Jiangdong-class frigate (Type 053K)

In the mid-1960s, the Chinese Navy had equipped the Chengdu-class (Type 01) and Jiangnan-class (Type 65) two types of artillery frigates, initially having the capability of offshore activities, and the ships were in line with the surrounding countries. However, at this time, the advanced countries of the world navy have begun the process of ship missileization. With the development of China's missile technology and the construction of small missile ships, the Navy was also preparing to surpass the world's advanced level and promote the missileization of medium-sized surface ships, destroyers and frigates.

From 1965 to 1967, the No. 701 Institute designed the Type 053K (NATO code: Jiangdong-class frigate), an air-defence variant of the Type 065. This met a Chinese Navy requirement for air-defence ships to accompany the surface-warfare Type 051 destroyers.

Jiangdong-class frigate (Type 053K) was equipped with a new type of ship-to-air missile HQ-61, a new fully automatic 100mm main gun, a fully automatic 37mm auxiliary gun, a three-coordinate radar, a folding anti-roller, and a 18E390VA diesel engine. Although the Jiangdong-class frigate failed to become the main ship of the Chinese Navy, as there were imperfections in design, its significance to the Chinese navy is very important. Type 053K was the first frigate of the Chinese Navy to integrate many new weapons and equipment into one platform. Compared with the Type 065 frigate and Type 01 frigate equipped with only artillery and anti-submarine weapons, it was a great improvemennt in quality. It already possessed the characteristics of a missile frigate in the modern sense and has kept up with the development trend of the world missile frigate.

However, only two Type 053K`s were completed, possibly due to unsatisfactory performance and the long development time for their intended armament. Yingtan (531) was laid down in 1970 and commissioned in 1977, and followed by Zhongdong (532). Both ships were withdrawn from service in 1992, with one scrapped in 1994 and the other preserved as a museum ship.

The ship type of the 053K ship became the basis for the subsequent construction of a large number of follow-up frigates; the three-coordinate radar also became Later, the technical basis of a large number of equipped three-coordinate radars. In short, the attempt was an inevitable process in the process of advancement — the 053K played its due role as an attempt and accumulation of skills.