Type 065 Jiangnan-class Frigates

The Type 065 Jiangnan [Kiangnan]-class frigates [also designated destroyer escorts] were built in China based on a modified Riga-class design obtained from the Soviet Union, using diesel rather than steam turbine propulsion. The Chinese were unable at that time to replicate the Soviet compact high-pressure steam turbines.

In 1962, the No. 701 Institute began the research and design of the Type 65 frigate. Sources contradict themselves about what frigate was launched and where. The first was apparently 529 Haikou, at Huangpu, commissioned in August 1966. The first ship was built in 1963 in the Guangzhou shipyard. A second frigate was built two years later, and both ships were delivered to the PLAN in 1966. Western sources diverge as to exactly which shipyards were engaged in this project.

Jiangnan-class frigate was the first type of frigate designed by China and built with Chinese-made equipment and materials. The frigate has a length of 90.0 meters, a width of 10.2 meters, a draft of 2.92 meters, a normal displacement of 1146 tons, a full-load displacement of 1249.5 tons, a maximum speed of 23 knots, a range of 2700 nautical miles / 16 knots, and 148 crew members (including 12 officers) , Wind resistance level 8, self-sufficiency for 10 days. The ship is equipped with three 100-mm single-tube guns, four 37-mm dual-tube machine guns, two 250-mm five-tube anti-submarine rocket launchers, and four 432-mm six-tube deep-water bomb launchers.

Type 65 artillery frigate was China's first self-developed medium-sized main warship above 1,000 tons. The ship overcomes difficulties in the development process, and constantly optimizes the ship design according to the existing conditions, so that the actual performance of the ship has reached a relatively satisfactory level and has withstood the test of wind and waves and actual combat. The successful development of this type of ship laid the foundation for Chinese large and medium-sized surface combat ships to go from imitation to self-development.

The service of Type 65 frigates has enabled the Chinese Navy to have ships that can compete with surrounding forces in the South China Sea. Compared with this type of ship, the naval ships of the countries surrounding the South China Sea had no advantages. It is needless to say that the North Vietnamese navy was still close to China. At this time, the South Vietnamese navy had only one frigate and five submarine hunters and 2 minesweepers, Malaysia has 1 frigate and 8 minesweepers, Thailand has 6 old frigates, and the strongest is the Indonesian Navy, with 1 Sverdlov-class cruisers , six destroyers, and six frigates, but most of their warships were purchased from the Soviet Union, and rarely play a role in tropical climates and poor maintenance. For example, Sverdlov-class cruisers have rarely participated in operations. After China's four 65-type ships joined the South China Sea Fleet, it formed a great advantage.

Type 65 frigate is the first type of medium-sized surface combat ship designed and built by China's shipbuilding industry for the first time. It not only provides the shipbuilding industry with the opportunity to practice, but also reflects the very clear targeting in the ship design. In limited circumstances, both the performance of the warship and the delivery date are guaranteed, so that the relationship between the cost, time and performance of the ship is well balanced. Moreover, "Everything is difficult at the beginning" is only for an air-conditioning system.

All kinds of groundbreaking work have made this type of warship occupy a very important position in the history of the development of Chinese warships. The power of Chinese ships changed from DC to AC, and this was the beginning on this ship. The crew collected the meteorological data of the ports in the South China Sea.

The basic mission of Type 65 frigate is to escort the ship formation; patrol vigilance and fishery surveillance in offshore areas. It can also be used to participate in landing and anti-landing operations and to deploy mines.

From 1965 to 1969, the five "Jiangnan" class frigates built by China greatly enhanced the strength of the South China Sea Fleet, and important escort and alert tasks were guaranteed. Over the years, the Type 65 frigate has performed various voyage missions, withstood the test of a 12th typhoon and sailed safely for more than 100,000 nautical miles.

The design of the Type 65 frigate was successful and the construction quality was excellent. The type of frigate won the "National Science Conference Excellent Achievement Award" in 1978. This type of artillery frigate is the first medium-sized main warship above 1,000 tons developed by China. Chinese research and design personnel have overcome great difficulties such as lack of data and lack of supporting equipment during their development. According to the existing conditions at that time, they have continuously optimized the design of the ship to make the actual performance of the ship reach a relatively satisfactory level. Withstood the test of storms and actual combat. The successful development of this type of ship laid the foundation for China's large and medium-sized surface combatants to move from imitation to self-development.