The construction of the nation’s third domestically built Tuo Chiang-class corvette has been on schedule with the Navy expected to hold a launch ceremony for the new warship before the end of this year, a military source told CNA Monday.
The Tuo Chiang-class corvette is a Taiwanese-designed class of fast and stealthy multi-purpose corvettes built for the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) Navy.
A prototype of the corvette named Tuo Chiang (PGG-618) was first commissioned in 2015. Meanwhile, the first full version of the Tuo Chiang-class corvette, the Ta Chiang, was launched in December 2020 with the second one, the Fu Chiang, launched in September this year.
A military source told CNA that the third Tuo Chiang-class corvette will be launched in the coming days before the end of this year in accordance with the original schedule.
According to the Navy, the Tuo Chiang-class ship has a maximum speed of 30 knots, displacement of 685 tonnes, and an operational range of 1,800 nautical miles.
It was developed to address a common weakness of traditional small warships such as patrol craft and corvettes, which is that they are not fit for use over extended periods of time in the rough seas around Taiwan.
The Navy is set to build a total of 11 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes by the end of 2026.
The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes are fitted with subsonic Hsiung Feng-II missiles, supersonic Hsiung Feng-III anti-ship missiles, a 76 mm cannon, and Tien-Chien II air defense missiles.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel