The Type 054A (NATO codename Jiangkai II) frigate is a Chinese multi-role warship that entered service with the People's Liberation Army Navy in 2007. It is a development of the Type 054 frigate, using the same hull but with improved sensors and weapons.The Type 054A was first revealed while under construction at the Guangzhou-based Huangpu Shipyard in Type 054A carries HQ-16 medium-range air defence missiles in a VLS system. The HQ-16 provides area air defence from all engagement angles up to a range of 50 km, a considerable improvement over the HQ-7 carried on the Type 054 which have inferior range and limited engagement angles. Contrary to HQ-9 VLS on Type 052C destroyer which adopts a cold launch method, HQ-16 appears to adopt a hot launch method instead, with the same design principle of US Mk 41 VLS: a shared common exhaust system is sited between the two rows of rectangular launching tubes.The 4 AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS) of the Type 054 were replaced with 2 Type 73