TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Navy launched its third Tuo Chiang-class corvette in a special ceremony on Thursday (Feb. 16).
Deputy Navy Commander Hu Zhan-hao (胡展豪) and his wife attend the ceremony at the Lungteh Shipyard. His wife gave a short speech and officially christened it the Hsu Chiang, which had been selected in an online naming contest in April 2022, per the Military News Agency.
Hu pointed out that construction of the ship began in December 2021 and expressed his sincere gratitude to all the parties involved, including the National Chung Shan Institute for Science and Technology. He said that the ceremony is a demonstration of the Taiwan Navy’s dedication to continuously improving its combat power and safeguarding national security.
It also proves that the promotion of independent national defense policies can provide a platform for domestic industrial economic growth and innovative technologies, Hu said. This way, the industry can always maintain competitiveness, and at the same time enhance military strength, bolster R&D, and drive industrial development, he added.
The name Hsu Chiang was taken from the Hsu Chiang River in Keelung City. Once a warship is named, its mission to defend territorial waters and protect national security begins, per Liberty Times.
The Tuo Chiang-class corvette is armed with Sea Sword air defense missiles, a 76 mm gun, a T-74 machine gun, and a Phalanx close-in weapon system, giving it the ability to hit air and sea targets simultaneously. It has a maximum speed of 40 knots (74 kmh), a displacement of 685 tonnes, and a maximum operational range of 1,800 nautical miles (3,333 km).
The Navy announced in September that it intends to construct 10 more corvettes in addition to the eight originally planned. These 10 ships will be armed with additional Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, the Navy said in December.