Just photos: Clear High Res Photos Of Type 054B's 48VLS cells

Photos of second batch of Type 054B guided-missile frigates taken from Shanghai's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard 

 

Also,  I am offline for 12 to 14 days,  see you guys back in early Sept.

 

Bonus photo of 2x Type55 DDG under construction at Dalian shipbuilding up north

 

Monday, August 10, 2026

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.