China Naval Shipyard launches fourth Type 054AP frigate for Pakistan.

According to a tweet published by Louis Cheung on December 24, 2021, the Chinese Naval Shipyard Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding launches the fourth Type 054A/P frigate for the Pakistan Navy.
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Chinese-made Type 054A/P frigate (Picture source: 燃烧的哈尔科夫)

On 1 November 2019, China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding held a steel cutting ceremony for the Pakistan Navy’s third and fourth Type 054A/P frigates.

The Type 054A (Jiangkai II) frigate is a class of Chinese multi-role frigates, the first of which entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force in 2007. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate, using the same hull but with improved sensors and weapons.

The frigate carries HQ-16 medium-range air defense missiles and anti-submarine missiles in a vertical launching system (VLS) system. The vessel's VLS uses a hot launch method; a shared common exhaust system is sited between the two rows of rectangular launching tubes.

The four AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS) of Type 054 were replaced with two Type 730 CIWS on the Type 054A.