The Yichang (Hull 564) and the Huludao (Hull 565) frigates affiliated with a training ship detachment under the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy conduct a combat exercise at an undisclosed maritime area recently. Photo: Screenshot from China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center.

Two Type 053H3 frigates, formerly key warships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, have been repurposed as training vessels and recently participated in a combat exercise. A military affairs expert highlighted the rapid modernization of China's naval fleet, with advanced frigates like the Type 054A and the newly commissioned Type 054B gradually replacing the older Type 053 series.

A warship flotilla consisting of the Huludao, the Yichang and the Zheng He affiliated with a training ship detachment of the PLA Navy recently carried out a maritime combat training at an undisclosed location, China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the PLA news media center, reported on Wednesday.

Unlike the Zheng He, which was specifically designed as a training ship, the Huludao and the Yichang were originally combat-focused Type 053H3 frigates, according to media reports.

The reassignment of the Type 053H3 frigates to a training ship detachment reflects China's ongoing naval modernization, as the older Type 053 series are being replaced by more advanced Type 054A and Type 054B frigates, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The Type 053 series frigates, just like the Type 051 series destroyers, once played vital roles in safeguarding China's sovereignty and maritime interests. However, with China's advancements in military technology, these vessels are now nearing the end of their operational lifespan, Song said. 

Although the Type 053H3 is no longer among the PLA Navy's most advanced warships, it still serves an important role in training new naval officers and sailors, Song said.

The latest exercise involving the two veteran vessels assessed the crew's command skills, navigation abilities and emergency response readiness. Training drills included  live-fire shooting, maritime replenishment, damage control support for other vessels and ship towing, according to the China Bugle report.

Since the Type 053H3 was designed to be a combat vessel, trainings on this type of ship should be closer to real combat, Song said, noting that the vessel could serve as a good training platform for naval cadets, who will eventually sail with more advanced warships.

On January 22, the PLA Navy commissioned its first Type 054B frigate, the Luohe, at a naval port in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

With the hull number 545 and a displacement of about 5,000 tons, the Luohe is a new generation of frigate independently developed and built by China. It has made breakthroughs in vessel stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integrated control, among other aspects, significantly enhancing its performances, said Xinhua.

After just a little more than a month, the Luohe made its training debut in the Yellow Sea with a China Central Television report in mid-March, with an expert describing the rapid development of the warship's capabilities as astounding and predicting it would become combat-ready soon.