Naval Systems

Type 037IG missile boat

Also known as
  • Houxin class
  • Houxin-class missile boat
  • Type 037-IG
  • Type 037-IG missile boat
  • Type 037/1G
  • Type 343M

The Type 037IG missile boat, also known as the Houxin class, is a Chinese Type 037-derived fast-attack craft introduced in the early 1990s with C-801/YJ-8 anti-ship missile armament. Open sources describe it as a lower-cost alternative to the Type 037II Houjian class, document PLAN hull 752 as a retired museum vessel, and list six Myanmar Navy export boats entering service from 1995 to 1997.

Type 037IG missile boat, Fast-attack missile boat, Naval Systems
Image source: National Maritime Museum of China 28
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Type
Fast-attack missile boat
Service note
Early 1990s to early 2000s
Produced
1989-2004+
Number built
16-24 reported by open sources
Developed from
Type 037I / Haijiu-class submarine chaser

Specifications

Length
62-63 m
Beam
7.2 m
Draft
2.2-2.4 m
Displacement
478-480 tons full load
Propulsion
4 diesels; 13,200 bhp total; 4 shafts
Speed
32 knots
Range
3,200 km at 18 knots
Crew
60-70
Missile armament
2 x twin C-801/YJ-8-family anti-ship missile launchers
Gun armament
2 x twin 37 mm AA; 2 x twin 14.5 mm AA
Sensors
Type 756 navigation/surface-search radar; Type 352E Square Tie missile fire-control radar; Type 347G Rice Lamp gun fire-control radar
Carried Munitions

Open-source references describe the Houxin-class Type 037IG as a C-801/YJ-8 missile carrier, with later Yemen reporting tying that missile family to Al-Mandab-1.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
C-801 anti-ship missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsC-801 anti-ship missileAnti-ship cruise missile

GlobalSecurity lists four C-801 surface-to-surface missiles as the Houxin-class missile battery, while GlobalMil and WeaponSystems.net describe the same missile family under the YJ-8 designation.

Sources: Houxin Class (Type 037-IG / Type 343M) large missile boats, GlobalMil: Type 037-IG Houxin Missile Corvette, WeaponSystems.net: YJ-8

Design And Service Context

The Houxin class adapted the Type 037 patrol-craft lineage for anti-ship work rather than antisubmarine patrol. GlobalMil describes the Type 037IG as using the Type 037I hull with stern antisubmarine equipment removed for YJ-8 missile launchers, while GlobalSecurity characterizes it as a lower-cost missile-armed alternative to the larger Type 037II Houjian class.

Missile role

The class centered on C-801/YJ-8 anti-ship missiles plus close-range 37 mm and 14.5 mm gun armament.

Export lane

SeaForces lists six Myanmar Navy Type 037IG Houxin-class boats, entering service from 1995 through 1997.

Yemen reporting

One Army Recognition account reports Yemeni Type 037IG boats with YJ-8/C-801 missiles, but CSIS and other Yemen missile-provenance sources identify the C-801 boats as Type 021/Hounan, so the available sourcing supports missile-carrier context rather than documented Type 037IG combat use.

Timeline

Type 037IG missile boat Key Events

  1. Yuqing launched

    Xinhua says the Type 037IG museum vessel Yuqing was built by Shanghai Qiuxin Shipyard and launched in May 1991.

  2. Yuqing named

    Xinhua records January 1992 as the month when hull 752 received the name Yuqing.

  3. Myanmar deliveries begin

    SeaForces lists the first two Myanmar Navy Type 037IG Houxin-class missile boats as entering service in 1995.

  4. Six-boat Myanmar group complete

    SeaForces lists six Myanmar Navy Type 037IG boats, with the last two dated 1997.

  5. Yuqing retired

    Xinhua says Yuqing formally left the People's Navy combat order in August 2014 before its museum transfer.

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Sources

Houxin Class (Type 037-IG / Type 343M) large missile boatsPublisher: GlobalSecurity | Note: Supports the Type 037IG Houxin-class builder, production background, C-801 armament, sensors, and listed specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army Recognition: Red Sea arsenal analysisPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports one reported Yemen Type 037IG/YJ-8-C-801 transfer claim; stronger Yemen missile-provenance sources identify the C-801 boats as Type 021/Hounan, so this source is used only as caveated background. | Accessed: 2026-07-01The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports the C-801-family identification for Al-Mandab-1 and the caveat that CSIS traces Yemen's C-801 stocks to Type 021 boats rather than Type 037IG boats. | Accessed: 2026-07-01GlobalMil: Type 037-IG Houxin Missile CorvettePublisher: GlobalMil | Note: Supports the Type 037IG/Houxin designation, Type 037I hull lineage, Qiuxin Shipyard attribution, 1991-1997 build run, Myanmar export context, YJ-8 missile fit, range, and sensor details. | Accessed: 2026-07-01A Low-Visibility Force MultiplierPublisher: National Defense University Press | Note: Supports the Houxin / Type 037/1G platform identity, Qiuxin/Huangpu shipyard attribution, fast-attack missile-craft role, reported in-service count, and first-hull service year; its missile-family label differs from the C-801/YJ-8 fit in other sources. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Xinhua: Yuqing missile boat transferPublisher: Xinhua | Note: Supports hull 752 Yuqing as a retired PLAN missile boat, Shanghai Qiuxin Shipyard construction, May 1991 launch, January 1992 naming, August 2014 retirement, and 2015 museum transfer. | Accessed: 2026-07-01The Paper: Yuqing 752 museum vesselPublisher: The Paper | Note: Supports the identification of retired hull 752 Yuqing as a Type 037IG vessel at the National Maritime Museum of China and lists dimensions, displacement, and August 2014 retirement. | Accessed: 2026-07-01National Maritime Museum of China 28Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC0 licensing for the gallery image showing the National Maritime Museum of China outdoor vessel display. | Accessed: 2026-07-01WeaponSystems.net: YJ-8Publisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports C-801/YJ-8 missile-family specifications and identifies a YJ-8A launch image as coming from a Type-037-IG / Houxin missile boat. | Accessed: 2026-07-01SeaForces: Myanmar Navy ShipsPublisher: SeaForces Online | Note: Supports the Myanmar Navy Type 037IG Houxin-class missile-boat listing, dimensions, displacement, ship names, and 1995-1997 service dates. | Accessed: 2026-07-01