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Further Reading

Kuang Hua VII corvette

Taiwan has a need to replace the Knox frigates, which were built in the 1970s. The original Kuang Hua V program was cancelled. As of 2004 one contender was a Light Frigate. However it was still in discussion phase. The distinction between corvettes and frigates is blurred, and is not helped by references to 'light frigates'. Parameters of length and displacement help define the two but are not absolute. In two of the world's major reference works, Jane's Fighting Ships and the US Naval Institute's Combat Fleets of the World, the corvette tends to be a vessel between 55 and 85 meters long with a 1300 to 5000-ton displacement. The frigate is seen as between 86 and 140 meters in length with a displacement of between 1300 to 5000 tons. But these are not hard and fast rules.

As of 2004 Taiwan had plans for the Kuang Hua 7 program in which eight 2000-ton ships will replace the Knox class. The Kuang Hua 7 program has superseded the former Kuang Hua 5 program for the procurement of a new class of frigates/corvettes to replace the Knox class frigates. It is understood that there is a requirement for up to eight new ships of above 2,000 tons with a main armament of Hsiung Feng-II missiles. It is not clear whether the ships are to be procured abroad (ex-US Spruance class are a possibility) or built locally.

Kuang Hua V corvette

Taiwan's Kuang Hua [Glorious China] naval modernization program included the future acquisition of 10-14 corvettes with a displacement of 1,500-2,000 tons. The Kwang Hua Project V was the much delayed plan for the "secondary class warships of the second generation" to build several patrol boats with stealth capability that will be a supplementary combat force for "primary class" warships. The Kwang Hua Project V had been on the drawing board for many years to replace the phased out Shan class and Kuan class frigates, but due to budget constraints, the project has remained on the back burner until recently. The only common understanding in the navy was that the ship should have a displacement of about 1,500 tons, to operate in combat formations of warships with a different tonnage such as the existing 3,000-ton warships of the Cheng Kung and Kang Ding classes.

If the Kwang Hua Project V was approved, most of the ships was to be built in Taiwan in conformity with the principle fostering Taiwan's shipbuilding industry. If a foreign shipyard's design was finally adopted, the first ship would be probably built in a foreign shipyard, with the remainder of the ships built in Taiwan through technological transfer. Only the China Shipbuilding Company among the domestic shipyards has the capability to build the 1,500-2,000 ton-patrol boats.

Foreign shipyards that expressed interest in building the ships include Israel's Saar 5 improved patrol boats, as well as shipyards from Germany (Meko patrol boats), from Spain, Italy, Italy, Britain, and the DCN, the shipbuilding bureau under the French Defense Ministry.

The Lahav class Saar 5 is a multi-purpose missile corvette designed and planned by the Israel Navy. It has a high level of survivability, and is equipped with a helicopter and surface-to-surface, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine capabilities. Designed to remain at sea for relatively long periods of time, its primary use is as a command ship for task forces. As such, it is equipped with advanced combat, navigation and propulsion systems existing in the world today. The Israel Navy currently has three Saar 5 missile boats.

The MEKO® 100 corvette design was systematically further optimized to reduce the radar signature. Thanks to the MEKO® modular design specially adapted to the parameters of a compact naval vessel design in combination with the "variable midships section", the MEKO® 100 family with 800-2500 tonnes displacement offers optimal versatility as regards: selection and capability for future upgrades of weapon and electronics equipment; Propulsion plant; Endurance; Speed; Crew strength and accommodation standard.

The US shipyard Ingalls Shipbuilding showed two new warship designs at IMDEX Asia 97.: a 3,000 ton multi-purpose frigate and a 1250 ton corvette. The frigate design is effectively a scaled-down Spruance class destroyer, as built by Ingalls. The corvette is a considerable modernisation of the concept behind the Israeli Navy's Saar 5 corvettes.