Thats probably it. The older 054 which were undergoing midlife refits may have been upgraded to 054a.If you are happy with 30 type 54A + 2 type 54 now being mod into type 54A= 32 Type 54A happy now?
I didn't know such a backfit was possible.
Thats probably it. The older 054 which were undergoing midlife refits may have been upgraded to 054a.If you are happy with 30 type 54A + 2 type 54 now being mod into type 54A= 32 Type 54A happy now?
The trouble with the 054 theory, is yes they are being modified, and maybe to a 054A standard, but saying these are the new 054A's is ridiculous. I mean wouldn't these vessels still retain their original pennant number and ship name, and not be given a new name when re-entering service. Sorry, 30 054A's were constructed for the PLAN, and at the time the 30th 054A was commissioned, there were no other 054A's under construction.
Chinese internet circulation said this could be the first ship of a new batch of type 054A on top of the original planned 30 ships. May be it is a response to increasing tension on the West Pacific. Just wait and see.
If the above is true, I would expect some upgrade on this new batch. A stop gap before 054B or type 057 appear.