PLA Navy commissions first Type 054B frigate

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's first Type 054B frigate, the Luohe, was officially commissioned on Wednesday. The 5,000 ton-class warship features advancements in stealth, combat command systems, and integrated firepower control.

The first 054B frigate of the PLA Navy, the Luohe, was handed over and commissioned at a naval port in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province on Wednesday morning, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In the naval port, the Luohe hoisted full ceremonial flags, and officers and soldiers stood in formation with high spirits. At about 10 am, the commissioning and flag-giving ceremony began. Attendees sang the national anthem as the Five-Starred Red Flag was raised slowly. The honor guards escorted the August 1 military flag and the naval flag and marched to the rostrum. The naval leaders who participated in the ceremony presented the Luohe with the August 1 military flag and the naval flag. The flag-raiser of the Luohe solemnly hoisted the flags on the fore and aft decks of the ship. The ceremony ended with the military song of the PLA, according to the report.

With the hull number 545 and a displacement of about 5,000 tons, the Luohe is a new generation of frigate independently developed and built by China. It has made breakthroughs in vessel stealth technology, combat command systems, and firepower integrated control, among other aspects, significantly enhancing its performances, said Xinhua.

The ship possesses strong comprehensive combat capabilities and diversified military mission capabilities, which are of great significance for improving the overall combat effectiveness of naval warship formations. It is an important piece of equipment for the transformation and development of the Chinese navy, according to Xinhua.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the new Type 054B frigate has undergone significant upgrades across its systems compared to its predecessor, the Type 054A.

The Type 054B is larger than the Type 054A, allowing for enhanced firepower and the ability to carry larger utility helicopters such as the Z-20, Song said.

Many of the most advanced technologies, including those applied on the Type 055 large destroyer, have likely been incorporated into the design of the Type 054B, Song believed.

The Type 054B frigate was reportedly launched in 2023. In response to the reports, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China’s Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference in August 2023 that it is a normal arrangement addressing national security needs and the overall naval trend of the PLA Navy developing equipment including main combat vessels according to related plans.

The goal is to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, and better safeguard world and regional peace and stability, Wu said, noting that China always follows a path of peaceful development, and unswervingly adheres to a national defense policy that is defensive in nature.

The 054B features extended endurance, enabling operations in both coastal and far seas environments. It is expected to take up the missions of the small Type 056 corvettes in coastal waters and join the Type 055 large destroyers in far seas missions, Song said.

The expert expected the Type 054B to be mass produced like the Type 054A.