Breaking news
Future Algerian Navy's Type 056 corvette begins its sea trials.
According to a tweet published by David Wang on August 27, 2022, the Chinese-made Type 056 corvette for the Algerian Naval Force has begun its sea trials.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link
Future Algerian Navy's Type 056 corvette, China. (Picture source: Weibo)
The Type 056 corvette fills the capability gap between the Type 022 missile boat and the Type 054A frigate. It is 90 meters long, displaces 1500 tons, and incorporates anti-radar features.
The Type 056 is suited for mid-range green-water missions and littoral duties, but not for major blue-water combat operations; it is built with a 15-day endurance for combat missions such as patrol, escort, and protection of EEZ maritime interests within 200 nmi (230 mi; 370 km) from the coast, freeing up larger warships for open ocean deployment.
The Type 056 corvette has a crew of 78 people with a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h), and a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h).
Surface armament is reported as an AK-176 76 mm naval gun, two H/PJ-17 30 mm autocannons, and four YJ-83 anti-ship missiles. FL-3000N surface-to-air missiles are carried in a single eight-cell launcher. Finally, there are two triple-tube 324 mm torpedo launchers, which may carry Yu-7 light ASW torpedoes.
The basic Type 056 is equipped with a Type 347G (LR66) radar and bow-mounted sonar. The Type 056A adds towed array and variable depth sonars (VDS). The class of corvette has a helicopter deck for a Z-9-sized helicopter, but no hangar.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that Algeria ordered a 96-meter "OPV/frigate" in 2020; SIPRI provisionally listed the class as "Pattani". According to social media, the ship is an export derivative of Type 056 and was launched in August 2021.