Yingtan (531) was the sole Type 053K (NATO reporting name: Jiangdong) frigate constructed by the People's Republic of China for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).[1] She was equipped with HQ-61 surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and the Type 381 radar, making her the first PLAN ship equipped with either surface-to-air missiles or modern air search radar.[2]
Yingtan formally entered service in 1974, but was only named on 1 August 1986. She participated in the Johnson South Reef Skirmish in 1988. The frigate retired in 1994 and became a museum ship at the Chinese Navy Museum in Qingdao.[1]
A sister ship was being constructed at the Qiuxin Shipyard by 1979[2] but was not completed.