Amid rising tensions with neighbours China's navy has inducted its first advanced stealth frigate, the state media reported today.
The PLA is about to recieve 20 new frigates of the class in order to replace its older fleet of frigates. The new ships which requires only one-third of the crew needed by its predecessors will be used for primarily for escort missions and anti-submarine operations, said the report. The Type 056 Jiandao class ship was delivered to the country's eastern fleet based in Shanghai.
Armed with state of the art sensors and electronic counter measures the ship features a sleek design to reduce its radar signature. Apart from this the ship is armed with modern anti-ship and anti-aircraft systems like the YJ-83 anti-ship missiles.
China has been upgrading the Navy's firepower capabilities in order to secure its maritime interests in the region with new warships including the aircraft carrier 'Liaoning' being commissioned into service recently.
