Task Group 107, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy task force currently transiting Australian waters has drawn significant attention, raising questions about its capabilities and how it measures up against the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Defence Magazine reports.
The flotilla, which includes the Renhai-class cruiser Zunyi, the Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang, and the Fuchi-class replenishment vessel Weishanhu, represents a show of Beijing’s growing maritime reach. But how does it compare to the Royal Australian Navy’s own fleet in terms of firepower, technology, and strategic impact?
The newly commissioned Zunyi, a formidable Type 055 destroyer, led the flotilla in live-fire exercises within Australia’s Economic Exclusion Zone just off the east coast. Considered to be one of Beijing’s most intimidating surface combatants, this brazen display of China’s latest naval destroyer emphasises its advanced blue-water capabilities. Boasting the capacity to house approximately 300 sailors and displacing around 13,000 tons, this towering force is equipped with 112 vertical launch system (VLS) cells and an advanced active electronically scanned array radar system. With 64 cells forward and 48 cells aft, these cells to have the ability to fire HHQ-9B surface-to-air missiles, YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missiles and CJ-10 land-attack cruise missiles.
The HHQ-9B has a range of approximately 250 kilometres, while the YJ-18 can strike targets up to 540 kilometres away. The CJ-10, a key land-attack weapon, has a range exceeding 1,900 kilometres, providing significant strike capabilities. To round out the weaponry, Zunyi is also equipped with a 130-mm main gun, an 11-barrel 30-mm close-in weapon system (CIWS), a HHQ-10 short-range air defence system, 324-mm torpedo launchers, and decoy launchers. Additionally, there is also hangar space for two helicopters.
Accompanying Zunyi is the Hengyang, a Type 054A Jiangkai-class guided-missile frigate commissioned in 2008. With a structure heavily influenced by French La Fayette-class frigates, this 4,000-ton, diesel powered vessel has been designed to play multiple roles in conventional warfare, particularly in air defence and anti-submarine operations. Equipped with 32 VLS cells, Hengyang is capable of firing HQ-16 surface-to-air missiles with a range of around 74 kilometres, and YJ-83 sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missiles that contain an approximately 250km operational range.
Accompanying these missiles are 76mm main guns and two 30mm CIWS, with the stern also featuring a single helicopter deck. For radar and navigation, the frigate contains an MR-36A surface radar and an RM-1290 navigation radar, these are cable of 3D radar and the ability to track up to 40 targets up to 120 kilometres away. Hengyang can accommodate up to 170 personnel. Though smaller and less heavily armed than Zunyi, Hengyang plays a crucial role in escorting and protecting PLA Navy Task Group 107.
Reinforcing the capabilities of Zunyi and Hengyang is Weishanhu, a Type 903A Fuchi-class replenishment vessel serving as a vital asset for replenishment operations, extending operational endurance for PLA Navy Task Group 107. Capable of taking on up to 130 crew, Weishanhu weighs a colossal 23,000 tons with 11,000 of these tons being taken up by supplies. A versatile ship, Weishanhu is equipped to conduct replenishment at sea operations through vertical, and lateral approaches under various conditions. Though minimally focused on weaponry and offensive operations, the vessel is armed with four twin-barrel 37mm guns and a single helicopter deck.
When compared with the Royal Australian Navy, Australia’s most advanced warships are currently the three Hobart-class destroyers, considered to be a force multiplier for the Australian Defence Force and a key element of Australia’s Joint Force Integrated Air and Missile Defence capability.
All three destroyers are armed with a 48-cell Mark 41 Vertical Launch System, capable of firing SM-2 Block IIIB and RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles (ESSM) for air defence. SM-2 Block IIIB can intercept aerial threats up to 167 kilometres away, while the ESSM provides shorter-range protection at 50 kilometres. Complementing this fire power are Naval Strike Missiles that assist to extend anti-ship engagement capabilities beyond 200 kilometres, a 5-inch Mark 45 gun, and MU90 torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare that hold an operational range of around 12 kilometres. Close-range defence is handled by a Phalanx CIWS and M242 Bushmaster cannons in Typhoon mounts. With the ability to host up to 186 crew and weighing in at approximately 7,000 tons, Hobart-class destroyers can also accommodate a single helicopter.
Ultimately however, Beijing holds a clear numerical advantage when it comes to firepower at sea, not only in the sheer number of vessels but also when considering tonnage and VLS capabilities. Type 055 destroyers such as Zunyi, currently in transit within Australian waters, are equipped with double the amount of VLS cells when compared with Hobart-class destroyers such as HMAS Sydney. This allows PLA Navy not only wider alternatives when considering options to project power during operations but also to sustain said operations over extended distances.
Additionally, Chinese YJ-18 supersonic anti-ship missiles outpace Australia’s Naval Strike Missiles when speed and range are taken into consideration. The ability to travel at Mach 3 in its terminal phase makes the YJ-18 a much more difficult target to intercept, the Naval Strike Missile on the other hand is easier to counter with modern missile defence systems due to its inability to travel at such velocity. This effectively enhances Beijing’s ability to threaten enemy surface ships before they can be effectively countered.
However, fortunes may turn as the RAN furthers the process of integrating Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles under the recently penned AUKUS agreement, critically reinforcing long-range striking capabilities. Exceeding a range of 1,500 kilometres, the Tomahawk will enable Australian warships to engage targets deep inland, something Hobart-class destroyers currently lack. Whilst this does not immediately address the disparity in anti-ship capabilities, it represents a strategic shift toward greater offensive reach, potentially deterring adversaries from engaging in direct naval confrontations.
The presence of Chinese naval Task Group 107 in Australian waters signals Beijing’s expanding influence and ability to project power far from home waters. While PLA Navy warships possess advantages in missile range and fleet size, the RAN remains technologically advanced and well-integrated into allied defence networks. As the regional balance of power continues to shift, refocus, so on and so forth, the challenge for Australia will be maintaining a credible deterrent against an increasingly assertive Chinese naval presence.
