Lead ship delivered in Chinese Navy's new 054B-class frigate series

The lead ship in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy's new 054B-class frigate program, Luohe (漯河艦), has been handed over in a ceremony at a naval facility in Qingdao Port.

Luohe represents a new generation of frigates independently developed and built by China, with claimed breakthroughs in stealth technology, combat command systems and integrated fire control.

With a displacement of about 5,000 tonnes, the class has diversified military mission capabilities, and significantly improves the overall combat capabilities of the navy's fleet.

The 054B frigate utilises electric propulsion and a hybrid diesel-gas turbine. The class features an integrated main mast, which in addition to being able to see phased array radar, seems to have added an X-band radar, potentially to increase the ability to search for UAVs or low-altitude targets.

Present at the ceremony were leaders of the navy, Luohe City, and other relevant military and local departments, representatives of naval scientific research and production units, and officers and sailors of the navy.