Two New Frigates for Cambodia: The First One is Completed, the Second is 50% Complete

06 Oktober 2025

Progress two Type 056C for Cambodia: the first was completed and the second was half-completed (photos: Tea Banh, SPS Page, and Kampuchea Thmey)

Two new frigates built by China, Cambodia's steel partner, for delivery to the Cambodian Navy: the first one has been fully assembled and has been tested, while the second one is half-completed.

After Samdech Pichey Sena Tea Banh (Privy Councilor and Vice Chairman of the Cambodian Royal Family), General of the 5th Golden Star, concluded his two-week visit to China, the former Minister of National Defense announced on the evening of October 3, 2025, via his official Facebook page: "On September 20, 2025, the Prince took the opportunity to inspect the first frigate, "a Chinese military aid project for Cambodia," which has been fully assembled and has successfully conducted technical tests. At the same time, it was also observed that the second ship has been 50% complete as well."

Samdech Pichey Sena Tea Banh made only this brief announcement, without specifying the specific date on which China will send the new frigate to Cambodia.

Cambodian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Maly Socheata previously confirmed to “Kampuchea Thmey” in September 2024 that the two new ships that China built specifically for Cambodia are the Type 056C, which are scheduled to be completed and delivered to Cambodia in 2025 or possibly longer. The statement by the Cambodian Ministry of Defense spokesperson came after Cambodia and China successfully concluded the 2024 Golden Dragon Exercise on both land and water, and a foreign newspaper reported that the Chinese government was preparing to transfer two warships to Cambodia at the Ream Sea Base in Preah Sihanouk Province.

It is worth noting that before China built the two new ships for Cambodia, China helped modernize the Ream Sea Base of the Cambodian Navy, which is an important military command, and sent its ships to dock at the Ream Sea Base and provided technical training to the Cambodian Navy for a while, as well as conducting the Golden Dragon Exercise on the surface of Cambodian waters.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense previously said that the provision of the ships by China was made at the request of Cambodia for the sole purpose of strengthening Cambodia’s capabilities and capabilities in maritime patrol, protection, maintaining peace, stability and security, as well as supporting search and rescue operations and other humanitarian activities at sea, and not to threaten neighboring countries or regional security.

It should be emphasized that Cambodia is a sovereign state that has the full right to build and promote defense cooperation with all partners to serve the interests of the country and people and regional and global security. All such cooperation, and in particular the receipt of the two ships from China, is fully consistent with the objectives and principles of the Cambodian Constitution, in Article 53, which states that Cambodia has the right to accept foreign assistance, such as military equipment, ammunition, training of armed forces and other assistance, to defend itself and ensure public order and security in the country.

(Kampuchea Thmey)