The Hengshui Type 054A Class Frigate was delivered and commissioned to the Navy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on July 9, 2012. With the hull number of 572, the Hengshui frigate has adopted various types of advanced weaponry and equipment and features optimal ship-body design. It is China’s independently-developed 054-A type GM frigate and has such combat functions as anti-ship, anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, fire support and so on. The Type 054A (NATO codename Jiangkai II) frigate is a class of Chinese multi-role frigates, the first of which entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in 2007. The class is planned to comprise 24+ vessels. As of 2016, 22 are in service, 1 is fitting out, and 2 are under construction. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate, using the same hull but with improved sensors and weapons.
