The Republic of China (ROC) Navy’s Training Squadron commenced its 2025 Midshipmen Cruise on March 7. As part of the itinerary, the squadron visited Keelung on March 16 and 17, where they hosted open-day events, welcoming the public aboard for tours and exhibitions.
This year, the Training Squadron visited Kaohsiung Port on March 7 and 8, Anping Port on March 9 and 10, Magong Port on March 11 and 12, Taichung Port on March 14 and 15, and Keelung Port on March 17 and 18. The squadron is scheduled to visit Su’ao Port on March 19 and 20, followed by Hualien Port on March 21 and 22. After completing these domestic port calls, the squadron will embark on the international leg of the 2025 Midshipmen Cruise at the end of March and into early April.
The Midshipmen Cruising and Training Squadron (MCTS) has been an annual tradition of the Republic of China (ROC) Navy since 1967. It serves as a critical training opportunity for graduating officer cadets of the ROC Naval Academy, providing them with practical experience at sea and contributing to the development of a solid foundation for the ROC Navy’s future leadership. However, due to the ROC’s challenging diplomatic circumstances, the selection of foreign ports for MCTS visits has been significantly restricted. In most cases, the squadron has been limited to visiting the ROC’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific Islands.
The Republic of China (ROC) Navy typically does not disclose the specific foreign ports that the Midshipmen Cruising and Training Squadron (MCTS) will visit in advance. However, it is generally expected that the squadron will call on the ROC’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific Islands. In recent years, the Training Squadron has visited Palau and the Marshall Islands, including during its 2023 and 2024 deployments.
The 2025 Midshipmen Cruising and Training Squadron consists of three warships: Wu Chang (PFG-1207, 武昌), a Kang Ding-class frigate based on the French La Fayette-class design; Cheng Ho (PFG-1103, 鄭和), a Cheng Kung-class frigate derived from the U.S. Oliver Hazard Perry-class; and Panshih (AOE-532, 磐石), a Panshih-class fast combat support ship.
Select areas of the three vessels—such as the fore and aft decks, helicopter hangars, flight decks, and bridges—were opened to the public, offering visitors an opportunity to view the ships’ weapon systems and other onboard equipment up close. Additionally, an S-70C anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter was showcased on the flight deck of the Cheng Kung-class frigate, providing further insight into the ROC Navy’s capabilities.
An exhibition highlighting the core missions of the Republic of China (ROC) Navy was held in the exhibition area aboard Panshih. The display showcased the Navy’s recent achievements in force development, including the construction of indigenous warships, advancements in anti-ship missile systems, and the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Taiwan’s achievements in other fields were also featured in the exhibition, including the national baseball team’s victory at the 2024 WBSC Premier12 Championship and the country’s leadership in the semiconductor industry. In addition, the exhibition highlighted the “Five Trusted Industry Sectors” (五大信賴產業) promotion plan introduced by the Lai Ching-te administration. The five sectors identified as strategic priorities are semiconductors, artificial intelligence, the defense industry, the security industry, and next-generation communications.
There was also a brief introduction of Taiwan’s naval academy, beginning with a line from “One Piece”, a Japanese comic book and animation series about the adventures of pirates, which is very popular in Taiwan.
On the land part of the naval base, the Naval Academy cadets’ band, Navy Honor Guards, and Marine Corps martial arts demonstration team performed shows. The Northern Taiwan recruiting office of Navy Headquarters, Naval Keelung Logistic Support Command, Naval Academy, ROC armed forces Northern Taiwan recruiting office, the northern branch of the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) showcased their uniforms, small arms, equipments and provided games and quizzes for the visitors, to collect stamps then get free souvenirs after completing the games and quizzes.
