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| Capability Type 054A Ziyang (Jiangkai II), New Chinese Frigate PLAN |
Beijing - One of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Navy's newest frigate, Type 054A Ziyang (NATO: Jiangkai II), is engaged in its maiden military drills. China Central Television (CCTV) reported Tuesday that Ziyang, with hull number 522, took part in live-fire drills using the main gun and anti-submarine weapons.
Ziyang was assigned to the PLAN's Eastern Theater Command. This ship is tasked with protecting China's national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and China's national interests. The Type 054A frigate is considered capable of playing an important role in China's goal of building a blue water navy, said military observers in Beijing, quoted by the Global Times.
Foreign media reports in 2021 stated that China at that time started building another batch of Type 054A frigates for the PLAN. This is to replace a number of the smaller Type 056 corvettes that have been transferred to the Chinese Coast Guard. Ziyang displaces about 4,000 tons. This ship is capable of performing anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations.