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Frigate Shipbuilding

The early years of building frigates (FF and/or FFG) began in the early 1960s with the FF Type 065 Jiangnan-class. Western sources diverge on what particular shipyards were involved, but the ones mentioned are the Guangzhou, Shantou, and Jiangnan shipyards. In the mid-to-late 1970s a second class was built at the Hudong shipyard, the FFG Type 053K Jiangdong-class. Serious production of FFGs began in 1976. From 1976 to 1987, the main shipyards involved in construction were Hudong and Jiangnan. Jiangnan shipyard produced thirteen frigates over an eleven year period between 1976 and 1987; one frigate, the Kaifeng was either renamed or scrapped. Jiangnan shipyard produced two more frigates sometime after 1987, with production rates averaging about one per year, it is speculated these two boats were built in 1988 and 1989. After 1987 Hudong continued to produce FFGs alone while the Jiangnan shipyard produced its first destroyer in 1996. In 2005 the Huangpu shipyard began producing FFGs.

As of 2006 there were two shipyards producing frigates, the Hudong and the Huangpu.

Hudong Shipyard

The Hudong Shipyard was founded in 1928 and is located on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The first known frigates to be completed from this shipyard were the FFG Type 053HT Jianghu-III and, the FFG Type 053HT-H Jianghu-IV; both were completed in 1986. Prior to this date, there were a total of six frigates produced; however, exact completion dates are unknown. In order to speculate on the build rates of the past, we will look to the build rates of the mid-1980s through 2005. From 1986 through 2005, a total of 23 frigates were produced; on average that is approximately one frigate per year. Working backwards then projecting one boat per year for the years prior to 1986, we speculate the completion of the first frigate at the Hudong shipyard was 1980. The frigates completed in 1984 and 1985 were sold to Egypt.

This shipyard has maintained a build rate of one boat per year on average, despite a three per year for three years run in the early 1990s. It is projected that the Hudong shipyard can produce approximately one FFG every year. This shipyard has also proven, in relation to frigate building, that if necessary, it can produce three boats per year as meets P.L.A.N.’s requirements. As of 2006 there had been a total of nine frigates exported to three different countries, all of the Jianghu-class Type 053 and variants thereof. The following is a list of countries who have received frigates from China: