Yiyang (548) is a Type 054A frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 26 October 2010.
See main article: Type 054A frigate. The Type 054A carries HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles and anti-submarine missiles in a vertical launching system (VLS) system. The HQ-16 has a range of up to 50 km, with superior range and engagement angles to the Type 054's HQ-7. The Type 054A's VLS uses a hot launch method; a shared common exhaust system is sited between the two rows of rectangular launching tubes.[1]
The four AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS) of the Type 054 were replaced with two Type 730 CIWS on the Type 054A. The autonomous Type 730 provides improved reaction time against close-in threats.[2]
Yiyang was launched on 17 November 2009 at the China State Shipbuilding Corporation in Shanghai. Commissioned on 26 October 2010.
In November 2015, Yiyang along with Qiandaohu and Jinan made the first ever port call by PLAN ships to the Eastern Coast of the United States when they docked at Mayport Harbor, Florida, for a goodwill visit.[3]