Type 054B FFG Ready for Launch at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong — and Possibly 48 VLS cells

Another Type 054B is sliding toward launch at Huangpu, as is tradition the Chinese internet, they immediately broke into debate over hull numbering. It’s part of the PLA‑watching sport at this point.

Some insist this is Huangpu’s 5th hull, others swear it’s the 6th. The confusion is predictable: Huangpu and Hudong‑Zhonghua are building 054Bs in parallel, and the “5th hull” many people reference is actually the one taking shape in Shanghai. Tomato, tomahto, the numbering "debate" is mostly noise.

The signal is the production tempo. The PLAN already has two 054Bs commissioned, and rumors point to eight more in the second batch. That puts the class on track for roughly ten ships in service within a few years, keeping up the下饺子 pace.

But the real headline isn’t whether this hull is #5 or #6. It’s the early zoomed‑in photos suggesting that the second‑batch 054Bs may be moving from 32  vertical launching system (VLS)  cells into 48 of the Type54B class. If confirmed, that’s a meaningful jump in flexibility and firepower and arguably the bigger story than the hull count.

Happy Monday for all of your VLS counters out there.  

36 to 48   vertical launching system (VLS) cells.  32 on the first two

 

 Now, look at the 2nd batch of Type54B below

 

 

 

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

A new Type 054B frigate is now taking shape at Guangzhou’s Huangpu Shipyard.

Some of you will remember the classic era of China‑Navy watching when dedicated enthusiasts would literally camp outside the big shipyards in Dalian, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. Back then, blurry fence‑line photos were prized intel, and some of them ended up on this blog.

As Chinese milblogs and satellite imagery became more accessible, the community gradually shifted from on‑the‑ground snapshots to analyzing high‑resolution overhead imagery instead. 

Still, it’s always refreshing to see a genuine shipyard photo surface again. There’s something about that old‑school, boots‑on‑the‑ground perspective that satellite pictures just can’t replace.

 

Sunday, March 01, 2026

Third Type054B FFG spotted

After the first two Type 054B frigates entered PLAN service in early 2025, many wondered whether production would continue at the same pace. That concern now seems misplaced: a third Type 054B has been spotted under construction at the Pudong Changxingdao shipyard in Shanghai, a clear sign that the class remains firmly in the pipeline as a core “blue‑water” general‑purpose combatant moving forward.

Looking back at the broader Type 054 program, the pattern is familiar. China typically builds an initial pair of ships, conducts a period of intensive evaluation and refinement, and only then moves into full‑rate production for a larger batch. The emerging trajectory of the Type 054B appears to be following that same proven approach.

 

 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

PLAN commissions first Type054B frigate

PLA Navy commissions first Type 054B frigate
By Global Times Published: Jan 22, 2025 10:12 AM

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1327355.shtml


The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's first Type 054B frigate, the Luohe, is commissioned on Wednesday, given the hull number 545, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

With the hull number 545 and a displacement of about 5,000 tons, the Luohe is a new generation of frigate independently developed and built by China. It has made breakthroughs in vessel stealth technology, combat command systems, and firepower integrated control, among other aspects, significantly enhancing its performance.

The ship possesses strong comprehensive combat capabilities and diversified military mission capabilities, which are of great significance for improving the overall combat effectiveness of naval warship formations. It is an important piece of equipment for the transformation and development of the Chinese navy, according to Xinhua. 

 

Official acknowledgment of the day: JL-1 ALBM on the H-6N

 So, we finally have it: official acknowledgment that the JL-1 air-launched ballistic missile is operational enough to be shown mounted on an H-6N. This is the first time Beijing has essentially confirmed — yes, it flies on the bomber built for it.

Cast your mind back to the September parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in WWII. A whole buffet of new weapons rolled past the cameras, each prompting the usual internet debates. Everyone's entitled to an opinion, that's what the internet is for. I, for one, also have an opinion. Shocked, right?

But this one is huge different, and I'm not talking about the size of the missile.

The JL-1 is a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile, and its appearance on the H-6N is the clearest signal yet that the PLA has closed the last gap in its nuclear triad. Land, sea, air — all three legs now have a credible standoff option.

CCTV is now reporting the JL-1 mounted on a H-6N Bomber. That's a big, not subtle. Even more interesting: the footage shows the single H-6N escorted by two J-20s — a visual hint at how the PLA imagines this system being protected en route to its launch point.

For context:

• Shanghai → Los Angeles: ~10,400 km
• J-20A ferry range: ~4,000–5,000 km
• JL-1 ALBM range: ~8,000 km with H-6N, the missile itself ~ 3500 km

Anyone can do the math. Anyone tracking Chinese strategic reach already has.

Now, the usual caution: even with official confirmation, we still don't have the full picture. Range figures (which could vary significantly under real operational conditions), payload assumptions (plenty of those floating around from people who write as if they work inside the CMC building in Beijing), and operational doctrine all need more data. I'll leave it to the professionals to sort out what the numbers actually mean once they've finished poking at the footage and the phrasing.

But as far as public signals go? This is a big one.

 

 

Thursday, June 05, 2025

Photos Of The Day: A possible air refuelable PLAAF strike package

YY-20 + J-15 + J-20 + H-6N

 

 

Friday, January 03, 2025

Power Projection PR Of The Day: H-6N "President Xi's soft-power on display," Mid Air Refueling

PLA watchers have had a busy two months, with stealth fighters, new assault ships, and a new Y-20-based KJ3000 AWAC.  However, one aspect is being overlooked: the "fully operational" status of the new H-6N air-launched ballistic missile carrier. With mid air refueling, those punch packing ALBM could reach-out-to-the-second-island-chain and touch someone.

