People’s Republic of China People’s Liberation Army (Navy) Hengshui (FFG 572) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for Rim of the Pacific 2016.
The class is planned to comprise 24+ vessels. As of 2016, 22 are in service, 1 is fitting out, and 2 are under construction.
The Type 054A carries HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles and various anti submarine rockets in a VLS system. The HQ-16 provides area air defence from all engagement angles up to a range of 50 km, a considerable improvement over the HQ-7 carried on the Type 054 which have inferior range and limited engagement angles.
The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.