These shipyards were previously responsible for the construction of the immediate predecessor, the Type 054A frigate, of which at least 40 units have been produced to date for PLAN. Four more modified Type 054A were built at Hudong for Pakistan. Both Hudong and Huangpu have also produced a modified Type 054A adapted for use by the Chinese Coast Guard, referred to as Type 818, and continue to build a newer re-designed variant with as yet to be confirmed designation.

The new frigate, typically referred to as Type 054B, is despite its designation a wholly redesigned warship that is both longer and wider than the existing Type 054. Estimated to have a length of around 147 meters and a beam of 18 meters, its displacement will likely be around 6,000 tons, and as such about 2,000 tons heavier than 054A. Armament and other subsystems are yet to be confirmed, but will include a VLS and very likely a new double-sided rotating active electronically scanned array-radar (AESA) on the main mast. Apart from the basic dimensions the new images also confirm structural differences in configuration over 054A.

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The Type 054B feature a bulkier superstructure and a bridge set higher. A close in weapon system (CIWS), likely a H/PJ-11 11-barrel 30 mm autocannon is placed ahead of the bridge in an overall similar configuration to Type 052D- and Type 055-destroyers. The main gun will likely be a 76 mm H/PJ-26, also in use on Type 054A and the smaller Type 056/A-corvettes. The configuration and type of the vertical launch missile system (VLS) remains to be confirmed, although 32 cells seem plausible. Reasonably the new ship should see adaption of the new Z-20 ASW- and naval utility helicopter, replacing the lighter and less capable Z-9 in use on Type 054A.

The Type 054B frigate under construction at Huangpu has already been painted and launch appears likely in the next few months. The second hull at Hudong was floated out of the drydock in the beginning of June to make way for a civilian cargo vessel getting launched, but then returned into dock for further work. Nevertheless both Type 054B should see launch well before the end of the year. Sighting of further modules at Hudong also suggests that construction of additional frigates is already underway.

In conclusion PLAN appears to be well set up to transition from the large scale production of Type 054A, which by now has established itself as a workhorse for the Chinese Navy. The new Type 054B will likely serve to provide significant further capability, especially for anti-submarine (ASW) warfare, building on the already very substantial capacity available through the numerous Type 054A – and Type 056A – fleets.

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The waters off India haven’t seen this many naval vessels together since World War II as both China and Western allies deploy more warships in the area, according to senior Indian naval officials familiar with the matter. They estimated about 125 foreign naval vessels were in the Indian Ocean at any given time, roughly three times the number deployed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan.

While Indian officials are confident they can manage the threat for now, a lack of funding threatens the country’s ability to keep pace with China and other nations. Most Indian submarines critical to controlling the oceans are about two decades old, and plans to increase the warship fleet to 200 — including a third aircraft carrier — keep getting delayed.

India now has about 130 warships, roughly a third of China’s naval fleet comprising 350 ships and submarines — the largest in the world. Despite that, last year the navy saw the biggest gap among India’s three military services between requested and actual funds, prompting a parliamentary panel to ask the government to stop making further reductions.

The navy’s budget will be in focus on Feb. 1, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government presents its annual spending plan in parliament. In the last five years, the shortfall between what the Indian Navy requested and what it got ranged from 5% to 41%, the panel of lawmakers said in a 2020 report to the government. In the latest report submitted last month, they said the navy’s allocation was “less than half the amount” it wanted.

“Over time as the region gets more militarized, tension in the area is bound to increase,” said Anit Mukherjee, associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies who wrote a book on India’s military. “The solution for India is to develop the navy if it wants to address its growing diplomatic and strategic needs.”

Chinese warships have been present in the Indian Ocean since 2008, and India is constantly watching three to eight of them that are continuously on patrol, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar told reporters in December. “I want to assure you the Indian Navy is confident of defending India’s maritime interests,” he said.

India has permanently deployed warships at five choke points in the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Gulf of Aden in the west to the Malacca Strait in the east. The waters carry some of 40% of the world’s oil from fossil-fuel producers in the Middle East to some of Asia’s biggest economies.

Last year the Indian Navy carried out an all-time high of 50 joint exercises with friendly navies, including one with Japanese warships around the Malacca Strait, said a senior naval official.

Still, India has been cautious to avoid antagonizing Beijing as the two countries battle along their contested Himalayan borders. Modi’s government has turned down requests from friendly navies to jointly patrol the South China Sea, another naval official said.

India’s navy has sought to demonstrate its reach with humanitarian missions. In 2015, more than 26 countries, including the U.S., turned to India to help evacuate their citizens when civil war in Yemen intensified. Half a dozen Indian warships were able to rescue 4,000 Indian citizens as well as 1,200 foreigners before Port Aden was bombarded.

In the last two years, the naval ships have sailed 40,000 nautical miles — or twice around the earth — carrying food, medicines and weapons to Indian Ocean countries. On Dec. 26, an Indian warship sailed into Mozambique for the first time carrying weapons and humanitarian aid.

Overall leaders in India’s capital have become “more aligned with the Indian Navy’s view of the country’s interest in the maritime domain,” said Nilanthi Samaranayake, a director of the Strategic and Policy Analysis Program at CNA, a U.S.-based research organization. “Especially if it relates to the safety of Indian citizens working overseas and remittances to the national economy.”

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Admiral Kumar, who took over as chief of naval staff on November 30, was addressing his first press conference ahead of Navy Day observed on December 4.

“When there were tensions at the northern borders, our ships were out for mission-based deployment. All other ships were ready for any escalation in the situation,” the new navy chief said, adding, “we kept their (Chinese) ships under close surveillance, which we continue to do even now.”

He added, “Any of their ships coming on deployment, we keep a watch on them. We maintain a fairly good maritime domain awareness in our area of responsibility.”

Last year, amid heightened tensions in eastern Ladakh between India and China, the navy had deployed a large number of ships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from its eastern fleet.

Admiral Kumar further said the Chinese navy had been present in the Indian Ocean since 2008, and three to eight of their ships were deployed in the region at any given time.

He also said the Chinese navy had built 138 ships in the last 10 years and, in terms of naval assets, it had emerged as the largest navy globally. Talking about expansion plans of the Indian navy, Admiral Kumar said over a period of time, it had evolved from 33 ships to a 130-ship force.

Discounting any comparison to the growing Chinese navy, he said the Indian Navy was a potent and well-balanced force. “We don’t go into bean counting or develop capabilities in response to a particular country. We develop capability based on our maritime interests,” he said, adding, “therefore, our planning and preparedness is to ensure preservation of our maritime interests.”

The navy chief further said the Indo-Pacific region was of great importance to India. “We have about $200-billion trade passing through and have our diaspora staying in littorals in the region,” he said.

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