Chinese frigate Changzhou (549)

Changzhou (549) is a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 30 May 2011.

Changzhou underway on 5 April 2011
History
China
NameChangzhou
Namesake
BuilderHudong–Zhonghua Shipbuilding, Shanghai
Launched18 May 2010
Commissioned30 May 2011
IdentificationPennant number: 549
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

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

Changzhou was launched on 18 May 2010 at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai. Commissioned on 30 May 2011.

During the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic, on February 17, 2020, the Liberation Army Daily disclosed that a number of officers and soldiers in the eastern theater of the People's Liberation Army are being quarantined for observation, including Yu Songqiu, captain of Changzhou. According to reports, the theater is adopting measures such as strict management, temperature measurement and disinfection, and returning to the team to isolate, and will adjust the plan to try to ensure that the annual training mission is not affected.[3] The report quoted Yu Songqiu as saying that he himself was under observation in the guest house of a certain detachment, and some officers and soldiers of various units were also under quarantine observation, but the work was smooth and orderly, and the enthusiasm for training and preparation was unabated. In order to return to the team early and complete the isolation as soon as possible, he stopped his vacation and returned to the camp on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. He is currently using the free time of isolation to study training problems.[4]

References

  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. "新冠肺炎:東部戰區多名官兵被隔離 包括常州艦艦長". on.cc東網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  4. "抗疫不误战斗力 防控不松战备弦 - 解放军报 - 中国军网".


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