The nation should build a class of second-line ships to offset the numerical advantage of Chinese frigates, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said, referring to disputes that stalled the navy’s next-generation guided missile frigate program.
China continues to probe Taiwan’s sovereign waters, an effort spearheaded by its Type 054 frigates and Type 056 corvettes, he said, adding that the navy faces steep challenges in countering Chinese incursions due to its aging fleet, with most ship types designed during the Cold War.
The Chi Yang-class frigates — formerly operated by the US as Knox-class frigates — are powered by steam turbines that are inferior in power output and safety to the gas turbines modern warships use, he said.
Photo: CNA
Deploying the navy’s biggest warships after Type 056 corvettes to counter the incursions is not a worthwhile effort, he said.
However, Taiwan’s two Tuo Chiang-class corvettes, which have less than 700 tonnes of displacement, are too small for the job, despite their firepower, he said.
If the navy is resolved to carry on with the second-generation frigate program, a next-generation “second-rate” ship class should be created to give the fleet more bulk and perform reconnaissance and patrol missions, he said.
The proposed secondary ship type would be a replacement for the Chi Yang class, which is long overdue, he said.
Last year, the navy said its next-generation guided missile frigate program — which has a budget of NT$24.5 billion (US$816.1 million) — might not be finished by 2026 due to technical challenges.
While the frigates were intended to have advanced reconnaissance and defense capabilities, the navy and the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology could not agree on the ships’ displacement or internal layout, the navy said.
As the program might have to be redesigned, delays to the program are likely, the navy said.
A source said on condition of anonymity that navy top brass are considering the introduction of a secondary combat ship class with a displacement of about 2,000 tonnes as a temporary measure to increase the fleet’s combat power.
SCANDAL: There are still discussions over whether a ban from being coaches, referees or agents should be imposed on the players, the association said The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA), Taiwan’s basketball governing body, on Tuesday said that it has handed lifetime bans to 10 players accused of game-fixing and breaches of betting rules. In a statement on Tuesday, the CTBA said it has revoked the registration of nine former players from the semi-professional Super Basketball League’s (SBL) Yulon Lexgen Dinos and one from the Taiwan Beer Leopards of the professional T1 League. The nine former Dinos players are Ko Min-hao (柯旻豪), Chiu Chung-po (邱忠博), Chen Pin-chuan (陳品銓), Huang Hsuan-min (黃鉉閔), Wu Yu-jen (吳祐任), Chou Wei-chen (周暐宸), Yen Wen-tso (顏聞佐), Lee Chi-en (李其恩), and Senegalese center
It took director Chong Keat Aun (張吉安) nearly a decade to complete Snow in Midsummer (五月雪), a deft chronicle of Malaysia’s May 13 incident told through one woman’s search for her brother and father. Although only his second feature, it led the field at yesterday’s Golden Horse Awards with nine nominations. Chong said it had been a struggle to get people to share their memories of the intercommunal violence following the 1969 national election, known among the country’s ethnic Chinese community as “513.” “My father, for example, would shut the conversation down if my mother or grandma even mentioned the topic,” Chong said
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that a surge in respiratory illnesses in China has been caused by at least seven types of pathogens, and small children, elderly people and immunocompromised people should temporarily avoid unnecessary visits to China. The recent outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China is mainly in the north and among children, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said on Monday. Data released by the Chinese National Health Commission on Sunday showed that among children aged one to four, the main pathogens were influenza viruses and rhinoviruses, while among children aged five to 14, the main pathogens
A new poll of Taiwanese voters found the top opposition candidate for president jumping past the ruling party’s hopeful into the lead position ahead of January’s election — the latest twist in a drama-filled race. Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had an approval rating of 31.9 percent versus 29.2 percent for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the poll released yesterday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed. The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), ranked third with 23.6 percent, according to the survey conducted