Chinese frigate Yangzhou

Yangzhou (578) is a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 21 September 2015.

Yangzhou underway on 17 May 2021
History
China
Name	Yangzhou
Namesake	Yangzhou (扬州)
Builder	Hudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding, Shanghai
Launched	30 September 2013
Commissioned	21 September 2015
Identification	Pennant number: 578
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Type 054A frigate
Displacement	4,053 tonnes (full)
Length	134.1 m (440 ft)
Beam	16 m (52 ft)
Propulsion	CODAD, 4 × Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC diesels, 5700 kW (7600+ hp @ 1084 rpm) each
Speed	27 knots estimated
Range	8,025 nautical miles (9,235 mi; 14,862 km) estimated
Complement	165
Sensors & processing systems	Type 382 Radar Type 344 Radar (Mineral-ME Band Stand) OTH target acquisition and SSM fire control radar 4 × Type 345 Radar(MR-90 Front Dome) SAM fire control radars MR-36A surface search radar, I-band Type 347G 76 mm gun fire control radar 2 × Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system H/SJG-206 towed array sonar ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system HN-900 Data link (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded) SNTI-240 SATCOM AKD5000S Ku band SATCOM
Electronic warfare & decoys	Type 922-1 radar warning receiver HZ-100 ECM & ELINT system Kashtan-3 missile jamming system
Armament	1 × 32-cell VLS HQ-16 SAM Yu-8 anti submarine rocket launcher 2 × 4 C-803 anti-ship / land attack cruise missiles 1 × PJ26 76 mm dual-purpose gun 2 × Type 730 7-barrel 30 mm CIWS guns or Type 1130 2 × 3 324mm Yu-7 ASW torpedo launchers 2 × 6 Type 87 240mm anti-submarine rocket launcher (36 rockets carried) 2 × Type 726-4 18-tube decoy rocket launchers
Aircraft carried	1 Kamov Ka-28 'Helix' or Harbin Z-9C
Aviation facilities	hangar

Development and design

Main article: Type 054A frigate

The Type 054A carries HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles and anti-submarine missiles in a vertical launching system (VLS) system. The HQ-16 has a range of up to 50 km, with superior range and engagement angles to the Type 054's HQ-7. The Type 054A's VLS uses a hot launch method; a shared common exhaust system is sited between the two rows of rectangular launching tubes.^[1]

The four AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS) of the Type 054 were replaced with two Type 730 CIWS on the Type 054A. The autonomous Type 730 provides improved reaction time against close-in threats.^[2]

Construction and career

Yangzhou was launched on 30 September 2013 at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai. Commissioned on 21 September 2015. On 7 October 2017, she and sister ship Huanggang made a visit to London. On 11 December 2022, the ashes of the late Chinese leader Jiang Zemin were scattered into the sea from frigate Yangzhou, named after Jiang's birthplace.

Gallery

• 
  Yangzhou underway on 17 August 2016.
• 
  Yangzhou underway in the Mediterranean Sea on 6 September 2017.
• 
  Yangzhou and Huanggang in London on 7 October 2017.
• 
  Yangzhou in Germany on 26 October 2017.
• 
  Yangzhou underway on 28 November 2019.