The guided-missile frigate Chaozhou (Hull 595) attached to a naval frigate flotilla under the Eastern Theater Command speeds through wind and waves during a combat training on April 29, 2021.(Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn)

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is reportedly transferring a batch of Type 056 corvettes to the China Coast Guard, with the ships now undergoing retrofitting work. Analysts said on Wednesday that this reflects that the navy has developed to a stage where it no longer needs so many coastal defense vessels, and the coast guard will receive a significant power boost in safeguarding key sea regions, islands and reefs.

About 20 Type 056 corvettes of the PLA Navy are being transferred to the Coast Guard, and the Shanghai-based Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard is customizing some of the ships, Ordnance Industry Science Technology, a Chinese defense industry magazine, reported on Monday.

As part of the customization, air defense and anti-ship missiles are being removed, and LED screens and directional acoustic devices are being added, which are clear indications that the vessels are being converted from naval warships to coast guard cutters, the report said.

Neither the PLA Navy nor the China Coast Guard has officially revealed this transfer plan.

Including the anti-submarine-capable variant, the Type 056A, China built a total of 72 Type 056 series corvettes from 2012 to 2019, which means that they are still relatively new, the report said.

With a displacement of only 1,300 tons, the original Type 056 was equipped with a 76-millimeter caliber rapid-fire gun, two 30-millimeter caliber guns, two double-barrel YJ-83 anti-ship missile launchers, two triple-barrel 324-millimeter caliber torpedo launchers, and an eight-barrel HQ-10A air defense missile system, the report said.

The Type 056 was designed to replace the navy's outdated Type 037 corvette in coastal defense missions, but by 2021, the PLA Navy had received so many more advanced vessels and started to focus more on combat, while the reform of the Coast Guard meant that it would play more roles in safeguarding maritime interests, Ordnance Industry Science Technology said.

Now that the PLA Navy has developed to a stage where it has larger and more advanced warships, its need in coastal combat using the Type 056 corvette has declined, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

When transferred to the Coast Guard, the Type 056 will be a very good choice in coastal law enforcement after being customized, Wei said, noting that by receiving a large batch of the Type 056, the Coast Guard's capabilities can be enhanced without a high budget.

In the hands of the Coast Guard, the Type 056, taking advantage of its original designed purpose as a warship, like its fast speed, can effectively safeguard China's key sea regions, islands and reefs, Wei said.

To the navy, handing over as many as about 20 ships means it is ready to receive more advanced vessels, and the weapons dismantled from the Type 056s can also be mounted on other warships that require upgrades, Ordnance Industry Science Technology said.