The Chinese Type 056 corvette is a numerous series of general purpose, lower end ships – as the name, corvette, implies – that is suited for operations in and around the first island chain where long range and endurance are not a requirement. Reports put the number built at around 72 during the period 2012-2019; an impressive production run that ended in Dec 2019. Contrast that to the anemic US LCS production run.
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| Type 056 Corvette |
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Type 056 Corvette Specifications |
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Length, m (ft) |
90 (295) |
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Displacement, tons |
1500 |
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Speed, kts |
25 |
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Range, nm |
3500 @ 16 kts |
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Crew |
78 |
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Armament |
AK-176 76 mm gun |
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4x YJ-83 (C-803) anti-ship cruise missile |
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8-cell FL3000N anti-air SAM |
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2x triple 324 mm torpedos |
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2x 30 mm |
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Aviation |
Flight deck for 1 medium Z-9 size helicopter |
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Sensors |
Type 347G fire control radar |
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Bow sonar |
The vessel has a compact, stealth design that, visually, appears fairly uncluttered and should be fairly stealthy. The ship uses diesel power and the stern has a waterline mounted ‘ducktail’ flap, similar to that installed on US ships, which improves fuel efficiency.
Various electronics include multiple decoy launchers, jammers, and optical sensors.
The armament and sensors of this small vessel puts the LCS, which is twice the size of the 056, to shame and reveals what a waste of money and resources the LCS is.
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| 8-Cell SAM Launcher |
A second version of the 056, the 056A is specialized for anti-submarine (ASW) duty with the addition of towed array and variable depth sonar (VDS) and looks to be fairly close to what ComNavOps has called for in the form of a small, dedicated ASW corvette. The degree of quieting applied to the ship is unknown. Wikipedia lists 50 of the total 72 corvettes as being the 056A ASW version. Such a fleet of vessels, operating in the somewhat restricted waters inside the first island chain will make it challenging for US subs to operate in the area.
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| YJ-83 Anti-Ship Missile Launcher |
Other variants include Coast Guard and export versions.
Summary
The 056 corvette is a well designed ship which is especially suited for patrol activities inside the East and South China Seas. The armament is quite respectable for the ship’s size. The ASW version is nicely equipped with towed array, VDS, hull mounted sonar, ASW torpedoes, and a helo. Considering the quantity of ASW versions built, this ship will make it difficult for US submarines to operate inside the first island chain.
While we can’t know, for sure, the Chinese intentions, this appears to be a ship that was designed as a E/S China Sea patrol and ASW vessel and the design appears to be well suited to the purpose. This is a good example of defining a role (CONOPS) and then designing the ship to fit that role – exactly how ship procurement should happen. This class can stand as a lesson to US Navy leadership about how to design and build a ship.
