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China's newly modified Type 052D destroyer joins latest Type 054B frigate in training, official report footage shows

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Liang Rui Published: Aug 07, 2025 09:51 PM

A Type 052D destroyer, newly modified with an advanced radar, and a Type 054B frigate, China's most advanced frigate, took part together in a recent training exercise conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, according to an official Chinese media report on Thursday.

Recently, the comprehensive replenishment ship Hulunhu, under a naval support ship detachment of the navy of the PLA Northern Theater Command conducted multi-batch, high-intensity integrated maritime replenishment training with multiple types of destroyers and frigates, China Bugle, an official media account of the PLA's news media center, reported on Thursday.

From day to night, the training was carried out under realistic combat conditions, simulating complex battlefield environments, effectively enhancing all-weather and round-the-clock comprehensive support capabilities, China Bugle said.

Video footage attached to the report showed that the Luohe, a Type 054B frigate that just entered service with the PLA Navy in January this year with hull number 545, participated in the exercise.

In a January report, the Xinhua News Agency described the Type 054B frigate as China's independently developed latest generation of frigate. It has a displacement of about 5,000 tons, achieving breakthroughs in terms of stealth technologies, combat command systems and firepower integrated control, with performances in all fields significantly enhanced.

The Type 054B possesses robust comprehensive combat capabilities and the ability to carry out diversified military missions, playing a significant role in enhancing the overall operational effectiveness of naval task forces, Xinhua said, noting the ship represents a critical asset in the transformation and modernization of the PLA Navy.

Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the Type 054B's participation in training demonstrates its rapid combat readiness formation after commissioning.

Before reaching full operational capability, hopefully in next year, the Type 054B is expected to complete more training exercises, such as air defense, anti-submarine, surface attack, escort of aircraft carrier group and far seas voyage missions, Wang said.

In addition to the Type 054B frigate, a Type 052D destroyer with hull number 125 also joined the recent maritime replenishment training exercise, the China Bugle report showed. A separate China Bugle report earlier this week identified this Type 052D as the Cangzhou.

According to images released by China Bugle, the Cangzhou is equipped with a dual-face radar on its main mast, similar to the one found on the main mast of the Type 054B frigate. Previous Type 052Ds have spherical radomes at this place, making the Cangzhou a newly modified version of the Type 052D, observers noted.

Chinese military affairs expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times that the new radar is expected to provide noticeable performance boost to the Type 052D.

This new radar is likely a rotary dual-face active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that complements the four fixed AESA radars on the Type 052D by adding another frequency band at a relatively smaller cost, Fu said. He noted that different bands serve distinct functions, such as target acquisition or fire control.

New upgrades to the Type 052D could mean that this type of warship will remain a mainstay to the PLA Navy's fleet, and more could be built in the future, Fu said.