Navy Commander Admiral Tang Hua (唐華) yesterday morning presided over the commissioning of a new domestically developed landing platform dock, the Yushan.
The Yushan, which would be used to transport amphibious vehicles and other landing craft, is replacing the Hsu Hai dock landing ship, which entered service in 1999.
Unlike during past commissioning ceremonies, yesterday’s was closed to the public and was only covered by the Military News Agency, which issued a news release afterward.
Photo: screen grab from Military News Agency’s Web site
Tang handed over the national flag and the ship’s seal to its first captain at the ceremony at Kaohsiung’s Zuoying (左營) naval base.
He said the Yushan was a “new type of amphibious combat ship” that was designed specifically to meet the navy’s evolving operational needs.
During construction, the Yushan went under the code name “Hongyun Project” (鴻運計畫), which referred to the safety and smoothness of the operation that engineers prioritized during the design process, Tang said.
The name Yushan was chosen as it is the name of the highest peak in Taiwan, and represents the “determination of the navy to always stand on the front line in defending the country and its territorial waters,” he said.
Officers from the Marine Corps also attended the ceremony, symbolizing the important role the ship would play in the operations of the navy and the Marine Corps, he said.
“The two branches of the military will jointly assume the responsibility of defending the Taiwan Strait, and together will form a maritime defense force,” he said. “The officers aboard the Yushan are to cooperate closely with the Marine Corps.”
The ship is 153m long and 23m wide, and has a full-load displacement of 10,600 tonnes and a top speed of more than 20 knots (37kph).
It has a loading dock at its stern, from which it can load amphibious armed personnel carriers and troops, and can also be equipped with autocannons and anti-aircraft missile systems.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS