China Coast Guard and Patrol vessels

chuck731 said:

I suspect any nation with a coast guard would regard its coast guard as an reserve force in case of armed conflict. So these ships almost certainly have space, electrical power, wiring, and possibly also protection built in to swiftly receive substantial armament without any significant modifications to existing structures and interior partition.

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IMO due to budgetary constraints, I suspect many coast guard cutters around the world are not built to strict military specs. For example, the MSA01 is a 5,400 ton cutter, and the construction cost has been cited at 350 million RMB ($55.7 million USD):


In previous discussions on this forum, the construction cost for 1,000 ton cutter in China is 100 million RMB (~$16 million USD) and 1,500 ton cutter at 120 million RMB (~$20 million USD).

While these coast guard cutters and OPV's can be up-gunned, most will never approach the capabilities of a real warship. However, the 056 corvette may be an exception. It's cheap enough to build as a OPV, but can be armed to serve the role of a light frigate.

adeptitus said:

IMO due to budgetary constraints, I suspect many coast guard cutters around the world are not built to strict military specs. For example, the MSA01 is a 5,400 ton cutter, and the construction cost has been cited at 350 million RMB ($55.7 million USD):

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In previous discussions on this forum, the construction cost for 1,000 ton cutter in China is 100 million RMB (~$16 million USD) and 1,500 ton cutter at 120 million RMB (~$20 million USD).

While these coast guard cutters and OPV's can be up-gunned, most will never approach the capabilities of a real warship. However, the 056 corvette may be an exception. It's cheap enough to build as a OPV, but can be armed to serve the role of a light frigate.

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I didn't say they were built to military standards or can ship armaments comparable to a purpose built warship of their size. But they probably have provisions for very respectable armament. For example, space reservation for 57 or 76mm gun, more 20-30mm guns on the bridge wings, spaces for light or medium AshM, space for some air defence heavier than ManPAD.

Hai Jing 3306 (Hai Jian 83/Hai Jing 3383 class) to the left of Hai Jing 1401 in asif iqbal's picture is definitely prepared for armaments: forward of the bridge are bases for two anti-aircraft guns (23/25/30 mm).

Jeff Head said:

Thanks, Bltizo, I had not seen this. That will be interesting to see.

Are there any pics of what these 12,000 ton "cutters" will look like? Artists impressions or anything like that?

...and, I might add, with a 76mm gun, arguably it will be more heavily armed than the Legend Class which has a main armament of a 57mm gun. Now, the Legend also has a 20mm Phalanx CIWS and four .50 cal MGs, but I am sure the Chinese cutter will have smaller weapons as well.

But the 76mm gun will out range the 57mm and probably be rapid fire and DP as well.

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Unfortunately we don't have any drawings of the 12,000 ton monster yet. I too am curious as to just how such a "cutter" will be shaped... When it arrives it'll definitely be a one of the kind class. Not many coast guard ships have a displacement bigger than something like 95%+ of the world's major surface combatants. I think only zumwalt, slava, kirov are equal or bigger.


There are some artists impressions of other cutters however, seemingly showing the AK-176 gun:

3000 t cutter x6 on order


1500 t cutter


Another 3000 t cutter x12 on order


5000 t cutter x4 on order




hmmvw graciously posted a very comprehensive list over on CDF, of the various new law enforcement ships on order or recently finished builds for CCG. Note how the true displacements are bigger than the actual displacements (e.g.: the 4000t cutter is actually a few tons from 5000t full loaded):

2 x 10000t CMS (12000t, JNCX)
4 x 5000t CMS(based on MSA01 hull, 5418t, WC)
4 x 4000t CMS (based on Rescue ship hull, 4896t, HP)
10 x 3000t CMS (based on CMS83 hull, 3980t, HP 5 + WC 5)
12 x 3000t FLEC (CMS conventional 3000t class cutter hull, ~3450t, GSI 5 + HP 3 + Xingang 4)
1 x 3000t FLEC (electric, 3450t, WC)
7 x 1500t CMS (new helicopter capable cutter, 1850t, WC 3 + HP 3 + Xingang 1)
3 x 1500t Customs (Not much info)
12 x 1000t FLEC (1600t, Jinlu 4 + Chuanchuan 3 + Xiachuan 3 + Shanhaiguan 2)
15 x 1000t CMS (finished, 1470t, HP 9 + WC 5 + Guijiang 1)

Of course the whole situation is still pretty fluid and new orders are realved constantly so this is by no means a complete list, just the ones are the confirmed with news or published RFPs.
For example there are 6 x 3000t CMS (conventional propulsion 3450t, Builder Unknown) mentioned in 2012 but no more info is available. Also there is the new 2500t FLEC cutter that's based on FLEC 310.
So expect the list to grow in the future.

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Once all are built, CCG will be displace more than USCG and JCG combined. And that's not even including the existing coast guard fleet. CCG will effectively be a small navy in itself.

chuck731 said:

I didn't say they were built to military standards or can ship armaments comparable to a purpose built warship of their size. But they probably have provisions for very respectable armament. For example, space reservation for 57 or 76mm gun, more 20-30mm guns on the bridge wings, spaces for light or medium AshM, space for some air defence heavier than ManPAD.

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In some ways, because these vessels don't need to adhere to military standards, they can test trial certain technologies that could eventually find its way into military vessels. For instance, some of these CG vessels are electric propulsion. Learning from these vessels, building and operating them, that knowledge can be applied towards future military vessels that will use electric propulsion.

franco-russe said:

Hai Jing 3306 (Hai Jian 83/Hai Jing 3383 class) to the left of Hai Jing 1401 in asif iqbal's picture is definitely prepared for armaments: forward of the bridge are bases for two anti-aircraft guns (23/25/30 mm).

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Hopefully, if they ever use those bases, it would be more like FL-3000N than the old anti-aircraft guns.

Bltizo said:

Unfortunately we don't have any drawings of the 12,000 ton monster yet. I too am curious as to just how such a "cutter" will be shaped... When it arrives it'll definitely be a one of the kind class. Not many coast guard ships have a displacement bigger than something like 95%+ of the world's major surface combatants. I think only zumwalt, slava, kirov are equal or bigger.

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Well, Japan does have the two 9,000 ton cutters, the PLH-31 Shikishima, and the PLH-32 Akitsushima.


They are big vessels, each over 490 feet long with a beam of 55 feet, with dual helo hangers...bigger than most nations destroyers...but still not as big as these Chinese "cutters" are going to be.

I suspect the CCG has the PLH-31/32 in mind when they wanted their 12k ton cutters.

If they really are building four of them rather than two, as earlier suggested, it looks like they're serious about increasing their "territorial dispute monitoring" capability vis a vis JCG

Jeff Head said:

They are big vessels, each over 490 feet long with a beam of 55 feet, with dual helo hangers...bigger than most nations destroyers...but still not as big as these Chinese "cutters" are going to be.

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I wouldn't be surprised if the size requirement for Chinese "cutters" included an explicit call to "be bigger than anything Japanese".

To be honest, their actually physical dimensions not withstanding, the appearence and layout of the Japanese shikishima class gives the impression they are much smaller ships than they are. Without noting their dimension, my first impression was they were hamilton sized.

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chuck731 said:

Without noting their dimension, my first impression was they were hamilton sized.

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One look at the hanger should disabuse that impression/notion.