The Type 053H3 (NATO reporting name: Jiangwei II) is a class of Chinese frigates that entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in the 1990s and 2000s. The class comprised ten vessels, all of which remain in active service including two which have been sold to the Bangladesh Navy.Jane's Fighting Ships, 2023-24 Edition, ISBN 978-0-7106-3428 3, page 145. They were a follow-on of the Type 053H2G frigate class. The used by the Pakistan Navy was based on the Type 053H3.
History In the 1980s, the PLAN ordered Shanghai-based Hudong Shipyard (now Hudong–Zhonghua Shipyard) to build a replacement for the Type 053K air defence frigate. The new class was based on the Type 053H2 frigate and designated Type 053H2G. Development was carried out under Project 055.
The Type 053H2G was slightly larger than the Type 053H2, and equipped with HQ-61B surface-to-air missiles (SAM). The HQ-61 proved unsatisfactory and the class was quickly superseded by the Type 053H3, which was an improved Type 053H2G equipped with HQ-7 SAMs. The HQ-7 was a Chinese-produced version of the French R330 Sea Crotale. Ten Type 053H3s were produced between 1996 and 2005.
The most obvious visual distinction between Type 053H2 & H3 are: The Type 053H3's have HQ-7 instead of HQ-61B SAMs, 8 C-802 anti-ship missiles instead of 6, and aft AAA mounts elevated compared to the 053H2. The Type 053H3 class was briefly equipped with HQ-61B SAM system before being replaced by HQ-7 during upgrade. Some sources claim that the upgraded version is also called Type 057.
Transfers to Bangladesh The earliest two units, Jiaxing and Lianyungang, were selected in 2020 for sale to Bangladesh. However, Putian was subsequently substituted for Jiaxing. Both ships were recommissioned in the Bangladesh Navy in November 2020 and renamed as shown below.
Mid-life upgrade A limited, mid-life upgrade was observed for the 053H3 starting in 2015. Visible difference include the replacement of the ESM/EW suite/radars to similar systems from the Type 054, replacement of the HQ-7 with the HHQ-10 short range air defense missile and replacement of the 4 × Type 76A 37 mm guns with a new 2 × Type 630 30 mm CIWS similar to the Gryazev-Shipunov AO-18K.
Ships of class Number Pennant Number Name Namesake Builder Launched Commissioned Fleet Status 1 521 嘉兴 / Jiaxing City of Jiaxing Hudong, Shanghai 10 August 1997 August 1998 East Sea Fleet Active 2 522 连云港 / Lianyungang City of Lianyungang Hudong, Shanghai 8 August 1997 January 1999 East Sea Fleet Sold to the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Umar Farooq (F-16). 3 523 莆田 / Putian City of Putian Hudong, Shanghai 10 August 1998 December 1999 East Sea Fleet Sold to the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Abu Ubaidah (F-19) 4 524 三明 / City of Sanming Hudong, Shanghai December 1998 25 December 1999 East Sea Fleet Active. 5 564 宜昌 / City of Yichang Huangpu, Guangzhou October 1998 December 1999 North Sea Fleet Active / Relegated to training role 6 565 葫芦岛/ City of Huludao Huangpu, Guangzhou April 1999 July 2000 North Sea Fleet Active / Relegated to training role Originally Yulin, with South Sea Fleet; renamed to Sanya in 2008, then changed to Huludao in April 2013 and transferred to the North Sea Fleet. 7 566 怀化 / City of Huaihua Hudong, Shanghai January 2001 2 June 2002 East Sea Fleet Active. 8 567 襄阳 / City of Xiangyang Huangpu, Guangzhou August 2001 September 2002 East Sea Fleet Active. Ex-Xiangfan, renamed in June 2011. 9 528 绵阳 / City of Mianyang Huangpu, Guangzhou 30 May 2004 October 2004 North Sea Fleet Active. 10 527 洛阳 / City of Luoyang Hudong, Shanghai 1 August 2004 January 2005 North Sea Fleet Active.
See also List of frigate classes in service
Equivalent frigates of the same era
References
External links
Sino Defense Today