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| A Chinese Coast Guard Ship (File Photo) |
By Franz-Stefan Gady
Beijing is converting old frigates into coastguard patrol vessels.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has transferred an unknown number of old frigates to the China Coast Guard, IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly reports.
According to the article, work is currently underway to transform two Type 053H2GJiangwei I-class frigates into coast guard cutters at a Chinese naval yard:
Photographs show two ‘Jiangwei I’ frigates alongside at a naval shipyard in Pudong, Shanghai, one of which has had most of its armament removed and the hull painted white. Limited work has been undertaken on the second so far.
The pictures indicate that the ship has largely been disarmed with the YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers, the HQ-61 surface-to-air missile (SAM) launcher, the twin 100 mm gun turret, and two twin 37 mm gun mountings removed. “The two forward twin 37 mm mountings are currently still in place,” however, according to IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly.
Read the full story at The Diplomat