China delivers two Type 506 Corvet frigates to Cambodia
Marshal Somdek Pichai Sena Tia Ban headed to Beijing on September 20, at the invitation of the Chinese government as adviser to the King of Cambodia and vice chairman of the CPP to inspect two Type 056 guided missile corvettes, which China provides as the main military assistance to Cambodia.
The examination was held at a private shipyard in southern China. Marshal Tia Ban visited the nautical control room, radar system room, and missile launch device installation area with a briefing by a team of engineers from China on improvements to systems ranging from hull structure to combat control software to be ready for practical operations.
According to Cambodian sources, China's direct grant of small but complete warships to Cambodia may exchange for the right to use the Riam naval base, where China invests billions of dollars to improve support for aircraft carriers and large ships in the future, reflecting the strategic proximity between Beijing and Phnom Penh.
The Riam Base Improvement Program initiated from 2021 will modernize Cambodia's warship capabilities, including a riparian marina, a supply conveying system, and an underground arsenal, while helicopter squadrons will be able to use the up-and-down yard with fast sculls after the event is completed.
Technically, the Type 056 Corvet, Jiangdao-Class, has an expelling tonnage of about 1,300-1,500 tons, a hull length of 90 meters, a width of 11.6 meters, consumes 4 meters of deep water, receives 60-78 people on board, the hull structure is designed to withstand deep sea and high wave conditions.
CODAD (Combined Diesel And Diesel) is equipped with two diesel engines, giving a maximum acceleration of 25-28 knots. On long-range patrol, it takes 16-18 knots, giving an operating range of 2,000-3,500 nautical miles without frequent refueling.
The main weapons include one 76 mm H / PJ-26 ship cannon, supporting two 30 mm H / PJ-17 machine guns remotely controlled, the attack missile section uses 4 YJ-83 rounds from two firing platforms, close-range air defense with an HHQ-10 SAM system, 8-tube firing platform.
For submarine submarine subduing missions, the Type 056 Corvet is equipped with two 324mm torpedo firing tubes, three sets of three, including 6, for firing light torpedoes like Yu-7. The underbelly detection system is Bow Sonar, coupled with the ZKJ-5 combat service system, allowing accurate tracking and attack of underwater targets.
The radar system section is equipped with the Type 364 for monitoring water and air surface, while the Type 347G is a near defense fire control radar, with an aft helipad, supporting the Harbin Z-9 swarm or other intermediate helicopters, but does not yet have a built-in hangar.
Despite not yet setting an official delivery ceremony date, China-Cambodia will move forward to harmonize its schedule within the last quarter of the year, including training its troops to become familiar with the new system before delivery, as well as studying how to maintain and establish a joint maritime tactics training center to build a combat use and warship repair knowledge body to make Cambodia self-sustaining.
The move of maritime power stalling centers into the Gulf of Thailand, and reinforcements embedded combat forces in the lower ASEAN region through the surrender of weapons and technology, from China to Cambodia, mirrored the trend of strategic competition in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, where Beijing aimed to expand its influence through regional alliances.
