Chinese frigate Xuzhou (530)

	Xuzhou underway on 19 November 2015
History
China
Name	Xuzhou
Namesake	Xuzhou; (徐州);
Builder	Huangpu, Shanghai
Launched	July 2007
Commissioned	27 January 2008
Identification	Pennant number: 530
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 054A frigate
Displacement	4,053 tonnes (full)
Length	134.1 m (440 ft)
Beam	16 m (52 ft)
Propulsion	Shaanxi 16 PA6 STC diesels, 5700 kW (7600+ hp @ 1084 rpm) each
Speed	27 knots estimated
Range	8,025 nautical miles (9,235 mi; 14,862 km) estimated
Complement	165
Sensors and ; processing systems	Type 382 Radar; Type 344 Radar (Mineral-ME Band Stand) OTH target acquisition and SSM fire control radar; 4 × Type 345 Radar(MR-90 Front Dome) SAM fire control radars; MR-36A surface search radar, I-band; Type 347G 76 mm gun fire control radar; 2 × Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band; MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system; H/SJG-206 towed array sonar; ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system; HN-900 Link 11A/B, to be upgraded); SNTI-240 SATCOM; AKD5000S Ku band SATCOM;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	Type 922-1 radar warning receiver; HZ-100 ELINT system; Kashtan-3 missile jamming system;
Armament	1 × 32-cell VLS; HQ-16 SAM; Yu-8 anti submarine rocket launcher; 2 × 4 C-803 anti-ship / land attack cruise missiles; 1 × PJ26 76 mm dual purpose gun; 2 × Type 730 7-barrel 30 mm CIWS guns or Type 1130; 2 × 3 324mm Yu-7 ASW torpedo launchers; 2 × 6 Type 87 240mm anti-submarine rocket launcher (36 rockets carried); 2 × Type 726-4 18-tube decoy rocket launchers;
Aircraft carried	1 Ka-28 'Helix' or Harbin Z-9C
Aviation facilities	hangar

Xuzhou (530) is a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 27 January 2008.

Development and design

The Type 054A carries HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles and anti-submarine missiles in a vertical launching system (VLS) system. The HQ-16 has a range of up to 50 km, with superior range and engagement angles to the Type 054's HQ-7. The Type 054A's VLS uses a hot launch method; a shared common exhaust system is sited between the two rows of rectangular launching tubes.^[1]

The four AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS) of the Type 054 were replaced with two Type 730 CIWS on the Type 054A. The autonomous Type 730 provides improved reaction time against close-in threats.^[2]

Construction and career

Xuzhou was launched on 30th September 2006 at the Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou. Commissioned on 1st January 2008 in Zhoushan.^[3]

On September 26, 2014, Xuzhou, along with the East China Sea Fleet of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, organized a real-fire drill in a complex underwater acoustic environment in a certain area of the South China Sea, and conducted continuous attacks on submarines by surface fleets and successive submarine ambushes, and research and practice for other subjects.^[4]

In February 2016, Xuzhou launched a major exercise mission in the East China Sea. On March 20, an accident occurred when the oil pipeline ruptured on the way back. Fortunately, the crew handled it in time to avoid flashover. On March 26, Xuzhou began to continue its mission.^[5]