UMS Maha Bandula

History
China
Name	Anshun (安顺)
Namesake	Anshun
Builder	Zhonghua shipyard, Shanghai
Launched	10 March 1986
Commissioned	27 June 1986
Decommissioned	March 2012
Identification	Pennant number: 554
Fate	Sold to Myanmar Navy in 2012
History
Myanmar
Name	Maha Bandula
Namesake	Maha Bandula
Acquired	2012
Commissioned	2012
Identification	Pennant number: F23
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 053H1 frigate
Displacement	1,450 standard 1,730 full load
Length	103.2 m (339 ft)
Beam	10.7 m (35 ft)
Propulsion	Two type 12 E 390V diesels; 16,000 hp (m) (11.9MW) sustained 2 shafts
Speed	26 knots
Range	2,700 nmi (5,000 km; 3,100 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	300 (27 officers)
Sensors and processing systems	Radar System: Surface: Square Tie (Type 254); I-band Air & Surface: MX 902 Eye Shield (Type 922-1); G-band Navigation: Fin Curve (Type 352); I-band Fire Control: Wok Won director (Type 752A); Square Tie (Type 254), I-band Echo Type 5 (Hull Mounted)
Electronic warfare & decoys	Watchdog; Radar warning
Armament	2 ×  Chinese 3.9 in (100 mm) /56 (twin) guns 8 ×  Chinese 37 mm /63 (6 twin) guns AShM: 2 × 4 C-802 2 × RBU-1200 5-tubed fixed launchers Depth Charge: DCL-003D Mines: Can carry up to 60 Decoys: 2 × loral Hycor SRBOC Mk 36 6-barreled chaff launcher

Anshun (554) was a Type 053 frigate of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was sold to the Myanmar Navy and renamed Maha Bandula.

Development and design[edit]

The class has four anti-ship SY-1s in two twin-box launchers, and armaments consisted of two single 100 mm dual-purpose hand-loaded guns with fire control by a very simple stereoscopic rangefinder, limiting the guns to effective fire against surface targets in daylight/clear weather only. The six twin 37 mm short-range anti-aircraft guns were all locally controlled, severely limiting their effectiveness. These ships are equipped with Chinese SJD-3 sonar, which is a modification of Soviet Tamir-11 (MG-11, with NATO reporting name Stag Hoof) hull mounted sonar: instead of being fixed to the hull, SJD-3 has a telescoping arm, so when not in use, the sonar is stored in the hull, and when deployed, the sonar is lowered into water several meter below the hull, thus increased detection range by avoiding baffles generated by the hull. Anti-submarine armament was limited to short-range rockets and depth charges. Damage control arrangements were minimal.

Type 053H was improved with newer electronics, engine, and replenishment equipment. The sonar for Jianghu-II is SJD-5, which is a Chinese development of Soviet Tamir-11, with transistors replacing vacuum tubes in the original Soviet MG-11, armed with six SY-2 in two triple-box launchers.^[1]

Construction and career[edit]

She was launched on 10 March 1986 at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai and commissioned on 27 June 1986.

In March 2012, Anshun was decommissioned and sold to Myanmar Navy and renamed UMS Maha Bandula. On 11 until 14 March of the same month, UMS Maha Bandula and UMS Maha Thiha Thura carrying 246 sailors and officers was docked in Tiên Sa Seaport, Da Nang.^[2][3]

References[edit]