The navy has renewed the initiative for building next-generation guided missile frigates, Ministry of National Defense bidding notices showed.
They sought designs for a frigate’s hull structure, command and control, radar, propulsion and weapon systems, among others, a request for information on procurement posted on the government’s public information Web site on Tuesday last week showed.
The next-generation guided missile frigate was not mentioned by name, but Taiwan has no other frigate programs.
Photo: Taipei Times
The navy had previously obtained a draft for the 6,500-tonne advanced warship, significantly more than the planned 4,500 tonnes.
That meant either the state-run Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology achieved a breakthrough in creating a compact active electronically scanned array (AESA) or the navy gave up on the original concept and returned to the drawing board.
The proposed frigates — meant to serve as the centerpiece of the navy’s surface fleet — faced troubles during its development, as the program had to change requirements and specifications.
The Control Yuan last year released a report saying that the program had been mismanaged, resulting in delays that compromised national defense.
The navy had told the public that the next-generation warship would be equal to and compatible with the Aegis combat system used by the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
That advanced warship would have been armed with a domestically-produced battle management system and vertical launching system, anti-ship and air defense weapons, and sonar, they said.
However, the initial requirements the navy submitted to the Chungshan Institute specified a passive electronically scanned array, only for the navy to switch to an AESA after development was well on its way.
The Chungshan Institute developed the AESA capability as requested, but the system proved too bulky for the intended size of the frigate, a problem that led to the program being shelved.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS