Kaohsiung, Oct. 18 (CNA) Two more Knox-class frigates leased from the United States were commissioned on Monday to help beef up the Republic of China's naval defense capabilities.
A commissioning ceremony for the two warships, christened the Ningyang and the Iyang, was held at a naval base in Tsoying near the southern port city of Kaohsiung, with Navy Commander-in-Chief Li Chieh presiding.
Speaking on the occasion, Li praised naval officers and enlisted men who had traveled to the United States to take delivery of the two frigates.
Li said their diligence and good discipline have won the acclaim of US military personnel. "Your hard work has also helped save costs for repairing and refurbishing the two frigates," Li said, adding that he hopes all naval servicemen will keep this good tradition and system.
Noting that naval officers and enlisted men sent to the United States to receive the warships had been carefully selected, Li said their main missions included integrated training and combat skills training.
After a 40-day training voyage, the two frigates arrived at the Tsoying naval base on Oct. 4. They were the ROC Navy's seventh and eighth Knox-class frigates.
The Navy has leased a total of six Knox-class frigates from the United States since 1992 to reinforce its anti-submarine combat capabilities.
The US Navy built Knox-class frigates in the 1970s. They formed the backbone of the US anti-submarine fleet and also played an important role in accompanying and protecting other warships in the 1970s-1980s.
The Knox-class frigates are equipped with highly sophisticated sonar, torpedoes, deep-sea bombs, anti-ship missiles and many other advanced weaponry systems.
In the face of mounting military threat from mainalnd China, the commissioning of the two additional Knox-class frigates is expected to help upgrade the ROC's defense capability and safeguard peace and security in the Taiwan Strait, military authorities said. (By Sofia Wu)
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