- Displacement: Tons: 4,500 surfaced; 5,550 dived
- Dimensions: Ft: 321.5; 347.8 (403 onwards) x 32.8 x 24.2
- Main machinery: Nuclear; turbo-electric; 1 PWR; 90 MW; 1 shaft
- Speed: Knots: 25 dived; 12 surfaced
- Complement: 75
SSM: (403 onwards); Ying Ji (Eagle Strike) (C-801); inertial cruise; active radar homing to 40 km (22 n miles) at 0.9 Mach; warhead 165 kg; sea-skimmer.
6 - 21 in (533 mm) bow tubes; combination of Yu-3 (SET-65E); active/passive homing to 15 km (8.1 n miles) at 40 kt; warhead 205 kg and Yu-1 (Type 53-51) to 9.2 km (5 n miles) at 39 kt or 3.7 km (2 n miles) at 51 kt; warhead 400 kg. 18 weapons.
36 in lieu of torpedoes.
ESM: Type 921-A; radar warning.
Surface search: Snoop Tray; I-band.
Trout Cheek; hull-mounted; active/passive search and attack; medium frequency. DUUX-5; passive ranging and intercept; low frequency.
First of this class delayed by problems with the power plant. Although completed in 1974 she was not fully operational until the 1980s.
The basic Russian ESM equipment was replaced by a French design. The SSM fitted hulls have been equipped with more modern ESM, possibly for long-range targeting. A French intercept sonar set has been fitted.
From 403 onwards the hull has been extended by some 8 m and Ying Ji SSM tubes are reported as fitted aft of the fin although the SSMs may be fired from the torpedo tubes.
In North Sea Fleet based at Jianggezhuang. The first pair was thought to be non-operational for a time in the late 1980s but have been extensively refitted and are now back in service. Torpedoes are a combination of older straight running and more modern Russian homing types. One of the classes was tracked for a time by an USN carrier battle group operating off North Korea in late 1994. The class has become more active in recent years and at least four were operational in early 1997.