The Bangladesh Navy is set to purchase specialised anti-submarine warfare frigates in what is seen as a response to the Myanmar Navy’s acquisition of an ex-Indian Navy Kilo class conventional powered submarine.
Sources in the Bangladesh Navy informed the Defseca.com Correspondent about the ongoing purchase of further off-the shelve guided missile frigates in light of the Chittagong Dry Dock Ltd’s delayed indigenous frigate program which will involve establishment of a state-of-the-art naval shipyard, design house, testing facilities and various types of modern shipbuilding workshops.
Companies from the Netherlands, France, Italy, China and United Kingdom presented their offers to the Bangladesh Navy in light of the indigenous frigate program.
The Bangladesh Navy will procure the refurbished frigates until newly built frigates start being commissioned.
Currently a specialist committee consisting of officers from various departments of the Bangladesh Navy are negotiating with Poly Technologies Inc for two Type 054 guided missile frigates.
China has a strategic and economic interest in providing the frigates to Bangladesh in light of India’s growing defence ties with Myanmar.
Poly Technologies Inc already sold the Bangladesh Navy four Type 053H3 frigates, two Type 053H2 frigates and a Type 053H1 frigate. CSOC also sold four new Shadhinata class guided missile corvettes and two missile armed Durjoy class large patrol craft besides providing design and material packages to build dozens of patrols and anti-submarine warfare warships.
About the Jiangkai I/Type 054 guided missile frigate
Having the NATO codename Jiangkai I the frigate is China’s first truly multi-role warship first commissioned in to service in 2005. The warships superseded the Type 053H3, which have also been procured by the Bangladesh Navy.
Two ships including Ma’anshan (525) and Wenzhou (526) were completed before production switched to the improved Type 054A guided missile frigate.
The design of the Jiangkai I features stealthy hull with sloped surfaces, radar absorbent materials and a reduced superstructure clutter. The main armaments include YJ-83 sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missiles in two four-cell launchers. It remained the FM-90N (HQ-7) SAM, itself an improved version of the French Crotale from the preceding Jiangwei II class frigates having 8 ready to fire missiles and 16 stored in the automatic reloader.
Short range defence was improved with four AK-630 CIWS turrets. A 100 mm main gun, also based on a French design, was mounted.
Both ships were powered by four CODAD Type 16 PA6 STC marine diesel engines designed by SEMT Pielstick, each generating 6,330 hp. Licenses for the engines were sold to China in April 2002, where they were built by the Shaanxi Diesel Engine Factory.
The Type 054 resembled the French La Fayette-class frigates in shape and displacement. In addition, the Chinese used French, or French-derived, electronics and weapons. The French exported these systems to China in the 1980s, and later granted production licences. These systems were similar to those used on the La Fayettes in the 1980s.
| Pennant number | Name | Builder | Commissioned | Notes |
| 525 | Ma’anshan | Hudong | February 2005 | |
| 526 | Wenzhou | Huangpu | November 2003 |
Technical specifications
| Type | Guided missile frigate |
| Displacement | 3,900 tons full load |
| Length | 134 m |
| Beam | 16 m |
| Draught | 5 m |
| Propulsion | Combined diesel and diesel (CODAD), 4× SEMT Pielstick 16 PA6 STC diesels, 5700 kW (7600+ hp @ 1084 rpm) each |
| Speed | 27 kn (50 km/h) estimated |
| Range | 8,025 nautical miles (14,900 km) estimated |
| Complement | 180 |
| Electronics | Type 363S (Thomson-CSF DRBV-15 Sea Tiger) 2D air/surface search radar, E/F band; Type 345 (Thomson-CSF Castor-II) fire-control radar for HQ-7 SAM, I/J band; Type 347G Rice Lamp fire control radar for AK-630 CIWS guns, I-band; MR-36A surface search radar, I-band; Type MR34 100 mm gun fire control radar; 2 × Racal RM-1290 navigation radars, I-band; MGK-335 medium frequency active/passive sonar system; ZKJ-4B/6 (developed from Thomson-CSF TAVITAC) combat data system; HN-900 Data link (Chinese equivalent of Link 11A/B, to be upgraded); SNTI-240 SATCOM |
| Electronic warfare & decoy equipment | Type 922-1 radar warning receiver; HZ-100 ECM & ELINT system |
| Armaments | 2× 4-cell YJ-83 (C-803) anti-ship missiles; 1× HQ-7 8-cell SAM launcher 1× Type 210 100 mm naval gun; 4× AK-630 6-barrel 30 mm CIWS guns; Triple 324 mm YU-7 ASW torpedoes; Rocket launchers, possibly ASW rockets or decoy rockets |
| Aircraft | Harbin Z-9C or equivalent |
| Aviation facilities | Hanger and deck for medium helicopters/UAVs |
