054B First Time Accompanies Liaoning in the First Island Chain, PLA Navy Aircraft Carrier Group Addresses Anti-Submarine Shortcomings

On May 25, at noon, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force monitored the Liaoning carrier group approximately 880 kilometers southwest of Okinotorishima. This coordinate itself is not surprising, as the Liaoning has conducted training in the Western Pacific multiple times over the past few years. What is truly interesting is that there is a new name on the list of the group: the Jiangkai III-class frigate 545, commonly referred to as the 054B-class lead ship Luohé.

On May 28, the Japan Joint Staff Office released English materials listing five ships: Liaoning 16, 055-class destroyer 104, 052D-class destroyer 124, 054B-class frigate 545, and 901-class comprehensive supply ship. The materials also stated that on May 26, Japan observed the Liaoning conducting takeoffs and landings of carrier-based fighter jets and helicopters. The South China Morning Post subsequently referred to this operation as the first public appearance of the 054B accompanying the aircraft carrier group in training exercises in the Western Pacific. The author believes this is more noteworthy than simply counting how many sorties the Liaoning has flown.

Why a Frigate is Important

The shortcomings of an aircraft carrier group typically do not lie on the deck, but rather outside of it. The Liaoning's aviation operational capabilities, the efficiency of the J-15, and the long-range support provided by the 901 supply ship have all been observed repeatedly over the past few years. However, for an aircraft carrier to operate continuously outside the First Island Chain, the real challenges are underwater threats and low to medium altitude saturation targets. The 055 is responsible for long-range area air defense and group command, the 052D takes on medium to long-range air defense and anti-ship tasks, while the 054B's role is more about filling in the dirty and labor-intensive tasks of anti-submarine warfare, short-range air defense, and low-intensity maritime control.

There is not much public information about the 054B. Xinhua News Agency has disclosed that its full-load displacement is about 5,000 tons, which is significantly larger than the 054A. A report forwarded by China Military Online in March emphasized that the Qinzhou ship employs stronger computing capabilities and algorithms to reduce blind spots in air defense detection and engagement; the report also mentioned that this type of ship plays the role of the "last line of defense" in anti-submarine escort missions. These statements carry an official promotional tone, but the direction is clear: the 054B is not meant to replace the 055, but to ensure that the aircraft carrier group can maintain sensors and weapons online in more directions simultaneously.

In simple terms, an aircraft carrier group is not about gathering the most expensive ships together. The 055 is powerful, but using a 10,000-ton destroyer to handle every submarine contact and every low-altitude target tracking is neither cost-effective nor reasonable in terms of command burden. If the 054B can be mass-produced, it can help distribute these routine escort tasks. Its significance lies not in being a single advanced ship, but in whether it can become a standard component of the Chinese aircraft carrier group.

From Training Ship to Oceanic Group Changes

The Liaoning was often referred to as a training aircraft carrier in its early days, a term that has become somewhat outdated. It is still constrained by the ski-jump deck and the payload limitations of the J-15, making it impossible to transform into an electromagnetic catapult platform like the Fujian; however, it can serve as a carrier for a training mechanism for oceanic groups. On May 19, the Chinese Navy publicly stated that the Liaoning carrier group was conducting training in the Western Pacific, with subjects including oceanic tactical flight, live-fire exercises, support cover, and comprehensive rescue. The formation observed by Japan on May 25-26 corresponded exactly to this training framework.

There is also an easily overlooked detail: Japanese materials mentioned that the 054B 545 and the 901 supply ship had already crossed the waters between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island into the Pacific on May 19. This indicates that it was not a temporary "meeting for a photo op" in the open sea, but had been participating in the group’s transit since the beginning of the chain. For a new type of frigate that will only be commissioned in January 2025, entering oceanic carrier tasks in about 16 months is quite rapid.

However, the author does not agree with interpreting this as the 054B being fully mature. Accompanying the aircraft carrier is one thing; whether it can stably complete anti-submarine searches, low-altitude target allocation, and data link integration in a complex electromagnetic environment is another. Anti-submarine warfare, in particular, cannot be proven by just a few training exercises. The underwater acoustic environment, helicopter sortie rates, towed array reliability, and crew interpretation experience—any one of these could become a shortcoming. Current public information can only indicate that the 054B is being integrated into the aircraft carrier tactical system, but it cannot prove that it has solved all problems.

Production Capacity is More Worth Watching than Performance

From an industrial perspective, the key issue with the 054B is not the appearance of the 545 this time, but how many can be built subsequently and how long it will take to form a stable production batch. The Chinese Navy already has a large number of 054A frigates, which have previously undertaken anti-piracy, oceanic escort, and group accompanying tasks. However, the 054A's tonnage, sensor redundancy, and future upgrade potential are limited, and as the activities of US and Japanese submarines intensify in the Western Pacific, continuing to rely on the 054A for outer-layer anti-submarine escort will become increasingly challenging.

If the 054B enters continuous production, it will fill a very practical gap: the 055 and 052D are high-value air defense backbones, while large platforms like the 076, 075, and 901 need escorting, and the future Fujian will also require more anti-submarine and surveillance nodes once it achieves combat capability. What the Chinese Navy lacks is not a one-time display, but a pool of escort ships that can be rotated, maintained, and trained. The larger this pool, the more likely the aircraft carrier will transition from "occasional oceanic training" to "higher frequency forward presence."

From a geopolitical perspective, the location is equally sensitive. Approximately 880 kilometers southwest of Okinotorishima is at the outer edge of the air and sea passage intersection towards Japan, the Philippines, and Guam. The Liaoning training here can not only practice carrier-based aircraft takeoffs and landings beyond the First Island Chain but also test the group’s communication, supply, and anti-submarine deployment under the surveillance systems of the US and Japan. With the addition of the 054B, the PLA Navy is not showcasing a larger presence, but rather a more complete structure of oceanic groups.

Public Sources

• The Japan Joint Staff Office released materials on May 28 titled "Activities of the Chinese Navy Aircraft Carrier," listing five ships in the Liaoning carrier group and observations of carrier-based aircraft takeoffs and landings.
• The Chinese Ministry of Defense announced on May 19 that the Liaoning carrier group was conducting training in the Western Pacific, detailing subjects such as oceanic tactical flight, live-fire exercises, and support cover.
• A report on March 30 by China Military Online regarding the 054B Qinzhou ship disclosed official statements about the ship's stealth, algorithm-assisted air defense, and escort anti-submarine capabilities.
• The South China Morning Post reported on May 27 that the 054B-class frigate publicly accompanied the Liaoning aircraft carrier group in training exercises in the Western Pacific for the first time.

What should be closely monitored next is not whether the Luohé was next to the Liaoning this time, but whether the second and third 054B will soon appear in the Shandong and Fujian groups. If the 054B is only used in small quantities for trials, its significance is limited; if it begins to enter in batches into the aircraft carrier and amphibious groups, then the PLA Navy's shortcomings in oceanic operations will truly begin to be addressed through engineering solutions.