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Frigate Shipbuilding

Tracking frigate shipbuilding is tricky. The definition of a "frigate" has evolved over time, as succesive classes have grown from the 1,500 ton Type 01 Chengdu of 1960 to the 4,300 ton Type 054 Jingkai of 2005, which during the 20th Century would have been classified as a destroyer. The problem becomees all the more interesting with the simultaneous production of the Type 056 Jingdao light frigate / corvette of 1,300 tons, and the 4,300 ton Jingkai, as was the case from 2012 through 2018. By the mid-1970s there were two shipyards producing frigates - Jiangnan and Hudong. Jiangnan got out of the frigate business in the 1980s and for some years Hudong retained a monopoly in the field, until it was joined by Hunagpu around 2003.

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 ships were built in 1988 and 1989. After 1987 Hudong continued to produce FFGs alone while the Jiangnan shipyard produced its first destroyer in 1996. Production during this period was rather sedate, typically two or three ships in a year, though some years saw one or even none.

All this changed with the advent of the 12th Five Year Plan, which began in 2011. Production of the Type 054 Jingkai, which began in 2006, was supplemented in 2012 by the smaller Jingdao light frigate, which was produced at both the two legacy frigate yards [Hudong and Huagpu], as well as two yards that were new to the business - Wuchang and Lioanan. From 2012 through 2018, production at all four yards averaged about a dozen ships of both classes combined. The last Jingkai emerged in 2018, and the year 2019 witnssed an outburst of shipbuilding with 16 Jingdaos entering the water, no doubt in celetration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.

One plausible prognostication would suggest that the legacy frigate shipyards had paused to re-tool in anticipation of initial production of the misleadingly labeled Type 054B Frigate [aka Type 057 Frigate], which may finally see the light of day in the year 2020. Possibly light frigate produciton will cease entirely at all four yards, with some 70 hulls in the water.

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: