Chinese warship docked at Cam Ranh port, one of the strongest frigate class

The Chinese fleet visiting Vietnam's Cam Ranh port includes two Type-054A missile frigates, the most modern in the country's navy.

Missile frigate Xiangtan 531 enters Cam Ranh international port

On October 22, two guided missile destroyers Xiangtan 531 and Zhoushan 529 togetherSao Ho supply ship890 of the Chinese navy has docked at Cam Ranh international port (Khanh Hoa), starting a visit to Vietnam lasting until October 26, aiming to strengthen relations between Vietnam and China.

According to defense website IHS Jane's, all three warships in this fleetboth belong to the East Sea Fleet, the force in charge of the waters adjacent to Japan and Taiwan. While the Chaohu 890 is a Type-093A logistics ship, the two shipsThe remaining warships in the formation are all Type-054A class missile frigates, considered the most modern warships in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

The Zhoushan 529 is the lead ship of the Type-054A class, commissioned in 2008. The Xiangtan 531 is the latest to join the PLAN in early 2016.

Designated by NATO asGiang KhaiII, Type-054A is a multi-purpose missile frigate class, which was put into service with the PLAN in 2007. This year, China has put into operation 22 out of a total of 24 ships of the class.Giang KhaiII is expected to close.

According tomilitary analystRidzwan Rahmat of IHS Jane's,Type-054A is one of the most powerful missile frigates in Asia today. The ship is 134 m long, 16 m wide, and has a maximum displacement of 4,053 tons. The Type-054A uses 4 Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC diesel engines, giving a maximum speed of nearly 50 km/h and a continuous operating range of 14,800 km.

Weapon systems on China's Type-054A missile frigate. Photo: Xuan Ngoc

The Type-054A's main attack weapons are eight YJ-83 anti-ship missiles with a range of about 120-180 km. The ship is equipped with a vertical launch system with 32 HHQ-16 air defense missiles (range of 50 km). The Type-054A carries a 76 mm PJ-26 main gun and two 30 mm Type-730 seven-barreled guns for close-range air defense. Anti-submarine weapons include six 324 mm torpedo tubes and twelve 240 mm Type-87 rocket launchers.

China's Type-054A class missile frigates all have a stealthy design, with many slopes on top to disperse radar signals, while the entire hull is covered with radar-absorbing materials and has very few unnecessary details on the outside.

Logistics supply shipSao Ho 890 belongs toType-903A class, began to be introducedCommissioned into the East Sea Fleet in 2013. This is one of eight Type-903A class supply ships operating in the Chinese navy.

Supply ship Sao Ho 890 at the base. Photo: Shipspotting.

The ship is 178 m long, 24.8 m wide and displaces about 23,400 tons, equipped with two diesel engines for a maximum speed of about 36 km/h, a maximum range of 18,000 km. The crew consists of 130 people.

The Type-903A class supply ship can carry 10,500 tons of fuel, 250 tons of fresh water, 680 tons of cargo and ammunition. It is capable of supplying a small fleet of warships like two Type-054As for a long time. For self-defense, the Type-903A has four 37mm J-76F twin-barrel gun mounts. In addition, the ship can carry a Harbin Z-9 multi-purpose helicopter.

According to VNE