The government is still hoping to take delivery of two US Perry-class frigates next year, Minister of National Defense Kao Kuang-chi (高廣圻) said yesterday, amid reports that the sale is in limbo and the ships have been decommissioned.
Kao told a meeting of a legislative committee that the Ministry of National Defense is hoping to get a letter of offer and acceptance for the frigates by the end of the year and send naval officers to take delivery of the frigates next year.
The military has inspected the frigates, and they are in fairly good condition, he said.
Kao said delays in acquiring the ships have been caused by coordination difficulties between the US’ executive and legislative branches.
US President Barack Obama in December last year signed a bill into law authorizing the sale of four Perry-class frigates to Taiwan.
The government last year budgeted about NT$5.5 billion (US$167.9 million at current exchange rates) to purchase two of the frigates that were still active, with the expectation of being able to take delivery this year.
The hope had been for what is known as a “hot” transfer, where Taiwan would take possession of the ships essentially intact.
However, according to a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News, the Obama administration has delayed sending final notification of the sale to the US Congress, making it impossible for a contract to be signed.
In the meantime, the active frigates have been decommissioned and mothballed despite appeals from Taiwan, the newspaper said.
The delay has meant that the ministry’s timetable of sailing one of the frigates to Taiwan next year and in 2017, with the first to be commissioned in 2017 and the second in 2018 respectively, would have to be postponed, the paper said.
Kao told lawmakers that the ministry believes the notification has been held back because of more pressing matters, although he suggested that the problem has been removed. He did not elaborate.
The navy has its officers ready to take delivery once the sale goes through, he said.
Kao also said the ministry is continuing its efforts to acquire diesel-electric submarines.
According to next year’s defense budget, which was submitted to the Legislative Yuan in August, the navy is planning to launch the first phase of the project next year.
The project would begin with a design contract, for which the ministry has proposed a budget of NT$500 million for the first year.
According to the budget plan, the first stage of the project would run from next year to 2019 at an estimated cost of NT$2.9 billion.
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