Lung Teh Shipbuilding Co has been awarded contracts to build 11 Tuo Jiang-class corvettes and four minelayers for the navy.
The shipbuilder is to deliver the Tuo Jiang-class guided missile corvettes by 2026, or a decade ahead of schedule, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said on Sunday.
With a displacement of less than 700 tonnes, the corvettes are to have anti-aircraft and anti-ship capabilities, but no anti-submarine capabilities, he said, adding that the navy’s original plan of having three corvette subtypes — anti-aircraft, anti-ship and anti-submarine — was scrapped to save time.
Photo: Lo Tien-pin, Taipei Times
In July, the navy contracted with the Ministry of National Defense-affiliated Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology to take charge of the procurement platform, systems integration and combat systems development for the project, the institute’s Web site said.
According to the contract’s terms, the institute had to contract with a qualified Taiwanese shipbuilder no later than Nov. 11.
The institute said that the contractor was selected for its superior technical and financial performance through a transparent process to ensure successful indigenous production of high-performance warships.
Lung Teh was also awarded a contract to build fast minelayers for the navy, a defense official said on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The ministry later confirmed that report in an announcement.
The ministry said the shipbuilder is to deliver the minelayers by November 2021 at a cost of NT$738.31 million (US$24.01 million).
The remainder of the NT$917. 77 million budgeted for minelayers is reserved for the production of a naval mine that the institute is to develop, the navy said.
The minelayers would be a crucial asset to counter the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, the navy said, adding that the shipbuilding projects would benefit industry in Taiwan.
Deploying mines rapidly to close sea lanes and maritime zones that a hostile force might have chosen to move through helps disrupt enemy battle plans, the navy said.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although