Type 056 / Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette

The Type 056 / Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette is a Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy corvette family built for littoral patrol, escort, and coastal warfare duties. Reference sources describe the Type 056 as the baseline class and the Type 056A as the anti-submarine-warfare variant, with the family built across multiple Chinese shipyards and fitted with a 76 mm gun, anti-ship missiles, and torpedo tubes.

Type 056 / Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy corvette and anti-submarine-warfare corvette family, Naval Systems

Image source: Type 056 corvette in ShangHai.jpg

Profile

Origin: People's Republic of China
Built by: Hudong-Zhonghua ShipbuildingGuangzhou Huangpu ShipbuildingWuchang Shipbuilding Industry GroupDalian Liaonan Shipyard
Type: Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy corvette and anti-submarine-warfare corvette family
Service note: 2013-present
Produced: 2012-2021
Number built: More than 70 hulls across Type 056, Type 056A, and export variants
Variants: Type 056 baseline corvette, Type 056A anti-submarine-warfare variant, P18N export corvette

Also Known As

Type 056
Type 056A
Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette
Jiangdao-class corvette
Jiangdao-class light frigate
Jiangdao-class patrol corvette

naval surface warfare anti-ship anti-submarine warfare maritime patrol stealth

Specifications

Displacement: About 1,500 tons
Length: About 90 m
Speed: About 25-28 knots
Crew: About 78
Armament: 76 mm main gun, anti-ship missiles, close-in air defense launcher, and triple torpedo tubes
Sensors: Type 360 air/surface search radar; Type 347G fire-control radar; Type 056A variants add bow sonar and towed-array or variable-depth sonar

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Entered service in 2013 and expanded into the Type 056A anti-submarine variant from 2014; later Type 056 hulls were transferred out of PLAN service while Type 056A units continued in active use.
Used by: People's Liberation Army Navy, China Coast Guard, Foreign operators

Timeline

Type 056 / Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette Key Events

Mar 12, 2013
First Type 056 enters service
The first Type 056 corvette entered PLAN service in March 2013, beginning the class's operational run.
Sources: Jiangdao Type-056 Frigate/Corvette (FFL)
Feb 17, 2021
Final Type 056A corvettes commissioned
Chinese naval reporting and defense coverage described the commissioning of the final Type 056A corvettes, marking the end of the family build-out for the PLAN.
Sources: Jiangdao Type 056A ASW Variant

Type 056 / Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette Images

Type 056 / Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy corvette and anti-submarine-warfare corvette family, Naval Systems - view 1 — Source: Type 056 corvette anti-ship missiles.jpg

Type 056 / Type 056A Jiangdao-class corvette, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy corvette and anti-submarine-warfare corvette family, Naval Systems - view 2 — Source: Type 056 corvette FL-3000N 8-round SAM launcher.jpg

Related Weapon Systems

Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette, Corvette class, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsBraunschweig-class / K130 corvetteCorvette classThe Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette is a German Navy coastal warfare corvette class built by a German shipyard consortium led by Lurssen and Blohm+Voss. Bundeswehr describes the class as optimized for shallow coastal waters, with stealth shaping, a 61-person crew, RBS15 Mk3 anti-ship missiles, RAM point defense, and maritime surveillance duties in UNIFIL off Lebanon.

Project 20380 / Steregushchiy-class corvette, Missile corvette, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsProject 20380 / Steregushchiy-class corvetteMissile corvetteProject 20380, known to NATO as the Steregushchiy class, is a Russian Navy guided-missile corvette family built by Severnaya Verf and Amur Shipyard for coastal escort, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and amphibious-support missions. The class uses a reduced-radar-signature hull and superstructure, carries a 100 mm gun and Uran anti-ship missiles, and remained in active Russian service into the Russia-Ukraine War.

D'Estienne d'Orves-class / A69 type aviso, Aviso / light corvette class, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsD'Estienne d'Orves-class / A69 type avisoAviso / light corvette classThe D'Estienne d'Orves-class, also known as the A69 type aviso, is a French-built light corvette class ordered for coastal anti-submarine defence and later used for escort and overseas presence missions. The class used diesel propulsion, reached 23.5 knots, and originally carried Exocet missiles, a 100 mm gun, torpedoes, and a 375 mm rocket launcher.

Project 22160 patrol ship, Large patrol ship, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsProject 22160 patrol shipLarge patrol shipThe Project 22160 patrol ship is a Russian large patrol vessel class built by the Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky for territorial-water patrol, exclusive economic zone monitoring, and Black Sea Fleet missions. Named for the lead ship Vasily Bykov, the class combines a helicopter-capable hull with modular mission spaces and long-range endurance.

Amiral Ronarc'h-class frigate, Multi-role frigate class, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsAmiral Ronarc'h-class frigateMulti-role frigate classThe Amiral Ronarc'h-class frigate is Naval Group's FDI family, a compact French multi-role combat ship with digital and cyber-secure architecture. The lead ship began sea trials in 2024, was delivered to the French Navy in October 2025, and later started a long-duration deployment before expected active service in 2026.

Brandenburg class / F123 frigate, Anti-submarine frigate class, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsBrandenburg class / F123 frigateAnti-submarine frigate classThe Brandenburg class / F123 frigate is a four-ship German anti-submarine frigate class built in the 1990s for the Deutsche Marine. The class combines a 139-meter hull, Sea Lynx helicopters, a 16-cell Mk41 vertical launch system, a 236-person crew, and a sonar-centric escort fit, and Brandenburg later served as an Operation Atalanta flagship off Somalia.

Sources

Jiangdao Type-056 Frigate/Corvette (FFL)Publisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the family overview, coastal-patrol and general-presence role, baseline Type 056 background, and the Type 056A anti-submarine variant context. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Jiangdao Type 056A ASW VariantPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the Type 056A anti-submarine-warfare variant and its place in the Jiangdao family. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Jingdao Type-056 FrigatePublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the class specifications including displacement, length, speed, crew, sensors, and weapon fit. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Category:Type 056 frigatePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the class designation, country of origin, operators, manufacturer list, total-produced figure, and media provenance context. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Type 056 corvette in ShangHai.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports primary image provenance for a Type 056 corvette photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Type 056 corvette anti-ship missiles.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for a Type 056 corvette photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-25 Type 056 corvette FL-3000N 8-round SAM launcher.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for the Type 056 family's close-in air-defense launcher fit. | Accessed: 2026-06-25