China Type 054B Frigate Joins Liaoning Carrier Group for Live Fire Drills

China's newest Type 054B frigate Luohe has joined the Liaoning carrier strike group for live-fire drills in the Western Pacific. The Silicon Review reports on the advanced warship's first far-seas deployment and its role in the carrier formation.

China's People's Liberation Army Navy has deployed its most advanced frigate, the Type 054B Luohe, as part of the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group conducting live-fire drills in the Western Pacific east of the Philippines. This marks the first time the new frigate class has participated in a carrier task group since entering service last year.

The Japanese Defense Ministry's Joint Staff reported on Tuesday that the carrier group was spotted about 880 kilometers southwest of Okinotorishima, Japan's southernmost point. The formation includes the Liaoning, Type 055 destroyer Wuxi, Type 052D destroyer Kaifeng, the Type 054B frigate Luohe, and Type 901 replenishment ship Hulunhu.

The Type 054B frigate represents a significant generational leap over its predecessor, the Type 054A. It is approximately 147 meters in length with a displacement of around 5,500 to 6,000 tons, making it notably larger and more capable. Key improvements include an integrated electric propulsion system that allows it to exceed 30 knots, solving the previous class's inability to keep pace with carrier groups at high speed.

Military experts highlight the frigate's enhanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities as a critical addition to the carrier group. The Type 054B features an enlarged flight deck capable of operating the Z-20F anti-submarine helicopter, offering dramatically greater search range than the older Z-9C deployed on Type 054A frigates. Its advanced integrated mast incorporates active electronically scanned array radar, providing superior detection and electronic warfare capabilities.

Within the carrier formation, the Type 054B works in a high-low coordination model with the Type 055 destroyer. The Type 055 handles long-range air defense and strike missions, while the Type 054B focuses on anti-submarine warfare and outer-layer air defense, a concept similar to US carrier strike group layered defense architecture.

The PLA Navy announced on May 19 that the Liaoning group would conduct far-seas tactical flight training, live firing, support and cover exercises, and integrated search and rescue . The training demonstrates that China's newest frigate has developed full far-sea operational capabilities and is steadily strengthening its combat effectiveness in distant waters.

As China's Type 054B frigate makes its carrier force debut with the Liaoning for live-fire drills, The Silicon Review examines how this advanced warship bridges the gap between the Liaoning's capabilities and those of China's newer carriers, while fundamentally upgrading the strike group's anti-submarine warfare capabilities in the Western Pacific.