Chinese Type 054A Frigate Engages Hostile Destroyer in 20 Hour Standoff

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy deployed the Type 054A frigate Honghe to drive away a foreign warship intruding on Chinese territory, resulting in a 20 hour long standoff, according to a new report from state media. Multiple reports indicate that the foreign vessel was a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer, although this remains unconfirmed. It was confirmed that the ship was larger in tonnage, and that the two vessels were approximately two hundred meters away from each other at the closest. Engagements between U.S. and Chinese warships became significantly more common from the early 2010s, after the Obama administration launched the Pivot to Asia initiative aiming to reorient the U.S. Armed Forces towards preparing for war with China. 

Elaborating on the engagement,  a crew member who was onboard the Honghe informed state media: "The foreign vessel manoeuvred to cut us off at a high speed, but we never back down on our own doorstep.” “We carried out emergency loading of munitions as we sailed; fire could be unleashed at any moment with a single trigger press," he added. After a more than 20 hour standoff, the foreign vessel left after finding there was no gap to exploit. Type 054A class frigates prized for their high situational awareness, and integrate Type 382, Type 344, Type 345, MR-36A and RM-1290 radars and powerful sonar systems. Each integrates 32 vertical launch cells capable of carrying HHQ-16 medium range surface-to-air missiles. The ships are also highly capable in anti submarine warfare roles, and are armed with Yu-8 anti submarine rockets.

Since the initiation of the Pivot to Asia, U.S. Navy warships and aircraft have frequently attempted to operate inside Chinese-claimed waters which the United States no longer recognises as part of China, namely various islets in the South China Sea. The U.S. previously recognised these islands as part of the Republic of China when it was in a strategic partnership with the country, with early and mid-20th century U.S. maps showing the territories to be Chinese. This changed, however, as disputing Chinese territorial claims became geopolitically favourable for Washington as part of its new cold war strategy against Beijing. China has deployed advanced assets to safeguard its island territories, and while warships like the Type 054A class are much less well armed than destroyers like the Type 052D and Type 055 class, they are highly capable of challenging attempted incursions into Chinese waters.