In recent weeks, a series of computer-generated images surfaced on Chinese social media platforms, sparking intrigue and speculation among naval enthusiasts and defense analysts alike.
Mystery ship sparks fears of naval arms race in the Indian Ocean
Photo credit: X
These images depict a sleek, modern warship labeled as the “Type 052BE,” purportedly a new vessel being developed by China for the Pakistan Navy. The accompanying text claims this ship is a direct response to India’s advanced P17A frigates, which have bolstered New Delhi’s naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
Yet, despite the buzz, no official confirmation has emerged from either Beijing or Islamabad, leaving many to wonder whether this is a genuine project or a cleverly crafted piece of speculation. If real, this development could signal a new chapter in the intensifying naval competition in the Indian Ocean, a region critical to global trade and geopolitical influence.
An interesting find on Chinese social media—new CGI images of a possible Type 052BE variant, reportedly intended for the Pakistan Navy. However, no official confirmation yet.
Interestingly, the designation should have been Type 054BE instead. pic.twitter.com/gYGfJxyq0v
— International Defence Analysis (@Defence_IDA) March 31, 2025
The Indian Ocean has long been a theater of strategic rivalry, but the stakes have grown higher in recent years as China expands its maritime ambitions. India and Pakistan, locked in a decades-long rivalry, have increasingly turned to their navies to assert dominance in these waters, where 95% of India’s trade flows, according to a report by the Associated Press.
China, a close ally of Pakistan, has played a pivotal role in this dynamic, providing Islamabad with advanced naval hardware as part of a broader strategy to counterbalance India’s influence. The Chinese-Pakistan partnership is a cornerstone of Beijing’s “String of Pearls” strategy, a network of military and commercial outposts designed to secure its interests across the Indian Ocean.
A key element of this strategy is the port of Gwadar in Pakistan, a linchpin of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which connects China’s western regions to the Arabian Sea. The possibility of a new, advanced warship like the Type 052BE joining Pakistan’s fleet would not only bolster Islamabad’s naval capabilities but also amplify China’s strategic footprint in a region where the United States and its allies, including India and Australia, are pushing back through the Indo-Pacific framework.
The images of the Type 052BE, credited to a designer known as Nishikasai, depict a vessel with a stealth-oriented design, featuring angular lines and a reduced radar cross-section.
The ship appears to be larger than Pakistan’s existing Type 054A/P frigates, which displace around 4,000 tons, suggesting a potential water displacement closer to 6,000 or 7,000 tons—more in line with a destroyer than a traditional frigate.
The deck includes a helicopter landing pad and hangar, likely capable of accommodating a medium helicopter such as the Chinese Z-9, which Pakistan already operates. A prominent vertical launch system is visible forward, indicating the capacity to carry a range of missiles, possibly including anti-ship, anti-air, and anti-submarine variants.
The ship also features a main gun, likely a 76mm or 100mm cannon, and a close-in weapon system for point defense against incoming threats. The radar mast, equipped with flat-panel arrays, suggests the use of an Active Electronically Scanned Array system, a hallmark of modern naval vessels designed for enhanced situational awareness.
However, the designation “Type 052BE” raises questions, as China’s Type 052 series typically refers to destroyers, such as the Type 052D, while frigates fall under the Type 054 series. This discrepancy has led some to speculate that the ship might actually be a mislabeled Type 054BE, a potential upgrade to the Type 054A/P frigates already in Pakistan’s arsenal.
If the Type 052BE were to become a reality, it would significantly enhance Pakistan’s naval capabilities, particularly in countering India’s P17A frigates, also known as the Nilgiri-class. The P17A, developed under India’s Project 17A, is a 6,700-ton stealth frigate designed for multi-role operations.
Commissioned starting in 2019, these ships are equipped with advanced weaponry, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a joint Indo-Russian development capable of striking targets at 290 miles, and the Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system for air defense.
The P17A also features a 76mm Oto Melara gun, anti-submarine torpedoes, and a hangar for two helicopters, typically the HAL Dhruv or Sea King, enhancing its anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
India’s navy has been expanding its fleet to maintain dominance in the Indian Ocean, with the recent launch of additional vessels, including a submarine, destroyer, and frigate, as reported by Al Jazeera. The P17A’s advanced sensors and stealth features make it a formidable opponent and a ship like the Type 052BE could be China’s attempt to ensure Pakistan can keep pace in this arms race.
