Chinese frigate Liuzhou (573)

Liuzhou (573) is a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 26 December 2012.

Liuzhou on 26 May 2014
History
China
NameLiuzhou
Namesake
BuilderHudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, Shanghai
Launched10 December 2011
Commissioned26 December 2012
IdentificationPennant number: 573
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and typeType 054A frigate
Displacement4,053 tonnes (full)
Length134.1 m (440 ft)
Beam16 m (52 ft)
PropulsionCODAD, 4 × Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC diesels, 5700 kW (7600+ hp @ 1084 rpm) each
Speed27 knots estimated
Range8,025 nautical miles (9,235 mi; 14,862 km) estimated
Complement165
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
  • 1 × 32-cell VLS
  • 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 carried1 Kamov Ka-28 'Helix' or Harbin Z-9C
Aviation facilitieshangar

Development and design edit

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 edit

Liuzhou was launched on 10 December 2011 at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai. Commissioned on 26 December 2012.

On July 10, 2013, Liuzhou and Yukun of Dalian Maritime University held an open ship day at the container terminal in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province during the 9th China Navigation Day, which was open to the public. The event lasted 3 days.[3]

On September 3, 2013, Liuzhou, Lanzhou and Poyanghu formed a fleet of ships, crossing the Pacific Ocean, crossing the Strait of Magellan and entering the South Atlantic. Visits from Lesotho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.[4] The visit lasted 99 days, with a voyage of nearly 30,000 nautical miles, setting a record for the PLA Navy's first joint military exercise with a foreign navy in the South Atlantic and the first visit to Argentina. On December 11, 2013, Liuzhou and others returned to a certain military port in Zhanjiang after completing their visit.[5]

In mid-January 2014, the formation of Hengshui, Liuzhou, Yueyang and Sanya completed several offensive and defensive exercises in the training waters.[6]

Hengshui participated in RIMPAC 2016.

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ 舰载武器SHIPBORNE WEAPONS 2013 AUGUST ISSUE
  2. ^ "Chinese Navy". Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  3. ^ "人民海军"柳州舰"在南通向公众开放_广西新闻_新闻-柳州广播电视网". 2014-11-27. Archived from the original on 2014-11-27. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  4. ^ "中国海军舰艇编队出访南美三国". 新华网. 3 September 2013.
  5. ^ "中国海军舰艇编队结束南美三国访问回国". 新华网. 11 December 2013.
  6. ^ "南海舰队某驱逐舰支队4艘舰艇组织攻防演练(图)-中新网". www.chinanews.com. Retrieved 2021-05-05.