Algeria has placed an order for a 96 metre corvette from China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group (HZ), a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). The corvette will be delivered within the next two years.
According to Lloyd Register, a UK-based maritime classification society, Algerian navy’s new corvette is designed for patrol, escort and maritime protection missions within the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Apparently, Hudong-Zhonghua had previously constructed three 2 800 tonne C28A corvettes for the Algerian Navy between 2013 and 2016. The C28A is a 120 metre long corvette, armed with a 76 mm main gun, FM-90N launcher for HQ-7 surface-to-air missiles and YJ-82/C-802 anti-ship missiles.
The corvette will have a helipad and a crew of 78 people, has a range of 3 500 nautical miles and is capable of top speeds in excess of 27 knots.
China current 96 metre range corvette is the Pattani-class corvette and the Type-056 offshore patrol vessel, the Pattani-class is 95.5 metres long displacing nearly 1 500 tonnes and is armed with a 76 mm main gun, two GI-2 20 mm cannons and two 12.7 mm machineguns. It is currently in service with the Royal Thai Navy.
The Pattani-class corvette cost about US$50 million per unit. Uniquely, this class of Chinese vessels can be integrated with Western, sensors and weapons systems.
While the Type 056 is in service with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and has been exported to Nigeria as the 95 metre long 1 800 ton P18N patrol vessel and Bangladesh as the 90 metre long 1 300 ton C13B corvette.