Taiwan Coast Guard takes delivery of two new vessels
ROC Central News Agency
04/09/2022 04:57 PM
Kaohsiung, April 9 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Friday took delivery of two new vessels -- including one 600-ton armed patrol corvette -- that it said will patrol coastal areas of Taiwan.
The corvette, named the Cijin (hull number CG-605), was delivered at the Port of Kaohsiung, making it the fourth of a dozen 600-ton Anping-class vessels the Coast Guard, ordered from Kaohsiung-based Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Group in 2018, to be delivered.
It will be deployed to the Coast Guard's Southern Sector Flotilla based in Kaohsiung to patrol southern Taiwan and disputed waters of the South China Sea after it enters service, the Coast Guard said.
The Cijin, which displaces 600 tons, is capable of sailing at over 44 knots and in sustained winds of 75-88 kilometers per hour, the Coast Guard said, adding that the design of the Anping-class vessel is based on the Navy's Tuo Chiang-class corvette.
The ship is armed with a high pressure water cannon that has a range of 120 meters, a high explosive rocket system, and a 20mm remote control turret, said the Coast Guard, adding it could also be used to defend Taiwan's territory.
It noted that the Cijin is equipped with a self-righting boat that can swiftly carry out rescue and law enforcement operations.
The other vessel, numbered PP-10088, delivered on Friday is the second of the Coast Guard's 4th generation 100-ton motorboat that Jong Shyn has been commissioned to build.
The new boat will be deployed in Hsinchu and tasked with tackling Chinese fishing vessels operating illegally in Taiwanese waters, the Coast Guard said.
According to the Coast Guard, the boats of the 4th generation, which are 40 meters in length, are longer and larger than earlier generations, making them better able to withstand rough weather and hence safer.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has launched a project to build a total of 141 vessels from 2018 to 2027 with a budget of NT$42.6 billion (US$1.47 billion), and the two new ships delivered Friday are part of that 10-year plan.
At a ceremony on Friday, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said the project will boost the development of the city's shipbuilding industry and create numerous job opportunities.
Chen also oversaw the christening of another Anping-class patrol corvette, the Bali, at the event.
The Coast Guard added that the Bali will be deployed to northern Taiwan after it enters service.
(By Hung Hsueh-kuang and Teng Pei-ju)
Enditem/AW
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