The frigates combine ASW duties with a broader armament that earns a favourable assessment. The stated vertical launch system (VLS) progression is 32 cells on Type 054A, 32 in the first Type 054B batch and 48 in the much larger subsequent batch. A 48-cell fit is judged suitable, especially beside the eight-cell fit criticized on an unnamed navy's ship. The personal design preference is more demanding: about 64 cells as an entry level and more than 128 on most destroyers. Those larger numbers describe a preferred magazine capacity, not the Chinese frigates' installed armament.
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VLS capacity and the preference for larger missile magazines
The VLS comparison uses 32- and 48-cell configurations to assess a balanced ASW frigate, then distinguishes those figures from a preference for much larger magazines.