The navy is today to announce a series of shipbuilding projects, including the construction of six to eight new “main warships” equipped with the Aegis Combat System (ACS) to replace Kidd-class destroyers.
Taiwan’s version of ACS-equipped naval vessels would displace between 6,000 tonnes and 8,000 tonnes based on previously planned ACS-equipped ships.
In related news, the first Kaohsiung International Maritime and National Defense exhibition is to be held from Sept. 14 to Sept. 17 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, with support from the Ministry of National Defense.
The Taiwan Shipbuilding Industry Association, the organizer of the exhibition, is to hold a promotional event in Taipei today for the event, at which representatives from the navy are to explain 12 shipbuilding projects, including amphibious transport docks, a troop transport ship, a submarine, a missile frigate and maritime equipment.
Association president Han Pi-hsiang (韓碧祥) said he was pleased about President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) initiative to build ships locally, which could result in annual production totaling NT$70 billion (US$2.16 billion).
He said the exhibition is aimed at creating a platform for companies with the best equipment and techniques to engage in exchanges and collaborations, while also helping potential buyers find what they need.
The association said that the event would not only cover national defense, but also machinery, maritime engineering, communications equipment and “green” energy.
The association said it has arranged for the navy to have several warships dock in Kaohsiung and accept visitors for the event.
GEARING UP: An invasion would be difficult and would strain China’s forces, but it has conducted large-scale training supporting an invasion scenario, the report said China increased its military pressure on Taiwan last year and took other steps in preparation for a potential invasion, an annual report published by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday showed. “Throughout 2023, Beijing continued to erode longstanding norms in and around Taiwan by employing a range of pressure tactics against Taiwan,” the report said, which is titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 2024.” The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “is preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force, if perceived as necessary by Beijing, while simultaneously deterring, delaying or denying
PEACEFUL RESOLUTION: A statement issued following a meeting between Australia and Britain reiterated support for Taiwan and opposition to change in the Taiwan Strait Canada should support the peaceful resolution of Taiwan’s destiny according to the will of Taiwanese, Canadian lawmakers said in a resolution marking the second anniversary of that nation’s Indo-Pacific strategy on Monday. The Canadian House of Commons committee on Canada-Chinese relations made the comment as part of 34 recommendations for the new edition of the strategy, adding that Ottawa should back Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, first published in October 2022, emphasized that the region’s security, trade, human rights, democracy and environmental protection would play a crucial role in shaping Canada’s future. The strategy called for Canada to deepen
TECH CONFERENCE: Input from industry and academic experts can contribute to future policymaking across government agencies, President William Lai said Multifunctional service robots could be the next new area in which Taiwan could play a significant role, given its strengths in chip manufacturing and software design, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) chairman and chief executive C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said yesterday. “In the past two months, our customers shared a lot of their future plans with me. Artificial intelligence [AI] and AI applications were the most talked about subjects in our conversation,” Wei said in a speech at the National Science and Technology Conference in Taipei. TSMC, the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, counts Nvidia Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Apple Inc and
LEAP FORWARD: The new tanks are ‘decades more advanced than’ the army’s current fleet and would enable it to compete with China’s tanks, a source said A shipment of 38 US-made M1A2T Abrams tanks — part of a military procurement package from the US — arrived at the Port of Taipei early yesterday. The vehicles are the first batch of 108 tanks and other items that then-US president Donald Trump announced for Taiwan in 2019. The Ministry of National Defense at the time allocated NT$40.5 billion (US$1.25 billion) for the purchase. To accommodate the arrival of the tanks, the port suspended the use of all terminals and storage area machinery from 6pm last night until 7am this morning. The tanks are expected to be deployed at the army’s training
RSS