TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Navy plans to retire five Chi Yang-class frigates and two Ching Chiang-class patrol ships, reports said Saturday.
The plan was included in a report the Ministry of National Defense will present at the Legislative Yuan after the weekend, the Liberty Times reported. The document will detail a timetable for decommissioning the vessels and accompanying measures.
The Chi Yang-class anti-submarine warfare ships were built in the US as Knox-class frigates in the 1960s and 1970s before eight were transferred to Taiwan in the 1990s. The Ching Chiang-class corvettes were built in Taiwan by CSBC Corporation, with only two left in service after the Chu Chiang was decommissioned on June 1.
The changes allow for faster modernization and the introduction of lighter, more efficient ships manufactured in Taiwan, the ministry said in its report. Anti-aircraft missiles and anti-submarine warfare are important features of the new ships.
The Army emphasized the introduction of HIMARS rocket systems, self-propelled howitzers, M1A2T tanks, TOW 2B anti-tank guided missiles, eight-wheeled armored vehicles, and drones.
The Air Force highlighted the strengthening of its air defense capabilities with F-16V jets, Patriot, Sky Bow, and NASAMS missile systems, and radar systems contributing to the formation of a “Taiwan Dome.”