Fear not; judging by several literature on the H-6N, professionals are paying attention to this important advancement. 

Friday, November 29, 2024

Photo Of The Day: H-6N, first offical patrol in the news

 WATCH: A Chinese J-16 fighter jet escorted two Chinese H-6N bombers and a Russian Tu-95 bomber during the 9th China-Russia joint strategic air patrol over the Sea of Japan on Friday. (Video: CCTV)

 

 Here are photos from Japan Self Defense force

 

You can watch the video from X

https://x.com/globaltimesnews/status/1862421626375348677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1862421626375348677%7Ctwgr%5Ea749355362e2a6d7ac6974834bdac0833c286882%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheaviationist.com%2F2024%2F11%2F29%2Fchina-russia-joint-patrol-sea-of-japan%2F

Sunday, July 28, 2024

PLAAF Unit of the day: Central Theater Command Air Force Bomber Brigade,

This "Central Theater Command Air Force Bomber Brigade" is organic to Central Theater Command, and unlike other military units, there's no Military Unit Number (MUN) assigned.  The H-6N ALBM Carrier, also known as "President Xi's soft-power on display," is housed in this unit.

 

Bird number:  55031, 55032, 55033, and 55034 below

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Chinese Navy's H-6N flying with hypersonic glide missile

 

 

Just Photo: Close up, WS10C engine Of J-20

 From PLAAF's weibo

From Katyusha to PHL‑03 and now PHL‑191 — the long, strange history of the PLA’s most famous artillery brigade. And, Taiwan

On August 6th, China News Service dropped a new PR video on YouTube praising an artillery brigade. Cute production values, lots of smoke trails, and the usual “heroic silhouettes against sunset” aesthetic. But the interesting part isn’t the same old PR video, good quality but still PR, it’s why this particular unit got the spotlight.

PLA lineage:

The Katyusha era:  This unit was formed in September 1945 in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region (晋察冀军区) as the 8th Brigade, then expanded into the 12th Division, 11th Column of the Northeast Field Army during the Chinese Civil War. It converted from an infantry division into the 21st Artillery Division, its three infantry regiments expanded into five artillery regiments, making it the first PLA unit issued BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers. It entered Korea in 1952, returned to China in October 1953, was reorganized in February 1955 under the PLA's Soviet-style restructuring (1955 was a huge year in PLA history). It followed the classic Soviet artillery model: heavy guns, howitzers, anti-tank artillery, and — the part that made it famous — Katyusha rocket launchers.

The Katyusha regiment assigned to the 11th was the first rocket artillery ever issued to a PLA field unit, and that alone made the division stand out. It had plenty of artillery, but the rockets were its prestige piece, the elite badge of the era.


1985 From division to Group Army asset:

During the 1985 PLA downsizing, the 11th Artillery Division was reorganized and absorbed into the 40th Group Army, becoming the key artillery formation of the Shenyang Military Region.

When the PLA finally fielded its first modern heavy MLRS, the PHL-03 300mm system, the 40th Group Army's artillery brigade was the first unit to receive it. Tradition matters in the PLA, and the old Katyusha lineage still carried weight.

2015–2017 reforms — goodbye 40th, hello 79th

The big structural overhaul wiped out the old seven Military Regions and replaced them with today's five Theater Commands. The PLA's 18 group armies were renumbered into 13 new formations (71–83).

The 40th Group Army didn't survive the transition. Its personnel and equipment were folded into the 79th Group Army, part of the Northern Theater Command, facing what I'll call "The Best Korea™."

The artillery brigade that inherited the 40th's lineage and its habit of being "first in line" for new toys. It is now the 79th Artillery Brigade, 79th Group Army, Northern Theater Command.

 

PHL-191 — the newest chapter in the lineage:

Following tradition, the 79th Artillery Brigade is now confirmed as the PLA's first operator of the PHL-191, the modular long-range MLRS that replaces the PHL-03.
This is the logical continuation of the Katyusha → PHL-03 → PHL-191 lineage.
Same unit family, same mission, same prestige slot.

Why this matters?  Because of range, geography, and doctrine: 

 The PHL-191's 370mm rockets (the domestic version of the export Fire Dragon 280 / BRE-6) have a range of 300 km.
Compare that to the older PHL-03:

• Early rockets: 130 km
• Later rockets: 150 km

That range difference is a key consideration regarding Taiwan:

A PHL-03 had to be parked at the narrowest point of the Taiwan Strait (Pingtan) just to reach Taiwan's western coastline. From most of Fujian's coast, it simply couldn't reach inland targets.
 

A PHL-191 absolutely can and it does so with:

• Cheaper rockets than equivalent-range missiles
• Inertial guidance plus BeiDou satellite correction
• Modular pods that can swap calibers and warheads
• Mass-production potential the PLA loves

So,  the PLA finally has a long-range, high-volume, low-cost fires system that fits perfectly into its "Special Military Operation"

 

 
The fun historical tidbit

The unit firing those rockets today is the same lineage that fired the first Katyusha in PLA history.
Different era, different doctrine, different hardware  but the same tradition:
 

"Give the new rockets to the old rocket guys."