Chinese Navy Commissions First Type 054B Frigate
24th January 2025
China’s first Type 054B frigate, the Luohe, was commissioned into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) on Wednesday. The PLAN’s newest warship is purportedly bristling with advanced features. Its commissioning follows a Pentagon warning late last year about Beijing’s growing ability to quickly churn out high-end vessels as part of a rapidly expanding fleet with increasing reach across the globe. The ship class, referred to by the U.S. and NATO as the Jiangkai III class, could eventually become the backbone of China’s combat fleet in the future, although Luohe and a second Type 054B are believed to be the only two built thus far.
The Luohe was commissioned at the Qingdao Comprehensive Support Base, situated just across the Yellow Sea from South Korea. The ship was launched in 2023 and underwent sea trials last year. While Beijing released few technical details on the vessel, online posts citing the government state that the ship displaces about 5,000 tons. It is also believed to be longer and more capable of future system upgrades than its predecessor, the Type 054A.