【Jane's Defence: China's third 054B-class frigate under construction】
According to a report on the website of British Jane's Defence Weekly on January 21, 2026: Satellite images taken on January 10 showed that the Shanghai-based Changhai Changxing Island Shipyard is building another 054B-class missile frigate for the Chinese Navy.
In the images, the ship is moored side by side with another large hull in a dry dock, with a heavy gantry crane spanning the dock area, and multiple construction platforms surrounding the warship. The hull assembly has entered the late stage, with part of the superstructure completed and the bow clearly visible.
The ship's elongated hull configuration and enclosed bow design both conform to the stealth characteristics of the 054B-class frigate, further confirming that this will be the third vessel of this model. Scaffolding and modular components nearby indicate that work is still ongoing above the deck, while the presence of large cranes and engineering vehicles for later construction suggests that this frigate may be launched within the next few months.
Jane's Defence believes that the appearance of the third hull indicates that China has started mass production of this type of frigate after the first ship "Luohe" and the second ship "Qinzhou" were commissioned in 2025.
The 054B-class frigate features a larger hull, more powerful weapons systems, and more advanced sensor systems, marking China's intention to deploy these surface combat ships for long-range operations. Although official parameters have not been released, images and official media reports show that the ship is approximately 147 meters long and 18 meters wide, an increase from the 134 meters × 16 meters dimensions of the 054A-class.
Statement: The equipment data above comes from the report on the Jane's Defence Weekly website.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854921655909659/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.