Asia Defense | Security | East Asia

China’s New Type 054B Frigate Joins Liaoning Carrier Group for First Time in Western Pacific

Japan confirmed the first known deployment of a Jiangkai III-class frigate as part of a PLAN carrier strike group, highlighting China’s accelerating blue-water naval integration.

The Luohe, a Type 054B frigate in service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy, during its commissioning in Qingdao, China, July 28, 2025.

China’s newest generation frigate, the Type 054B, has for the first time been confirmed operating as part of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) aircraft carrier Liaoning’s strike group in the Western Pacific, marking another milestone in Beijing’s accelerating blue-water naval ambitions.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced on May 26 that the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) had monitored the Chinese carrier Liaoning and four accompanying warships sailing about 880 kilometers southwest of Okinotorishima, the southernmost island in Japan, on May 25. The following day, Japanese forces also confirmed repeated takeoffs and landings of carrier-based fighter jets and helicopters from the Liaoning.

The deployment itself was not unusual. In recent years, the PLAN has increasingly normalized carrier operations beyond the so-called First Island Chain, stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines, as part of its broader push toward sustained blue-water operations in the Western Pacific. Chinese carriers have also begun operating beyond the Second Island Chain, although such deployments still remain rare. What drew particular attention this time, however, was the presence of the PLAN’s newest frigate class, the Type 054B, known by NATO as the Jiangkai III-class.

According to the Japanese defense ministry, the Type 054B frigate Luohe (hull number 545) was operating alongside the Liaoning, a Type 055 large destroyer, and other escort vessels. This appears to mark the first confirmed case of a Type 054B participating in a Chinese carrier strike group deployment.

This composite image, provided by the Japanese Ministry of Defense, shows the Liaoning aircraft carrier (top) and the Luohe Type 054B, frigate (bottom) during their operations in the Western Pacific, May 25-26, 2026.

The deployment comes just over a year after the Luohe entered service in January 2025, suggesting the PLAN is rapidly integrating the new platform into fleet operations and carrier strike group activities.

The Type 054B is widely regarded as the successor to the PLAN’s Type 054A frigate, which has served as one of China’s primary multirole escort warships for more than a decade. While the exact specifications of the new class remain unclear, analysts believe the Type 054B incorporates major upgrades in sensors, anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and long-range operational endurance.

Chinese military media have promoted the ship as a “new-generation frigate” featuring improved phased-array radar systems, upgraded sonar, enhanced stealth characteristics, and more advanced combat management systems. Chinese reports have also claimed that artificial intelligence-assisted battle management systems reduce air defense blind spots and improve response times during complex fleet operations.

The Type 054B is also believed capable of operating the Z-20F anti-submarine warfare helicopter, giving it improved ASW capabilities compared to earlier PLAN frigates. This is particularly important for carrier escort operations, where........

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