TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Navy has restarted work on a new guided missile frigate displacing more than 6,000 metric tons and featuring AN/SPY-7 active phased radar.
A high-ranking government official on Saturday (May 25) told Liberty Times to meet the defensive needs of the Taiwan Strait, the military has resumed the construction of the frigate, which will be equipped with advanced active phased array radars. Taiwanese shipyards will be tasked with construction.
The ship's weight will increase from the originally planned 4,500 metric tons to over 6,000 tons. The radar system is expected to be procured from overseas, with the AN/SPY-7 radar system from Lockheed Martin likely to be selected.
The project has faced numerous challenges. Initially, the Navy's plan was overly ambitious, aiming to have the combat capabilities on a 4,500-ton ship that other countries put on vessels over 6,000 tons.
The Navy originally planned a passive phased array radar, but after seeing other countries adopt active phased array radars for their new missile frigates, the Navy revised its designs. Due to multiple design changes, the project was halted, and the budget for the prototype ship was redirected to the construction of prototypes for two light frigates.
However, the project was never entirely abandoned. After numerous internal reviews and aligning with international shipbuilding trends, the military restarted the project.
In April last year, officials announced the solicitation of new missile frigate design submissions and said bidding for the prototype construction would start in 2026.
The prototype light frigates are divided into an air defense type and an anti-submarine type, which are already under construction and expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2026.
The new guided missile frigates will use a domestically developed Hua Yang vertical missile launch system equipped with domestically produced Sea Bow III missiles and be tasked with fleet air defense and regional missile interception missions.
