The Ministry of National Defense has awarded a NT$2.49 billion (US$79.4 million) contract to DCI Group of France for ship combat system platform components, a government procurement notice dated yesterday showed.
The limited tender is being implemented in Kaohsiung from Jan. 18 to the same day next year, the notice said.
The contract would likely supply components to one of Taiwan’s six Kang Ding-class guided missile frigates, as DCI Group is the supplier of original equipment manufacturer parts for Laffeyette-class warships, on which they are based.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
The Kang Ding-class frigates — which comprise the navy’s 124th Fleet headquartered in Kaohsiung’s Zuoying Naval Base — are mainly employed in air defense, anti-submarine warfare, escort, anti-blockade and joint surface interception roles.
The navy has allocated a total of NT$43.2 billion to modernize the Kang Ding-class ships by 2030 with battle management system upgrades, new radars and vertical launch systems developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Huayang Project.
The launch system would enable the frigates to fire indigenous Hai Chien II (“Sea Sword”) and Hai Kung III (“Sea Bow”) missiles instead of the aging Chaparral missile systems that originally equipped the class.
Taiwanese navy frigate the Chen De (承德), which was last seen being refitted at a dock in Kaohsiung last year, was the first Kang Ding-class warship to receive the upgrades. The listed completion time for the refitting is between next year and 2026.
The modernization program, with a budget of NT$5.76 billion for this year, is probably the source of funding for the latest contract with DCI Group, although the ministry did not specify whether the parts would be used for the Chen De or another ship.
The remainder of this year’s Kang Ding-class modernization budget is likely to be utilized for domestically developed systems and weapons.
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