Questions on Chinese Naval designations

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 02-11-02 AT 10:32 AM (GMT)]Sorry guys didn’t think this would get any reponse in the ‘General’ forum. I know there are few in-the-know Chinese contributors that post here often so I thought here would be best for a question like this.

I am working on Asian Navies Overview 2002-3 and I am trying to clarify – once and for all – the Type numbers for PLAN destroyers and frigates. I want to know official numbers.

1. Why is the new ‘168’ DDG known as the Type 52B? And the LUHAI known as Type 51B when the LUHU is known as the Type 52?

2. Why Type 53 for the ‘Jianghu’ and ‘Jiangwei’ class frigates?

3. A few years ago on an old Chinese Military website the LUHAI class was dubbed the Type 54. I think this may have been an error, or was there some truth in this designation? When I co-wrote an article on the PLAN 2 years ago for Warships:International Fleet Review magazine we used ‘Type 54’ for the LUHAI class.

All comments and help will be most appreciated. 🙂

Regards, Glenn.