China has commissioned the first of its new Type 054B frigates into service. Credit: MND/Pu Haiyang

The commissioning of the first of a next generation of surface combatants for China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the Type 054B frigate Luohe, has once again highlighted the disparity of the pace of development between Beijing and its superpower rival, the United States.

Laid down in 2022 at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard and launched in 2023, the first of the Type 054B frigates is being followed by a second vessel, currently in build at Huangpu Shipyard. Also known as the Jiangkai III class under Nato designation, the US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) states that “multiple units” are under construction.

As the latest variant of the earlier Type 54A/Jiangkai I and ‘Mod’ II frigates, the Type 054B is likely to be larger than the 134m length and 4,000 tonne displacement of earlier designs, potentially in the 6,000 tonne and 140-150m range.

The Type 54B design has layered air defence capabilities, as well as anti-surface missiles. Credit: MND/Pu Haiyang

It is likely that the Type 054B design was long planned, in keeping with the PLAN’s current programme to rapidly develop and transit through generations of surface combatants, in what appears to be a process of spiral development to incorporate new technologies and weaponry.

A 2024 update from the ONI revealed the PLAN had 50 Jiangkai-class frigates in service, with the more modern Jiangkai II guided missile frigates forming the bulk of this force, with 40 operational vessels. The PLAN also has 50 Jiangdao light frigates operational, which could be classified as corvettes, with a length of 90m.

Additional large combatant classes include two Luhu-class destroyers, four Sovremennyy DDGs in two distinct batches, a single Luhai DDG, and two Luzhou-class DDGs.

Comparing the Constellation

In comparison, the US Navy is building the first of the Constellation-class frigates, a process which began in 2022 and still years away from entering service.

A May 2024 report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the build of the US Navy’s first Constellation-class frigate was “at a standstill” amid continued delays of a programme that sought to provide an effective solution to the woes of its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) forebearer.

“Due to ongoing major design challenges, construction on the first ship is at a standstill. Now, the Navy forecasts the ship will be delivered three years late,” the GAO report stated.

A consequence of delays in completing ship design have created “mounting construction delays”, with the US Navy acknowledging that the planned April 2026 delivery date of first-in-class USS Constellation – which was set in the contract at the award – is unachievable.

The first of the US Navy’s Constellation-class frigates has been significantly delayed. Credit: US DoD

The USS Constellation is likely to be delayed by 36 months, meaning a delivery now scheduled for the April 2029 timeframe. With construction beginning on the ship in August 2022, this will mean a more than seven-year span between manufacturing start and delivery.

The Constellation class will be the first guided missile frigates (FFG) operated by the US Navy since the last of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class FFGs left service in 2015, which were intended, in part, to be replaced by the twin-variant LCS progamme.

However, the LCS programme was curtailed with some vessels decommissioned after just a handful of operational years following a series of setbacks for the type. Responding to this, the US Navy returned to the FFG concept as the lead element of its Small Surface Combatant force.

Analyis: China’s Type 054B frigate

Analysis of imagery released by China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and vessel silhouettes from the ONI’s documentation on the PLAN’s surface force indicates the Type 054B/Jiangkai III appears to be a significant evolution compared to the earlier Jiangkai I and Mod II designs.

On profile, the Type 054B has a stealthier design, with integrated masts fore and amidships, and a differently angled prow.

Images released by the MND show a main gun forward, larger than the PJ26 76mm calibre fitted to the Jiangkai Mod II, likely the PJ87 100mm naval weapon system. A 30mm close-in weapon system (CIWS) is fitted in front of the ship’s bridge for point protection from airborne threats.

Mounted on top of the ship’s hangar towards the rear is a missile-based CIWS similar to the US SeaRAM, probably of the HQ-10 series, offering further air defence capability.

The Type 054B appears to be a powerful surface combatant, on par with Western designs. Credit: MND/Pu Haiyang

Forward, the Type 054B has a 32-cell vertical launch system for medium-range area air defence, while amidships what appear to be 2×4 canister-launched anti-ship missiles. On earlier Type 054 frigates the YJ-83 anti-ship missiles were mounted, offering ranges of up to 200km, while its air defence missile was the HQ-16A, providing a 40km range.

Modernised variants of the HQ-16 missile reportedly provide air defence coverage out to 160km.

Although it is difficult to determine crew size, with the Type 54A/Jiangkai I and Mod II having a complement of around 165 sailors, the Type 054B will be able to accommodate more personnel, potentially around 240-250.

MND imagery shows two mass blocks of 200 PLAN sailors apiece, with around 80 sailors standing to attention on the Luohe itself. This could indicate the crews of the first two Type 054B ships, or around 240 each, although this cannot be confirmed.