Taiwan Navy receives delivery of two locally-built offshore patrol vessels

Taiwan's Navy took delivery of two locally-built 500-ton offshore patrol ships yesterday after the new vessels passed a series of tests on their navigation and weaponry systems operations, it was learned yesterday.

The two Chin Chiang-class (錦江級) patrol vessels, named Tan Chiang (淡江艦) and Hsin Chiang (新江艦) respectively, were designed and built by the state-owned China Shipbuilding Corporation.

The two patrol boats have been completed for several months, Navy sources said.

During previous navigation tests, the ships' gun firing systems failed to meet requirements, according to sources.

The China Shipbuilding Corporation and the Taiwan Navy sought the assistance of the military-run Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (中山科學研究院) for overhauling the firing system.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Hung Chen-lo (洪振洛), director of the planning department at the Naval Fleet Command, said that the revised and upgraded gun firing systems installed on the Tan Chiang and Hsin Chiang patrol boats have passed stringent tests.

Hung said the two warships' navigation and weaponry systems and integrated operations all comply with requirements listed in the contract signed between the Navy and China Shipbuilding.

Despite their relatively light weight, Hung said, the two patrol boats have strong firepower and high mobility.

"Moreover, they need only a small crew and their maintenance costs are low," he added.

The two new vessels will be responsible for port reconnaissance and regional patrol missions, Hung told the Central News Agency.

He added that during wartime, the two ships can be equipped with additional weaponry systems to assist mainstream combat forces in intercepting enemy warships and in anti-landing operations.

The Tan Chiang and Hsin Chiang are the first two of the 11 Chin Chiang-class offshore patrol ships the Navy has ordered from the CSBC under its "Kuanghua No. 3" naval ships modernization plan, according to sources.

The Navy signed the purchase contract with the China Shipbuilding Corporation in June 1997.

All the patrol ships to be built under the plan will be patterned after the prototype ship named the Chin Chiang.

And all of them will be named after major rivers in Taiwan, according to reports.

For example, the Tan Chiang is named after the Tamsui River (淡水河) in Taipei, and the Hsin Chiang is named after the Hsintien River (新店溪).