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China commissions first Type 054B frigate

By Ridzwan Rahmat |

The PLAN's first Type 054B frigate, Luohe , which was commissioned on 22 January 2025. (VCG via Getty Images)

China has commissioned the first of its next-generation Type 054B class of guided-missile frigates.

The warship, which has been named CNS Luohe, was commissioned at a ceremony held at the military base in Qingdao on 22 January, China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) disclosed in a statement on the same day.

While the MND's statement did not provide further details on the unit that Luohe will be commissioned into, Chinese Communist Party-sponsored media outlet China Daily reported on 22 January that the frigate will serve with the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN's) North Sea Fleet.

No further details were provided on Luohe other than the fact that it displaces close to 5,000 tonnes.

Luohe was launched by China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai in 2023. It is one of two Type 054B frigates that have been constructed for the PLAN, with the other being built by Huangpu Shipyard in Guangzhou. The second vessel is also believed to be close to completion.

Satellite imagery suggests that Luohe has an overall length of about 147 m and an overall beam of about 18 m. This makes the ship significantly larger than its predecessor, the Type 054A, which has an overall length of about 134 m and an overall beam of 16 m.

Images accompanying the MND's statement on the commissioning confirm that Luohe has been armed with a 32-cell vertical launching system (VLS) in the forward section and launchers for anti-surface missiles amidships.

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