Sri Lanka receives gifted Chinese frigate

The Sri Lanka Navy officially received a former Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate in a handover ceremony at the Shanghai Dockyard in China on June 5.

The gifted vessel spent 21 years in service as Jiangwei I-class frigate Tongling before being retired in 2015.

After it was designated for handover to Sri Lanka in September 2018, the vessel underwent a refit during which it received a new pennant number – P 625, which indicates that it will be used as a patrol vessel rather than a frigate.

The yet-to-be-named patrol ship measures 112 meters in length and displaces 2300 tons. Crewed by 18 officers and 92 sailors, it will be used in patrol and surveillance missions in the deep seas around Sri Lanka providing the maritime security and assistance to search and rescue operations.

The ship is scheduled to set sail to Sri Lanka on June 14 and expected to reach the island by the end of the month.