Jianghu 5-class frigate (Type 053H1G)

Basic information

Type:

Frigate

Parent class:

Jianghu-class frigates (Type 053)

Operators:

People's Liberation Army Navy (Chinese Navy)

Country of build:

People's Republic of China

Builder:

Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

Planned:

Completed:

In service:

1993 – present (31 year)

Ship measurements

Displacement:

1,720 t

Length:

103.2 m

Beam:

10.8 m

Draft:

3.2 m

Machine

Propulsion:

2 * 12E390VA,880 kW (7,885 hp) at 480 rpm

Speed:

26 knots

Range:

4,000 nmi

Personnel

Complement:

200

Combat assets

Electronics:

Type 354 Radar (Eye Shield) 2D air/surface search, I-band
Type 517H-1 (Knife Rest) 2D long-range air search, A-band
Type 352 Radar (Square Tie) surface search fire-control, I-band
Type 343 (Wasp Head) fire control radar, G/H-band
2 * Type 341 fire control radar for dual 37 mm AA gun
2 * Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band
SJD-5 medium-frequency sonar
SJC-1B reconnaissance sonar
SJX-4 communications sonar
CTC-1629 combat data system (or Chinese copy ZKJ-3A)
Data link: HN-900 (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded)
Communication: SNTI-240 SATCOM
RWD-8 (Jug Pair) intercept EW suite
Type 9230I radar warning receiver
Type 651A IFF

Armament:

8 * YJ-8 or YJ-82 SSM
2 * Type 79A dual-100 mm gun
4 * Type 76 dual-37 mm AA guns
2 * 5-tube Type 81 ASW rocket launcher (30 rounds)
4 * Type 64 DC projectors
2 * Depth charge loading rack
2 * Mk-36RBOC 6-barrel decoy rocket launchers

From the late 1980s to the 1990s, the situation in the Spratly Islands and the Taiwan Strait became tense, and it became necessary to deploy patrol vessels. For this reason, the Chinese Navy decided to build a gradually improved version based on the Jianghu 2-class frigate (Type 053H1). This resulted in the construction of the Jianghu 5-class frigate (Type 053H1G).

The Jianghu 5-class frigate (Type 053H1G), was designed to be as strong as possible, while avoiding risky design. The hull design was characterized by the sealed structure of the superstructure, which gave it NBC protection capabilities.

The close-in air defense weapon remains the same, with twin 37mm cannons, but the model has been changed to the fully automatic Type 076A, which has been given a limited ability to intercept anti-ship missiles. Anti-submarine firepower has also been changed to the longer-range and more powerful RBU-3200. Anti-ship missiles are the improved versions of the SY-1A and SY-2 that have been used for a long time, but recently they have been gradually replaced with the new YJ-83.

The electronic equipment has also been modernized, with the same ZKJ-3 tactical information processing unit as the 053H2 model installed, the long-range airborne radar upgraded to the improved 517-H model, and the air and surface radar upgraded to the new Type 360 radar.

This concept made it possible to create in the shortest possible time six ships commissioned in three years.

By the time the last of the class was commissioned in 1996, construction had already begun on the Jiangwei 2-class frigates (Type 053H3), a completely new design that was the preferred general-purpose frigate, and this class was the last of the Jianghu-class frigates, which were focused on anti-surface missions.