The Ministry of National Defense (MND) is aiming to find a contractor next month to build six Min Jiang-class mine-laying vessels after two bids for the project were unsuccessful.
The construction of new minelayers is part of the government’s efforts to bolster the military’s asymmetric warfare capabilities.
The navy had earmarked about NT$1.8 billion (US$54.7 million) to find a Taiwanese contractor to build six Min Jiang-class minelayers from this year to 2027.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
If the project is completed, the 192nd Fleet’s mine operations squadron would have 10 Min Jiang-class minelayers three years from now alongside the four that are already in service, the ministry’s budget report showed.
The vessel, with a displacement of 376 tonnes, can be equipped with a T-75 20mm cannon at the bow and two T-74 7.62mm machine guns for defense.
Each vessel can carry between 32 and 64 domestically produced Wan Hsiang naval mines, deployed from four fixed mine rails at the midship and aft sections, with the mines capable of being released manually or through remote control within a short period, which can effectively deny and delay enemy ship’s aggression.
The ministry had organized bidding sessions on Dec. 18 last year and on Feb. 5 for part of the project, worth NT$1.548 billion. Bids were required to fulfill the contract within 20 months after the contract was signed.
One reason why the bids were not finalized is because the sessions attracted fewer than three contractors, a military source said.
Some contractors have said that the ministry should adjust the construction costs, but the ministry said it had no plan to do so.
Article 48 of the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) stipulates that contracts cannot be awarded if the relevant authorities received less than three bids.
However, the same article also states that if the initial contract cannot proceed due to less than three tenders, a second tendering can be arranged, while the three tenders requirement would not be necessary and the time limit for such tendering may be shortened.
The ministry opened the bidding session to tender contracts for the mine-laying vessels yesterday.
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