Chinese frigate Zaozhuang

Zaozhuang (542) is a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 22 February 2019.

Zaozhuang underway on 28 April 2020
History
China
Name	Zaozhuang
Namesake	Zaozhuang (棗莊)
Builder	Huangpu, Shanghai
Laid down	22 December 2015
Launched	30 June 2018[1]
Commissioned	22 February 2019
Homeport	Lüshunkou
Identification	Pennant number: 542
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.^[2]

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.^[3]

Construction and career

Zaozhuang was commissioned on 22 February 2019.^[1] In March 2020, Chinese media reported the ship was combat ready.^[4]

The Singapore Navy ships RSS Intrepid and RSS Sovereignty conducted a joint naval exercise with Guiyang and Zaozhuang in the South China Sea on 24 February 2021.^[5]