Early in 2025, China commissioned the Luohe, first of a new class of Type 054B multipurpose frigates. Known in Western circles as the Jiangkai III class, these frigates are evolutionary and based loosely on the Type 054A Jiangkai II class (see “China’s Multipurpose FFG,” June 2020, p. 92). Numbered 545, the Luohe was built at Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai and launched on 26 August 2023. Sea trials began in January 2024, and she entered service on 22 January 2025. The Luohe reportedly is assigned to the North Sea Fleet China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). A second ship, pennant number 555, was launched in fall 2023 at Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou and is expected to enter service with the South Sea Fleet later this year. Additional Type 054B frigates are thought to be planned, although none have yet been identified under construction.
Displacing 5,000 to 6,000 tons, the Jiangkai III class is thought to measure around 482 feet long with a 59-foot beam. Crew size is estimated to be around 240. The Type 054B is significantly larger than its predecessor frigates, and the design reveals a greater emphasis on signature reduction. Armament on the Type 054B is similar to the Type 054A. Both operate a 32-cell vertical-launch system (VLS) forward of the bridge, housing a mix of HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and Yu-8 antisubmarine rockets. The HHQ-16 has a range of around 40 nautical miles (nm), although this reportedly has been extended to 85 nm on newer versions of the missile.
Both frigate variants also carry eight YJ-83 antiship missiles amidships in two quad launchers. The YJ-83 is thought to have a maximum range of 100 to 135 nm, depending on the variant. The Type 054B, however, carries a more powerful 100-mm gun in place of the 76-mm gun mounted on the Type 054A. For self-defense, the Jiangkai III class is armed with a 24-tube HHQ-10 short-range SAM launcher aft, atop the helicopter hangar, and one 11-barrel 30-mm gatling gun, mounted between the bridge and VLS.
The primary radar for the Type 054B is a notable advancement and consists of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) mounted atop the foremast, with dual-facing/back-to-back rotating arrays to maintain 360-degree coverage. Reports indicate that a second rotating AESA radar may be housed in the after mast, which also hosts a navigation radar and other systems. The Type 054B carries a hull-mounted sonar for antisubmarine warfare and can deploy variable-depth and towed-array sonars from the stern.
The frigates carry two triple 324-mm torpedo launchers in small covered bays, while larger side bays house rigid-hull inflatable boats for interception and boarding duties. An aft flight deck and hangar can accommodate one Z-20 helicopter, which is similar to the U.S. Navy’s SH-60 Seahawk. The Jiangkai IIIs are thought to be powered by a combined diesel-and-diesel propulsion system, but reliable details have yet to surface on powerplant performance, capabilities, speed, or range parameters.
