Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, Shanghai and Huangpu Shipyard, Guangzhou are currently building two new multirole missile frigates for the PLA Navy. The frigates, reportedly designated as Type 054, are 3,400t class stealthy surface combatants similar to the French Lafayette class. The first hull (525) was launched on 11 September 2003 at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard, followed by the second ship (526) launched at Huangpu Shipyard in early 2004