On the 26th, the Chinese Eastern Theater Command announced via the social media platform Weibo that a squadron of missile fast boats from the navy was conducting a comprehensive maritime attack and defense exercise in a certain sea area to enhance the emergency response and combat capabilities of the troops in a scenario closely resembling actual combat. Of particular interest were the so-called missile fast boats, notably the rumored return of the decommissioned “Type 22” (NATO reporting name: Houbei class) missile fast boats, indicating their reappearance in the fleet, likely to play a certain role in conflicts in the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
China’s Type 22 missile fast boats, introduced as early as 2004, were the world’s first missile fast boats featuring a high-speed wave-piercing design, consisting of a main hull flanked by two slender deep V-shaped hulls on each side, significantly improving resistance and wave-handling capabilities at high speeds.
According to publicly available information, the hull extensively employs lightweight aluminum alloys and incorporates low detectability technology. The hull design features inwardly angled surfaces at various points to reduce radar reflection, and the anti-ship missile launchers at the stern are housed in integrated internal compartments, weakening electromagnetic wave reflections and reducing radar detection effectiveness. Even the edges of the cockpit windows are designed to minimize radar wave reflection.
Furthermore, to reduce infrared signatures, the exhaust outlets are located beneath the main hull between the two wave-piercing bodies, allowing the exhaust to dissipate heat upon contact with seawater. Combined with a maritime paint scheme blending white, light gray, dark gray, and blue, the boat’s optical recognition capabilities are reduced, providing a significant level of stealth. It is claimed that the boat can reach speeds of up to 38 knots when fully loaded, with its primary armament consisting of 8 “Yingji-83” (YJ-83) anti-ship missiles.
According to Taiwan’s “New Talk” magazine, the boat is designed for high-speed assault. Although it boasts strong firepower and outstanding stealth capabilities, its relatively small displacement leads to limitations in range and endurance, making it unsuitable for prolonged operational missions. After the mass production of 82 boats between 2004 and 2009, the introduction of the “056 class” (NATO reporting name: Jiangdao Class) missile frigate, more suited for long-duration maritime patrol and surveillance missions, led to reports in 2017 of the Type 22 boats being stored ashore, even being decommissioned. It wasn’t until April 2021 when Type 22 missile fast boats were spotted near the Niu’e Jiao Reef in the South China Sea conducting missions to drive away Filipino fishing boats that their reactivation was confirmed, shifting their role from ship killers to island defense.
The report notes that the significant appearance of Type 22 missile fast boats in the jurisdiction of the Eastern Theater Command suggests that the PLA might be reconsidering the utilization of these boats in the waters of the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Analysis in the report indicates that the main firepower of the Type 22 missile fast boats consists of 8 Yingji-83 anti-ship missiles. Initially designated by the PLA as “ship killers,” the missile fast boats, when deployed alongside frigates and destroyers, could unleash a “simultaneous volley” of 96 to 192 anti-ship missiles, overwhelming the US destroyers equipped with Aegis systems. However, the PLA soon realized that coordinating missile fast boats with frigates and destroyers was impractical, rendering the envisioned combat capability unattainable. Nevertheless, during the South China Sea standoff with the Philippines, the PLA unexpectedly discovered that Type 22 missile fast boats could effectively enhance the anti-ship capabilities of South China Sea reefs, causing concern for US destroyers.
“It is conceivable that if a group of 8 missile fast boats were deployed directly in harbors or around islands easily accessible from the Taiwan Strait, each armed with Yingji-83 missiles with a range of 180 kilometers, and guided by shore-based, sea-based, and airborne early warning systems, they could launch 64 anti-ship missiles within a short period, threatening the median line of the strait or even the so-called centerline of the East China Sea with ease.”
