China Commissions New Stealth Warship Into East Sea FleetThe People’s Liberation Army Navy’s latest stealth frigate was entered service on December 29.
By Franz-Stefan Gady
December 29, 2016
https://thediplomat.com/2016/12/china-commissions-new-stealth-warship-into-east-sea-fleet/ The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned a new warship, the Type 054A Jiangkai II-class frigate Binzhou, into its East Sea Fleet on December 29, according to images that appeared on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website.
It is the ninth Type 054A frigate to enter active service with the East Sea Fleet, the PLAN’s oldest fleet assigned to patrol the East China Sea. One of the fleet’s primary responsibilities is to support an amphibious invasion of Taiwan in the event of war. Type 054A frigates are also the mainstay of PLAN escort and patrol missions in the South China Sea.
The Binzhou is the 23rd Type 054A frigate on active duty with the PLAN and constitutes the cornerstone of China’s surface warfare capabilities. The PLAN expects to commission another four Type 054 frigates by 2018. According to a cost estimate published in The Diplomat, the per unit price is set at around $348 million.
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