Type 037-II class missile boat
Encyclopedia
The Type 037-II (NATO codename: Houjian class) is a missile equipped corvette
built by Huangpu Shipyard of Guangzhou
for the People's Liberation Army Navy
. A total of six vessels were delivered to the PLA Navy, with one lost in an accident in 2006. They form the main naval defence force currently protecting Hong Kong
.
The first vessel was built in 1990, as a technology demonstrator as well as proof-of-concept vessel, and fired its first missile (C-801) in the 1995 exercise. 3 more vessels were built in 1995/96. Due to technology difficulties, particularly on the license produced SEMT diesel engines, high price, and over sophisticated design in PLAN standard, the production was terminated. A fifth vessel, bort no. 774, was built in 2001, as another proof of concept vessel for the modified SEMT engines with new turbochargers and the Russian-license produced 76 mm gun (AK-176).
4 vessels were built for rotation, with 2 vessels being deployed to Hong Kong each time. The fifth vessel was involved in navigation accident twice. In the first time (2001) it was nearly sunk after crash with a fast ferry servicing the Hong Kong-Guangzhou route. It was on pre-delivery test at that time. In June 2006, it crashed again, with a Chinese freighter, and sunk immediately. 13 servicemen were missing in the accident. The vessel was later afloat again and sent to the shipyard for repair.
This class is sometimes also referred as Huang class.
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
built by Huangpu Shipyard of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
for the People's Liberation Army Navy
People's Liberation Army Navy
The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
. A total of six vessels were delivered to the PLA Navy, with one lost in an accident in 2006. They form the main naval defence force currently protecting Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Development and deployment
The original design was from the US one-off H-3 group, which designed a 245-ton boat, equipped with Harpoon SSM OTO 76mm guns, gas turbine engines and waterjet propulsion. These equipments were however, too complicated for China, and a major redesign began, fitting the boat with C-801 SSM, diesel engines and propellers instead. The OTO 76mm gun was retained in the revised design, called EH-3D (1988) and later 520T (1996), but failed to materialised after the 1989 incident.The first vessel was built in 1990, as a technology demonstrator as well as proof-of-concept vessel, and fired its first missile (C-801) in the 1995 exercise. 3 more vessels were built in 1995/96. Due to technology difficulties, particularly on the license produced SEMT diesel engines, high price, and over sophisticated design in PLAN standard, the production was terminated. A fifth vessel, bort no. 774, was built in 2001, as another proof of concept vessel for the modified SEMT engines with new turbochargers and the Russian-license produced 76 mm gun (AK-176).
4 vessels were built for rotation, with 2 vessels being deployed to Hong Kong each time. The fifth vessel was involved in navigation accident twice. In the first time (2001) it was nearly sunk after crash with a fast ferry servicing the Hong Kong-Guangzhou route. It was on pre-delivery test at that time. In June 2006, it crashed again, with a Chinese freighter, and sunk immediately. 13 servicemen were missing in the accident. The vessel was later afloat again and sent to the shipyard for repair.
This class is sometimes also referred as Huang class.
Specifications
- Displacement: 520 tonTonThe ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
- Length: 65.4 m
- Beam: 8.4 m
- Draft: 2.4 m
- Speed: 32 kn
- Range: 1,800 nmiNautical mileThe nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
@ 18 kn - Propulsion: 2xSEMT-Pielstick 12 PA6 280 diesel engines @ 1,584 hpHorsepowerHorsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
with 3 shafts - Complement: 75
- Armament:
- Anti-ship missiles: 6 C-801/802/803C-802The Yingji-82 or YJ-82 is a Chinese anti-ship missile first unveiled in 1989 by the China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy , also known as the Third Academy...
- Guns: 2 Type 76A 37 mm (II x 1) and 2 AK-230AK-230AK-230 is a Soviet fully automatic naval twin 30 mm gun. Its primary function is anti-aircraft. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar. AK-230 is probably the most popular gun of its class in the world, mounted on big warships as well as small crafts. About 1450 guns...
- Anti-ship missiles: 6 C-801/802/803
- Radars:
- Surface search radar: 1 Type 348
- Navigational radar: 1 I-band Type 765
- Fire control radar: 1 Type 347G