China's navy has commissioned a new-generation frigate as competition rises with the U.S. and other regional powers, saying the ship will “play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness" of its forces. China already has the world's largest navy in terms of number of hulls, although its technology is sometimes seen as lagging. Its largest competitor, the U.S., has warned its Navy could be outnumbered and has called for a building program as well as reforms to put damaged ships into action sooner.
China's People’s Liberation Army Navy operates mainly in waters off the Chinese east coast and in the huge and strategically crucial South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. A key mission also remains backing up the army in any attack on Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off the Chinese coast that Beijing has vowed to annex by force if necessary.
The first Type 054B frigate, christened the Luohe, was commissioned Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in northern China where the PLAN’s northern fleet is based. The ship has a displacement of approximately 5,000 tons and includes stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integration, “significantly enhancing overall performance,” the navy said.
