The newly commissioned Tuo Jiang-class corvette yesterday joined other warships in conducting combat simulation exercises in the nation’s southern territorial waters, the first time the new ship has been involved in them.
Despite inclement weather and rough conditions, the combined air and marine drill was carried out successfully as part of the two-day “New Year’s Day Naval Combat Readiness Patrol.”
Led by the Keelung-class Ma Kong guided missile destroyer, the Republic of China Navy vessels also included one Kang Ding-class frigate, as well as Cheng Kung-class and Chi Yang-class vessels and eight Kuang Hua-class fast-attack missile boats.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
The drills took place to the southwest of Greater Kaohsiung as the destroyer was on the return leg of a journey to near Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) the previous night.
The Tuo Jiang 618 departed from Kaohsiung’s Tsoying Naval Base and displayed its capabilities in joint maneuvers with the frigate fleet to simulate combat situations in the event of an intrusion by enemy ships into the area.
Another main focus of the exercises was anti-submarine maneuvers, with two S70-C attack helicopters joining the leading frigates to simulate reconnaissance, detection and the neutralization of an enemy submarine target.
The 618 displayed its mobility by overtaking the Ma Kong on its starboard side and outpacing it, showcasing its speed even in rough seas.
Other drills involved a simulated intrusion by fast enemy attack boats, with the Ma Kong displaying its combat capabilities to repel the targets.
Senior naval officials had high praise for the 618’s performance.
“We saw its excellent mobility and speed in response to various situations,” said Vice Admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光), director of the Navy Fleet Command Headquarters. “With the addition of the Tuo Jiang corvette and its eight missiles, we have greatly enhanced the navy’s combat readiness to defend our nation’s marine territories.”
Conditions were rougher than expected over the two days at sea, especially when the ships passed through Bashi Channel (巴士海峽), a waterway between the Batanes Islands of the Philippines and Orchid Island.
The 10,500-tonne Ma Kong rolled in the rough waves, whipped up by strong northeasterly winds and swells of up to 14m, according to reports by the ship’s quartermaster.
Ma Kong captain Liu Wen-tai (劉文泰) gave a New Year’s Day greeting to visiting military officials and reporters. However, due to the inclement weather, the ship was not able to catch the first sunrise of the year as had been planned.
Liu said the destroyer makes regular patrols of the nation’s waters, including the Taiwan Strait, the east coast and the Bashi Channel.
About 2,000 navy personnel on the warships and at coastal radar stations are engaged in around-the-clock defense of the nation’s waters to protect Taiwan against hostile intent by enemy vessels, Liu said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS