. For example, in use, the army found that the 30mm single-barrel remote-control naval gun was not very useful and the price was relatively expensive. Large-caliber machine guns can be used for patrol tasks. Therefore, the latest batch of 14.5-mm naval machine guns was used instead. Considering that there are many advanced AIP submarines in the first island chain, the anti-submarine type corvette’s was developed for this type 056A. It is the first domestic surface ship equipped with active / passive towed line sonars, improving the ship's ability to resist modern quiet submarines. In order to cooperate with the advanced underwater acoustic system, the anti-submarine type corvette’s has been replaced with a new type of anti-submarine missile. The new missile uses a turbojet engine with a longer range and stronger attack capabilities. Sonar, better detection performance. The 056A anti-submarine service effectively improved the Chinese Navy's offshore anti-submarine combat capabilities.