# PLA Navy
Latest news and articles about PLA Navy
Total: 8 articles found
From Coastal Raiders to Blue‑Water Guardians: How the PLA Navy’s ‘Sea Tigers’ Repackaged Tradition into Modern Power Projection
The PLA Navy has ceremonially passed the storied “Sea Tiger” mantle to the modern frigate Red River, using the event to showcase institutional reform, rigorous training and an expanding blue‑water operational tempo. The blend of veteran mentorship, political education and technical innovation reflects a PLAN determined to convert legacy prestige into sustained expeditionary capability.
From Oars to Missiles: China’s Navy Recasts a Small-Boat Legend to Inspire a Modern Fleet
China’s PLAN staged a ceremonial handover of the “Sea Tiger” honor from Cold War veterans to the crew of the modern frigate Honghe, using storytelling and ritual to link small-boat heroism to contemporary naval professionalism. The event highlights Beijing’s effort to fuse historical legend with technical modernization to strengthen morale and operational culture in a rapidly upgrading navy.
Sailors' Notebooks and a Navy's Confidence: Inside the Baotou Ship's 'Voyage Diaries'
Personal voyage diaries kept by sailors aboard the PLAN destroyer Baotou provide a window into the Chinese navy’s operational learning, technical integration and morale-building during long deployments. The entries illuminate both the quotidian work of mastering new systems and the strategic aim of projecting steady, professional maritime presence.
China’s J-15T Adapted for Catapult Launches, Signalling a Step-Change in Carrier Aviation
China has introduced a J-15 variant equipped with a catapult tow bar, allowing it to launch from catapult-equipped carriers. This adaptation signals a broader move toward CATOBAR operations that could enhance payload, range and sortie rates for Chinese carrier air wings, though operational and logistical challenges remain.
Luohe Enters the Fleet: China’s 5,000‑ton 054B Frigate Narrows the Gap with Destroyers
China’s first 054B frigate, the Luohe (545), has completed its first year in service, showcasing notable improvements in stealth, sensors and weapons density compared with the previous 054A. The 5,000‑ton ship narrows the capability gap with destroyers and Western frigates, fitting Beijing’s strategy of producing a higher number of capable, cost‑effective surface combatants for extended far‑sea operations.
China’s New 054B Frigate Marks First Year of Operational Integration for a More Networked Navy
The PLA Navy’s first 054B frigate, Luohe (545), has completed its first year of service after commissioning in January 2025, conducting repeated live-fire drills and routine at-sea training. The class is intended to enhance early warning, information processing and integrated combat functions, making it a force-multiplier within fleet networks rather than a standalone game-changer.
One Year In: China’s Luohe Warship Moves from Commissioning to Yellow Sea Readiness Drills
China’s warship Luohe has completed its first year in service, conducting multi-discipline training in the Yellow Sea in March 2025 and departing again for new-year military training assessments. The activity reflects the PLA Navy’s focus on turning new hulls into operational units and signals a steady intensification of naval presence in a strategically sensitive area.
Eastern Theater Navy Begins Intensive Training for Squad and Station Leaders to Harden Frontline Command
An Eastern Theater Navy brigade has begun institutionalized training for squad and station leaders to strengthen political reliability and small-unit capabilities. The program mixes ideological instruction and practical exercises and will be expanded into a regular mechanism to raise frontline leadership across the unit.