TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Navy expects to have 10 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes before 2026, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced recently.
The MND said the fourth to sixth ships are scheduled to be launched before the end of this year. The Navy has already launched the prototype Tuo Chiang and the Ta Chiang, Fu Chiang, and Hsu Chiang, per Liberty Times.
Meanwhile, the construction of the seventh to eleventh vessels is expected to be completed before 2026. This second batch of ships costs more than NT$9 billion (US$293.5 million).
Corvettes from the first batch are armed with 16 Sea Sword anti-aircraft missiles, eight Hsiung Feng II subsonic anti-ship missiles, and four Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missiles. However, the second batch of ships will be equipped with eight Hsiung Feng IIIs and four Hsiung Feng IIs.
Additionally, the MND will begin building a fleet of eight light frigates starting next month. The ships, originally expected to weigh about 4,500 tons each, will now weigh 1,500-2,500 tons.
The Navy pointed out that the new generation of light frigates will be responsible for reconnaissance and patrols in the Taiwan Strait, transportation, and escort to the nation’s outer islands. They will also be tasked with maintaining the safety of sea lines of communication and protecting Taiwan’s fishing rights.
There will be an air defense and anti-submarine variant, according to Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應). The air defense version will be equipped with a vertical launch missile system while the anti-submarine version will have towed sonar.