TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Coast Guard Administration on Friday unveiled the last of 12 Anping-class offshore catamaran patrol vessels, the Donggang.

The 600-tonne vessel is part of a project to build 141 ships for the Coast Guard between 2018 and 2027. Taiwan needs the ships to counter increasing gray-zone activities by China, including intrusions by Chinese coast guard vessels into restricted waters and damage to underwater cables.

The completion of all 12 catamarans was a milestone for the policy of building Coast Guard ships in Taiwan, Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said at Friday’s launch ceremony in Kaohsiung. She said the Coast Guard’s role no longer only covers the protection of fishing vessels, rescue operations, and combating crime, but also the defense of sovereignty, per CNA.

The Coast Guard said the Anping-class vessels are highly mobile, fast, and capable of spending extended periods at sea. The Donggang is 65 meters long, 14.8 m wide, and has a top speed of 40 knots, or 74 kilometers per hour. The new vessel will be deployed to Taiwan’s east coast, the Coast Guard said.