The Type 054B fulfils both of these roles, but will be much more capable.
They will have much longer-range air defence missiles, superior anti-ship missiles, and
a more silent propulsion system for dealing with submarines.
This video provides an update on the progress of the Type 054B, and the emerging consensus
on the ship’s weapons.
New hulls for warships have been seen at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai.
They have started final assembly, judging by new satellite images dated January 21st.
One hull was seen in a large drydock underneath two massive cranes.
A second hull is being built in a smaller drydock to the north.
Hudong- Zhonghua is one of the principal shipyards supplying warships to the PLAN, with a focus
on frigates and amphibious warships, such as the Type 071 LPD and the Type 075.
Together with the Huangpu shipyard based in Guangzhou, the two shipyards are responsible
for the construction of the existing Type 054A frigate, of which more than 40 hulls
have been produced.
Rumours surrounding the Type 054B frigate have been around for several years now.
They gained traction when several modules for warships were seen at the Hudong-Zhonghua
shipyard in late 2022.
Based on the new satellite image, the Type 054B has a length of approximately 147 meters
length, and a beam of 18 meters.
Therefore, it represents a radical increase in terms of size and presumably firepower
compared to the preceding Type 054A.
The 054B bears far more resemblance to the large frigates of the European navies, such
as France, Germany and Italy.
Overall displacement is probably around 6,000 tons, somewhat larger than the previous consensus
of 5,000 tons.
In contrast, the incumbent Type 054A frigate is far smaller at 4,000 tons.
This makes the Type 054B only marginally smaller than the Type 052D destroyers, the primary
large surface combatant of the Chinese Navy.
There’s a couple of pretty strange things about the ship under construction.
Most notably, there is only a single large rectangular hole in the front.
The large hole is either for the main gun, a 100 mm naval gun, or for the vertical launch
system, the VLS.
But not both.
It is fairly common for frigates to have VLS launchers in the bow section, but not always
the case.
For example, the Danish Iver Huitfeldt class does not have a VLS module in the front.
Instead, it has two naval guns in a superfiring configuration.
The VLS for the Iver Huitfeldt is located in the mid-ship section.
The prevailing consensus is that the Type 054B will have a large naval gun.
So, it is very possible its VLS is located in the mid-ship, inside one of these holes
towards the back.
The size of the hole is much bigger than the H/AJK-16 VLS on the Type 054A, suggesting
a high likelihood it might be the universal UVLS.
The UVLS can fire large diameter weapons, including the HHQ-9B long-range air defence
missile, and the powerful YJ-18 anti-ship missile.
However, the other explanation is that expected opening for the gun in the front section is
obscured by the crane in the photo.
As you can see, part of the crane covers where one would expect the large opening for the
gun would be.
If true, this would suggest the large hole in the bow is for the VLS.
And the 054B will have both a naval gun and a VLS for carrying missiles in the fore section.
Indeed, most Chinese computer graphic artist still expect both a gun and VLS at the front.
But we will have to wait and see.
There is much debate over the type of VLS to be used.
Some people believe the 054B will use the same VLS as on the Type 054A frigate – the
smaller H/AJK-16 system.
It can fire basically two families of missiles.
They are the Yu-8 anti-submarine rocket, and of course the HQ-16 series of medium range
air defence missiles.
In fact, the latest variant of this missile, the HQ-16F, has achieved a fairly long range
of 160 km, and with an improved guidance system.
The HQ-16F is very likely just as good as the air defence missiles on large European
frigates, and even destroyers.
The argument in favour of the smaller H/AJK-16 VLS are as follows.
Firstly, the Type 054B is not the main air warfare ship of Chinese naval forces; its
main job is anti-submarine, with air defence as a secondary function.
So, the HQ-16 SAM is enough.
Secondly, HQ-16F has already achieved enough range to fully cover a naval taskforce.
True, it would lack the range to fully deter enemy aircraft, but that is the job of the
destroyers.
Thirdly, the HQ-16F has a dual guidance system.
It combines active radar homing with semi-active radar homing.
The semi-active radar homing makes the HQ-16 highly resistant to electronic warfare and
interference within the medium range, so long as it remains inside the radar horizon of
the 054B.
The target illumination by the ship’s own radars is far more powerful than small seekers
inside active guided missiles.
The semi-active radar homing therefore has the power to burn through electronic countermeasures,
much better than active radar homing at close range.
The HQ-16 is arguably the superior missile to use in coastal environment, where there
is plenty of sea clutter, which makes active radar homing more difficult.
So, the guidance system on the HQ-16F is more flexible than the long-range HQ-9 missile
family.
Lastly, the H/AJK-16 VLS is compatible with the rest of the PLA Navy frigates.
So, using the same VLS means that only two types of missiles will need to be produced
and transported for Chinese frigates.
Other people believe that the universal U-VLS will be used instead.
The U-VLS carries all of China’s large diameter long-range weapons, including the HQ-9B long-range
air defence missiles, the YJ-18 anti-ship missile, and a new type of quad-packed medium-range
air defence missile, similar in function to the US evolved sea sparrow.
The U-VLS would take up more space for the same number of cells than the H/AJK-16 VLS.
In my view, it is more likely the U-VLS will be chosen for the Type 054B.
The operation of the HQ-9B surface-to-air missile across all Chinese blue-water warships
will greatly assist the logistics for supplying blue-water naval forces.
Over time, the Type 054B should take over from the 054A in Chinese destroyer flotillas
and aircraft carrier groups.
It is useful for them to use the same air defence missile from a logistics standpoint.
The HQ-9B has greater range than any of the HQ-16 variants, and should fulfil any role
intended for the HQ-16 anyway.
Secondly, it is important to be able to use a quad-pack medium-range missile, to augment
the number of ammunitions carried.
The U-VLS can certainly quad-pack the new 50-kilometer range missile, while the H/AJK-16
probably cannot.
Lastly, the ability to use the YJ-18 anti-ship missile is important.
The YJ-18 is a powerful strike weapon in itself.
However, there is more to it.
When launching a missile attack against enemy warships, it is desirable that they all arrive
at the same time.
This will make interception more difficult for the enemy.
So, it is better to use the same missiles in a single salvo, because they can be sure
to travel at the same speed, and arrive at the same time.
Using different missiles in a single attack may cause some projectiles to arrive early,
and they can be picked off piecemeal by the enemy.
Therefore, the Type 054B should ideally use the same anti-ship missile as the Chinese
destroyers they are intended to work with, and that is of course the YJ-18.
The U-VLS is necessary to carry the YJ-18.
For all these reasons, I expect the Type 054B to use the universal U-VLS.
This is the more sensible weapon system to equip future PLAN warships.
As we said before, the Type 054B will have a 100 mm naval gun, larger than the 76 mm
on the Type 054A.
The 100 mm should be a more powerful coastal bombardment weapon, with a greater range for
attacking land targets while staying out of range of the return fire from land-based guns.
The 100 mm will also be more destructive against enemy warships at close range.
The trade-off is that the 100 mm may be less effective at engaging air targets, for example
slow missiles, due to a slower rate of fire compared to the 76 mm.
The Type 054B will be a blue-water warship, more capable, more powerful and more future-proof
than the Type 054A.
It will be used for anti-submarine warfare and air warfare missions.
At present, the Type 054B is being assembled inside two drydocks in the Hudong- Zhonghua
shipyard.
At least two ships are being built, and more units will follow, no doubt.
The first Type 054B will likely be launched sometime in 2023, based on the advanced stage
of construction the ships are in.
Once they are commissioned in sufficient numbers, they should slowly replace the Type 054A in
Chinese destroyer flotillas and aircraft carrier groups.