TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Navy is storing 288 Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles for the Coast Guard Administration’s Anping-class patrol ships.
Since each of the 12 ships can carry 16 Hsiung Feng missiles, 192 are required to arm them fully, per Liberty Times. The Navy has stockpiled an additional 96 missiles for reloading, bringing the total to 288. They are stored in depots at controlled temperatures and humidity levels.
The Anping vessels are based on the Navy’s Tuo Chiang-class corvette. The vessels can reach speeds of up to 74 kilometers per hour to combat maritime crime and conduct search-and-rescue operations on the high seas during peacetime, Liberty Times reported.
During wartime, each ship can be fitted with a tactical data link receiver, four four-cell missile launchers, and a simplified missile control console and fire control interface. Each ship can carry a mix of eight subsonic Hsiung Feng II missiles and eight supersonic Hsiung Feng III missiles.
The final Anping-class patrol vessel, the Donggang, was unveiled in May.
The 12 ships will later be integrated with the Navy’s Tuo Chiang-class corvettes and land-based mobile missile units under the newly established Coastal Defense Command, Liberty Times said. Together, they will form a dense anti-ship missile network intended to make it difficult for enemy forces to penetrate.
