Small, fast, stealthy, and lethal, China's new class of fast-attack craft receives little attention. Yet the hull represents a potential success story on how to field small combatants.
Even with its striking design and blue camouflage paint scheme, the Chinese Houbei-class guided-missile fast-attack craft (Type 022) remains unknown to most defense analysts. While at first glance the ship appears to be relatively small (225 tons) - at least when compared to U.S. warships - the Houbei packs a lethal punch in the form of long-range, fourth-generation Chinese antiship cruise missiles (ASCMs).
