The nation’s newest research vessel, Legend (勵進), is to conduct research in the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean next year, the Ministry of Science and Technology said yesterday.
The National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) said that Legend was launched into waters off Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on May 7 at a ceremony hosted by Representative to Vietnam Richard Shih (石瑞琦).
Legend is Taiwan’s fifth-largest research vessel and was built at a cost of NT$870 million (US$28.9 million at the current exchange rate), said officials from NARL’s Taiwan Ocean Research Institute.
Photo: Courtesy of the National Applied Research Laboratories
Built by Triyards Marine Service, a Singaporean company based in Vietnam, the vessel features a Remote Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) — capable of operating at depths of 3,000m — and a Gravity Core sampler that can work in waters 20m deep, Ocean Exploration Division chief Liu Shao-yong (劉紹勇) said.
Equipped with a 360° electric propulsion system, the ship’s design has eliminated traditional engines and promises onboard researchers more comfortable trips, he said.
“It will be quieter than Taiwan High Speed Rail trains when moving,” Institute Director-General Lin Hui-ling (林慧玲) said.
Legend is scheduled to conduct earthquake research in the Eastern China Sea together with Japanese research vessels before formally embarking on its own in September next year, Liu said.
There are also plans for ocean-bottom exploration in the South China Sea and in the Manila Trench, he said.
Legend is to sail to Taiwan at the end of this year after the construction of its internal equipment is completed, he added.
NARL Director Wang Yeong-her (王永和) rebutted reports that the ship might stop at Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) or other ports on its way to Taiwan.
It is to collect abundant research samples en route, Wang said.
Legend is to continue the work of Ocean Researcher V, which hit a reef off the coast of Penghu and sank in 2014, Liu said.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)