The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is to conduct two live-fire drills next month in waters off Hualien County, amid mounting pressure from Chinese navy and coast guard vessels operating near Taiwan proper.
The naval exercise notice came just days after reports that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has been directly coordinating China Coast Guard operations to identify potential targets in Taiwan.
The CGA’s eastern branch patrol vessels — Taitung and Cheng Kung — are scheduled to conduct gunnery exercises from 11am to 2pm on May 9 and May 27, the notice said.
Photo: Aaron Tu, Taipei Times
During the drills, the ships would fire 2.75-inch rockets, 20mm and 40mm guns, and small arms, with projectiles reaching a maximum altitude of 452m within the designated restricted zone, it said.
The restricted zone spans the strategically important shipping lane that links the Port of Hualien to the wider western Pacific Ocean, it added.
The Miaoli-class offshore patrol vessel Taitung displaces 1,899 tonnes, and was commissioned in 2016.
Photo courresy of Thunder Tiger Group
The Taitung is armed with a Bofors 40mm gun, a T-75 20mm cannon, two T-75 light machine guns and has a top speed of 25 knots (46.3kph) with a cruising range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,112km).
The Anping-class offshore patrol vessel Cheng Kung displaces 750 tonnes and was commissioned in 1990.
The Cheng Kung is equipped with a 2.75-inch rocket system and a point-defense weapon, and could be retrofitted with two quadruple Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile launchers, two quadruple Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile launchers and a Phalanx point-defense system. A catamaran-hulled vessel, it can reach a top speed of 44.5 knots and has a cruising range of 3,250 nautical miles.
In related news, Taiwan-based drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger Group (雷虎科技股) has submitted its SeaShark 800 design for consideration in the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s tender for an uncrewed kamikaze drone boat.
Thunder Tiger is one of six companies to have submitted a design for the contract.
The SeaShark 800 uncrewed surface vehicle is a remote-controlled system with a top speed of 50 knots, a range of 524 nautical miles and a low profile, exceeding the institute’s requirements, the company said.
The vessel is undergoing trials, it added.
Designed with an emphasis on a low radar cross-section, the SeaShark 800 is equipped with a dual radio frequency and GPS navigation system designed to resist electronic interference, the company said.
The boat can be remotely guided at distances of up to 700km from the operator, depending on the strength of electronic interference, the company said.
It also features swarm control capabilities, allowing it to operate either as part of a concentrated group or as a dispersed force, providing enhanced tactical flexibility, it said.
The vessel is 8.1m long and 1.9m tall, displaces 2.7 tonnes and has a shallow draft of less than 0.5m, it added.
It is also to be equipped with an artificial intelligence-enhanced target identification system designed to improve the operator’s ability to distinguish between ship types, flotsam and specialized targets, it said.
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