China’s launches next gen frigate

China’s first Type 054B frigate. Pic/AP

China's navy has commissioned a new-generation frigate as competition rises with the US and other regional powers, saying the ship will "play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness" of its forces. The first Type 054B frigate, christened the Luohe, was commissioned Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in northern China where the PLAN's northern fleet is based.

The ship has a displacement of approximately 5,000 tonnes and includes stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integration, "significantly enhancing overall performance", the navy said. The Luohe's armaments include a variety of machine guns for close combat and anti-air and anti-ship missiles, according to defense publications, some of which say the ship could become the backbone of the Chinese navy.

China already has the world's largest navy in terms of number of hulls, although its technology is sometimes seen as lagging. Its largest competitor, the US, has warned its navy could be outnumbered and has called for a building programme as well as reforms to put damaged ships into action sooner. China's People's Liberation Army Navy operates mainly in waters off the Chinese east coast and in the huge and strategically crucial South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety.

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