First Type 056 Class Corvette / Light Frigate Commissioned

The lead ship of the Type 056 class with pennant number 582 of the Chinese Navy has been commissioned into service after completing trials. The official ceremony was shown on state television, which revealed a closer look inside the ship.

The ship is one of 10 hulls that have so far been launched or commissioned within a year at 4 different shipyards. The Type 056 has:

• a length of 95.5 m
• a beam of 11.6 m
• a draft of 4.4 m
• a speed of 28 knots 
• a crew of 60
• a displacement of about 1300 tons

The ship has a landing pad for helicopters but no hangar. The Type 056 have also been modified at the bow, stern and funnel prior to commissioning.

The Chinese Navy classifies the Type 056 as a frigate. By western standards, the Type 056 would be a corvette, a designation the Chinese Navy currently does not use.

Similar variations in ship classifications can be found in other Navies, where different definitions can be used. For instance, some of the latest Russian corvettes would be classified as frigates by western standards.

The Type 056 is also being marketed for export with the Bangladeshi Navy having ordered 2 hulls from China, build to its own specifications. In Chinese service, the current Type 056 is fitted with:

• one 76 mm H/PJ26 dual-purpose main gun
• an 8-cell HHQ-10 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS)
• two 30 mm guns alongside port and starboard
• 2x2 YJ-83 anti-ship missiles
• 2x3 324 mm torpedoes

The ship has been designed to have a low radar cross section.

The Type 056 will succeed the Type 037 and Type 053, while only requiring a fraction of the crew needed by its predecessors. The ships will primarily serve in escort, anti-submarine and anti-ship missions.

Credit original poster, via Chinese Internet