Short of personnel to man the four Kidd-class destroyers it is buying from from the US, the navy plans to retire its seven Yang-class destroyers as soon as possible, defense officials said yesterday.
According to the navy, the four Kidd-class destroyers will need a total of 1,468 crew members. Decommissioning the Yang-class destroyers would free up 1,827 personnel.
In response to an inquiry from the Taipei Times, the Navy General Headquarters confirmed that it has worked out a retirement plan for the Yang-class destroyers but said the plan has not yet been approved by the Ministry of National Defense.
This is the only way the navy can find to handle a manpower shortage that will get worse in the next few years after a new streamlining project is launched in all three branches of the armed forces next year.
Under the "Chinchih" project the navy will lose 5,000 service members. A total of 30,000 personnel will be cut from the three service branches over a three-year period, bringing the nation's defense forces down to a total of 350,000.
Even though it will only lose 5,000 personnel, the navy will have to make a sizable structural adjustment.
The Yang-class destroyers, which have been in operation for nearly six decades, were received from the US in 1970s.
They underwent a major systems upgrade in early 1980s to become the navy's most powerful warships for many years.
The upgrade was codenamed "Wuchin No. 3" so the destroyers are also known as Wuchin No. 3 ships.
They were the first ships to be armed with the American-made Standard SM-1 air defense missiles.
A navy official who served on one of the ships said the SM-1 missiles test-fired from the Wuchin No. 3 ships always hit their targets.
This was a veiled reference to the SM-1 that was fired from a locally built Chenkung-class frigate during the Hankuang No. 19 exercise on Sept. 4 but didn't hit its target.
"The Wuchin No. 3 ships, though old in design and structure, have greater fire power than the Chenkung-class frigates," the navy official said
It is a pity that they will be taken out of service. They could still be used for at least another 10 years," the navy official said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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