After undergoing extensive sea trials, China's first new-generation frigate was delivered to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in Shanghai on Monday afternoon.

The Type 056 frigate is about to be put into service "on a large scale," according to a report released Tuesday by the official PLA Daily.

The frigate delivered Monday was first launched in late April 2012. According to reports and images collected from military forums, at least nine such ships have been built.

The new frigate requires only  a third of the crew needed by its predecessor the Type 053, and is expected to be deployed primarily on escort missions and anti-submarine and naval base protection operations, said the report.

The article said the delivery marked the beginning of a systematic upgrade of the navy's equipment and defense capability.

The vessel features a main gun, anti-ship missiles, a launcher for air defense missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes, according to a previous Global Times report.

"The vessel's armaments are modest compared to larger warships, but it can outgun most rivals it might encounter in the South China Sea," Lan Yun, a defense observer and editor at Modern Ships magazine, told the Global Times.

The new corvette can meet the needs of patrolling the country's territorial waters, where China's sovereignty is being contested by several countries including Japan, Philippines and Vietnam, said Lan on Tuesday.

The new ship will enhance the navy's capabilities in safeguarding national security, territorial integrity, marine sovereignty and other marine interests, the PLA Daily said.

Xinhua - Globaltimes