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NAVY UNVEILS NEWEST SPEEDBOAT PROTOTYPE

Jun 07, 2002 22:43 UTC+0800

Taipei, June 4 (CNA) Navy General Headquarters unveiled Friday the prototype of the newest generation of its missile-carrying speedboats, which has been designed and constructed totally by the navy.

The 180-ton Kwanghua No. 6 speedboat, which will be equipped with four locally made Hsiungfeng II missiles and can evade radar screening, is still undergoing tests, and the navy will commission local shipbuilders next year to produce 29 of the vessels after all tests and revisions have been completed. The boats will replace the aging 50-ton Seagull-class speedboats that have already served for 20 years.

The navy has 50 of the Seagulls, which are only equipped with two Hsiungfeng I missiles. The navy began to plan for its newest generation of speedboats three years ago.

The new ships will measure 34.5 meters by 7 meters in width, will have a maximum speed of 34 knots and will have a range of up to 800 nautical miles, according to the navy.

Miao Yung-ching, navy's commander in chief, said the boats will complement the Kidd-class destroyers that the navy is going to buy from the United States, as well as the navy's other military ships, to form a strong combat fleet.

(By Elisa Kao)