Taiwan Coast Guard press release – Translated by Naval News
President Tsai Ing-wen, together with Chairman Li Zhongwei of the Marine Commission, Director Chen Guoen of the Coast Guard and Chairman Cheng Wen-lung of the Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC), presided the naming and launching ceremony of the 4,000-ton patrol ship at the Kaohsiung plant of the Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation on June 2, 2020.
President Tsai Ing-wen named the first 4,000-ton patrol ship “Chiayi” (CG-5001) and conducted a bottle tossing ceremony in accordance with the shipbuilding practice, praying for the continued construction of the patrol ship and wishing all the projects of the “Sea Patrol Ship Development Project” safe and smooth.
The ceremony was hosted by President Tsai Ing-wen in accordance with the “Basic Principle of Naming Vessels and Ships of the Oceanographic Commission”, considering that Chiayi County has the Jiannan Plain bordering Yu Shan, which is an important landmark of our country, and the fisheries production in the county is the highest in the central county and city, which is commensurate with the largest tonnage flagship of the Oceanographic Commission.
The 4,000-ton patrol ship was built by Taiwan Shipbuilding Co. with the world’s first-class shipbuilding technology.
The new 4,000-ton cruiser is capable of withstanding Class 10 winds and has a range of more than 10,000 nautical miles. In the future, it will be able to support the transportation of epidemic prevention materials to neighboring countries for timely international humanitarian relief work.
The frigate is equipped with rockets and machine guns and has a helipad that provides landing space for a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The ship is also equipped with an operating room and a negative-pressure isolation ward.
The “Chiayi” is scheduled to be deployed at the Central District Mobile Marine Patrol, Fleet Branch of the Coast Guard to ensure the safety of our fishermen’s rights and safety at sea.
According to the Oceanic Committee, in order to implement the government’s policy of “national defense, national shipbuilding”, the “Sea Cruiser Development Plan” is expected to build 141 new sea cruisers with a gross tonnage of 33,220 tons over a 10-year period, bringing unprecedented prosperity to the domestic shipbuilding industry and effectively driving the development of the shipbuilding industry chain, which is estimated to create more than 8,000 jobs and an output value of more than NT$100 billion ($3.3 billion), significantly enhancing the international competitiveness of Taiwan’s shipbuilding industry.
At present, the projects of the “Sea Patrol Ship Development Project” are being implemented smoothly according to the schedule, and the progress is in line with the schedule. The Ocean Commission will gradually build up the energy of sea patrol and defense, steadily promote the national shipbuilding policy, and complete the projects on time, in quality and on budget, effectively defending our sovereignty and fishing rights, and meeting the high expectations of the Chinese people.
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Naval News comments:
Taiwan currently as an ambitious fleet modernization and expansion plan for its Coast Guard. It launched a missile-capable catamaran vessel two weeks ago.
CGA has a programme to build 141 coast guard ships from 2018 to 2027. The programme includes four 4000-ton class patrol vessels, six 1000-ton class patrol vessels, twelve 600-ton class patrol vessels, seventeen 100-ton class patrol boats, fifty-two 35-ton class patrol boats and fifty littoral utility boats. Taiwanese media also reported that the CGA is considering to establish aviation units, and have sent a report on this issue to the parliament in April.
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) officials said that the shipbuilding programme will bring prosperity to local shipbuilding companies and related industries, and is considered to create at least 8000 jobs and make the industry have 100 billion NTD value. However, there are still challenges for Taiwan to develop its defense economics.
