The navy’s newly upgraded Kang Ding-class frigates are equipped with more advanced missiles and radar systems, significantly enhancing the warship’s surveillance and combat capabilities, a local defense expert said yesterday.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research director Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said the upgrades to the Kang Ding-class frigates include replacing the two-dimensional radar with three-dimensional Type 997 Artisan radars from BAE Systems.
The Artisan radar has a longer surveillance range and is capable of tracking more than 200 targets at once, giving the warship more precise vision and faster response capabilities, Su said.
Photo: Screenshot from Kaohsiung Port Second Harbor’s live camera via CNA
The navy also replaced its RIM-72C Sea Chaparral SAM system with the locally developed Hua Yang vertical launch system (華陽垂直發射系統), Su said.
The Hua Yang system, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, is capable of launching up to 32 Tien Chien-2N, a medium-range air defense missile also developed by the institute, he added.
The Tien Chien-2N has a minimum range of 30km to 40km, compared with the 8km of the Sea Chaparral SAM system, he said.
Overall, the upgrades give the warship a longer weapons range, faster responsive capabilities and clearer vision to better defend the country’s waters, he added.
Su made the comments after the first Kang Ding-class frigate to undergo upgrades, the Chen De (承德, PFG-1208), was spotted undergoing sea trials on Monday last week.
The navy has not officially confirmed the round of reported sea trials.
According to the navy’s plan, the Chen De is expected to rejoin the navy before the end of this year, after completing the required trials.
Taiwan has six Kang Ding-class frigates.
The country’s military is spending NT$43.1 billion (US$1.44 billion) to upgrade one Kang Ding-class warship per year until 2030.
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
RSS