Pakistan’s existing naval assets, bolstered by Chinese support, provide a foundation for such an upgrade. The Pakistan Navy has already inducted four Type 054A/P frigates, delivered between 2020 and 2023, as noted by Quwa.org.
These 4,000-ton frigates, known as the Tughril-class in Pakistan, are equipped with a 32-cell vertical launch system for HQ-16 surface-to-air missiles, C-802 anti-ship missiles, and a 76mm main gun. They also feature advanced radar and electronic warfare systems, making them a significant step up from Pakistan’s older vessels.
Historically, Pakistan’s navy has struggled to match India’s maritime power, a weakness exposed during the 1971 war when the Pakistani submarine PNS Hangor sank the Indian frigate INS Khukri, a rare victory in an otherwise challenging conflict.
Since then, Pakistan has relied heavily on China to modernize its fleet, a trend that includes not only frigates but also submarines, such as the eight Hangor-class diesel-electric submarines currently under construction, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The Type 052BE, if real, would represent a leap forward for Pakistan, but its true significance lies in what it reveals about China’s broader ambitions. China has emerged as a leading exporter of naval hardware, particularly to nations in the Global South, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
This export strategy is not merely about profit; it’s a deliberate effort to expand Beijing’s geopolitical influence. The China State Shipbuilding Corporation, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders, has been at the forefront of this effort, producing vessels like the Type 054A for export while developing more advanced ships, such as the Type 054B, for its own navy.
The Type 054B, commissioned in January 2025 as the Luohe, is a 5,000-ton frigate with enhanced stealth and anti-submarine capabilities, according to the South China Morning Post. Unlike its predecessors, the Type 054B relies entirely on indigenous systems, a sign of China’s growing technological independence.
The appearance of CGI images like those of the Type 052BE could be a calculated move by Chinese shipbuilders to gauge interest from potential buyers, a tactic that aligns with Beijing’s history of using social media leaks to test the waters before committing to production.
This strategy has broader implications for the global naval arms market, where Western manufacturers, including those in the United States and France, face increasing competition. The U.S. Navy, with 219 warships as of early 2025, according to CNN, remains the world’s most powerful in terms of capability, but China’s fleet of 234 hulls gives it a numerical edge.
American frigates, such as the upcoming Constellation-class, are designed to counter threats like China’s Type 052D destroyers, which boast 64 vertical launch cells and advanced AESA radars. The Constellation-class, expected to enter service in the late 2020s, will displace 7,400 tons and carry 32 vertical launch cells, a 96mm gun, and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile for air defense, as outlined by the U.S. Naval Institute.
France’s Aquitaine-class frigates, noted by The War Zone for their stealth design, offer a similar benchmark, with a 6,000-ton displacement and a focus on anti-submarine warfare. China’s ability to offer cost-effective, capable ships like the Type 054 series challenges these Western designs, particularly in markets where budget constraints are a key factor.
The potential introduction of a Type 052BE into Pakistan’s navy would have ripple effects across the Indian Ocean. India would likely accelerate efforts to expand its own fleet, including the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, which displace 7,400 tons and are equipped with BrahMos and Barak-8 missiles, as well as advanced anti-submarine systems.
India might also deepen its naval cooperation with the United States and Japan, both of whom have a vested interest in countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. The Indian Ocean’s strategic chokepoints, such as the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes, would become even more contested, potentially drawing in other regional players like Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, has been modernizing its navy with American support, while Iran, despite setbacks like the sinking of its frigate Sahand in 2024 due to design flaws, as reported by Business Insider, remains a wildcard with its focus on asymmetric naval tactics.
The lack of official confirmation for the Type 052BE suggests that this may be more of a concept than a concrete project, but its emergence underscores the rapid evolution of naval competition in the Indian Ocean.
China’s use of CGI imagery to float such designs could be a harbinger of more ambitious export projects, potentially challenging Western dominance in the global arms market. For the United States, this development serves as a reminder of the need to maintain technological and strategic superiority in a region where its influence is increasingly contested.
As the naval arms race heats up, the question remains: will China’s next move be a ship like the Type 052BE, or something even more disruptive? Only time will tell, but the Indian Ocean is undoubtedly becoming a more crowded—and contentious—battleground.
***
Follow us everywhere and at any time. BulgarianMilitary.com has responsive design and you can open the page from any computer, mobile devices or web browsers. For more up-to-date news, follow our Google News, YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages. Our standards: Manifesto & ethical principles.